Bolivia sightseeing

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Our collection of routes in Bolivia here

What interesting excursions in Bolivia can be combined with mountaineering?

Bolivia is a small, but very interesting and distinctive country, with amazing potential for a wide variety of outdoor activities, such as trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking, jeep or motorcycle expeditions, bird or animal watching etc.

Bolivia - overview of the main general tourist destinations

In addition to the natural attractions of Bolivia, the mysterious heritage of the Inca Empire makes it possible to immerse yourself in the secrets of the history of disappeared civilizations.

All this wealth is located at the altitudes of more than 4000 meters. After all, the main feature of Bolivia is that it is a highland country that has no access to the sea, and 80% of its territory is the highland Sierra.

Traveling in the the Bolivian mountain desert - Sierra

Accordingly, you should not expect beach or even high rating resorts here. But if you are not looking for the gloss of expensive hotels, you will be struck to the very heart by the simplicity and brightness of Bolivia, the modesty and at the same time the grandeur of the mountain peaks, of its ancient traditions closely intertwined with the acute processes of modern history.

La Paz is the highest capital in the world

My profession that brought me to Bolivia is mountaineering. The mountains here are as accessible as nowhere else in the world. In fact, when your plane lands at the airport in La Paz - El Alto, you already find yourself in the mountains - then what you just have to do is to choose the peak and start climbing.

Climbing Huayna Potosi - one of the most accessible 6000 thousand peaks in the world located two hours drive from La Paz

However, in this text I want to write not about how you can beautifully and tastefully assemble a collection of fantastic mountain routes in Bolivia. I just want to talk about what you can do in Bolivia between climbs, or without climbing at all, in the format of a comfortable and exciting touristic trip.

But always in close contact with nature and energy of the mountains.

Mountains and people in Bolivia live in the same world for thousands years, next to each other. Further I will list the most obvious options for active programs that can make your trip to Bolivia varied and unforgettable.

But you should keep in mind! The following options are the most obvious, but they are top of the iceberg. Whatever topic brings you to this country, the potential of Bolivia is enormous, without hesitation you can spend much more time studying and describing it, than it would take to write a short review article... So, let's go!

Bolivia's most popular car - Toyota Land Cruiser 80 - an absolute off-road classic

The first, one of the most famous natural attractions of Bolivia, without hesitation, can be called the Salar de Uyuni. The world's largest high-mountain salt lake of colossal proportions (over 10,000 sq. km in area), is encased in a thick (up to 10 meters thick) salt shell.

Salar de Uyuni

The Uyuni Salar is a remnant of an ancient ocean, raised to an altitude of 3656 meters by tectonic processes, and over millions of years it has lost most of its water volume. Evaporating, the salt water left a crust of crystalline salt on the surface, which, today, is a perfectly flat, endless, dazzling white salt desert.

You can drive hundreds of kilometers in any direction along the perfectly flat surface of the salt lake

The Uyuni Salt Flat is popular destination for a variety of expeditions, of which the most convenient and safest format is traveling by off-road vehicle. The vast distances and harsh climate of the Bolivian Sierra require good preparation and experience. With the right choice of a route and high-quality organization, this amazing corner of the Earth can give to you the most vivid and unforgettable impressions.

The travelers community Salar de Uyuni knows no state borders - tourists come here from all over the world

In addition to the tourist attractiveness, Salar de Uyuni also has a utilitarian meaning - salt is mined here (quite obvious fact, you should agree). As well but not as obvious is that the perfectly flat and highly reflective surface of Salar de Uyuni is used by the NASA space agency to calibrate their satellites.

The Uyuni Salt Flat is an ideal natural mirror of colossal proportions

In February, Salar de Uyuni is very popular among photographers. At the end of the rainy season, the salt surface is covered with a thin layer of water, creating magical effects of reflection and optical illusions. Photographers from all over the world come here to realize their creative ideas. The distance from La Paz to Uyuni is 550 kilometers south, towards Chile. The easiest way to get there is by tourist bus, which takes about 8 hours. You can choose both day and night bus services.

Salar de Uyuni

Once you are in the town of Uyuni, where begin all the routes in the Salar de Uyuni area begin, do not forget to have a look at the “Steam Locomotive Cemetery” - a monument to human vanity and faded ambitions. The pile of old metal was once the gleaming, steam-hissing locomotives that carried freight and passengers during the colonial era.

Uyuni Steam Locomotive Cemetery

Abandoned rails and the remains of ancient trains can be found in many places in the Bolivian Sierra regions bordering with Chile. But near Uyuni town there is a whole exhibition (garbage hip) of ancient English steam locomotives of various types and models.

The Uyuni town, Bolivia - Gateway to the Sierra. Starting point of many very interesting routes to the Salar de Uyuni

In the other direction from La Paz, to the north, towards the border with Peru, just a two-hour drive from the capital (115 km) there is the second key natural attraction of Bolivia - Lake Titicaca.

Lake Titicaca located on the border of Bolivia and Peru

Even the dumpiest schoolboy has probably heard this funny name. And anyone who didn’t skip his geography classes at school may even remember that Titicaca lake is the highest freshwater lake in the world. By the way, the name Titi-kaka comes from the Quechua language, in which this word means “mountain lynx.”

Lake Titicaca is home to an entire archipelago of small islands - almost all of them have been inhabited since the immemorial time.

The surface of the lake is located at an altitude of 3812 meters above sea level - at the same time, Lake Titicaca is completely navigable and has developed year-round navigation. Lake Titicaca stretches from north to south for a distance of about 170 km, with a width of approximately 60 km. According to the modern measurements, Lake Titicaca has a depth of up to 280 meters. Of course, this is not Lake Baikal in Siberia, but the scale is also impressive.

All the islands of Lake Titicaca are connected by a dense network of water routes - boats operate like minibuses throughout the lake

Waterways connect the numerous inhabited islands of Lake Titicaca with each other and with the mainland. The most famous islands of Lake Titicaca - the Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon - have been inhabited since the time of the Inca Empire, or even earlier. According to the results of modern archaeological research, these islands were sacred and were used for religious rites. On the islands you can see in abundance the remains of ancient structures and buildings dating back to more than 1000 BC.

Moon Island in Lake Titicaca - all covered with the remains of ancient terraces - traces of human activity from the time of the Inca Empire

In this unlikely case if you get tired of the natural attractions of Bolivia, you can change the theme of your trip and touch one of the most mysterious pages of the history of our world - the monuments of the Inca culture.

There are many such sites in Bolivia - both well-known and popular, and as well those still unexplored by modern science.

The historical monuments of Bolivia silently keep the memory of the mysterious civilizations of the past Among the key historical attractions of Bolivia (if you are at least a little interested in the theme of history), you cannot ignore the Tiwanaku Monument - one of the oldest and largest settlements of the pre-Columbian era in South America. The monument dates back to 1000-800 BC and contains many unsolved secrets and mysteries. In fact, in general, no information has reached us about the builders, purpose, technologies of that era...

The Gate of the Sun is the central part of the Tiwanaku complex of the Inca era in Bolivia - its scale and semantic richness are impressive

Many historical monuments can be found in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca and on its islands. For lovers of subtle sensations, I can offer the idea of an amazing excursion - watching the dawn on the Island of the Sun on the ruins of an ancient Inca temple.

An unforgettable experience is guaranteed. Most likely, this ancient sanctuary was built precisely for this purpose in the picturesque surroundings of a crystal clear lake surrounded by snowy peaks of Cordillera Real. For those who know how to feel the world around them, there is no need to explain what it means to meet the sunrise in such a place.

Sunrise over the peaks of the Cordillera Real and Lake Titicaca

Many attractions, both natural and historical, can be found in the vicinity of the capital of Bolivia - La Paz. However, the city itself is highly recommended, if not to thoroughly explore, then at least to take a closer look!

Amulets, potions and even dried corpses of baby llamas. Such diversity will drive crazy even the most sophisticated witch...

Just consider visiting the Sorcerers' Market in La Paz where they sell everything necessary for any magical rituals from Voodoo to forbidden Necromancy!

Without any exaggeration, I can say that there is no other capital in any other country of the world as bright and, in its own way, expressive as La Paz!

Don't delay your trip to Bolivia! Local beauties are looking forward to see you soon!

The author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev
Your professional guide to the mountain routes of Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Argentina

MCS EDIT 2024