Bolivia
Published October 24, 2018
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite.com
Many people think of Bolivia as primarily Andean country or think of Lake Titicaca or the Uyuni Salt Flats first. What they do not know is that the Andean region covers less than a third of Bolivia.
Planet Crait, Uyuni
Don't miss out on the other two-thirds of the country with beautiful tropical destinations such as rainforests and waterfalls, amazing national parks, the largest city in Bolivia, wonderful historic sites, all influenced by some of the less known ethnic groups in Bolivia such as the Moxos, Guarayos, Ayoreos, Guarani and Chiquitanos.
The Bolivian Amazon
Check out the top 10 tourist attractions in Bolivia to help you plan your itinerary:
Red Lagoon/Laguna Colorada
Located at about 3800 meters above sea level amid the Andes in southwest Bolivia, it is the largest salt flat in the world.
Water covers the Salar
As this giant desert of salt is covered by water during the rainy season, it reflects light creating almost impossible optical illusions.
Reflections of the sky
The Salt Flat is a huge white beach-like desert during the winter dry season.
The salt flat during winter
When visiting Uyuni, you can choose to stay at an actual salt hotel where everything right down to the furniture is made completely out of salt bricks!
Salt Hotel
Did you know that the Amazon Rainforest basin spills into parts of Bolivia? In fact, this area of the Amazon is a rich region full of tranquil, virgin forests.
Bolivian Amazon
The best way to experience Madidi National Park is through one of the many ecological and cultural tours providing an authentic and safe jungle experience.
Pink river dolphin
One of the largest in the world, Titicaca is famous for being the highest navigable lake in the world.
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite
The Incas and a number of other native peoples are thought to have originated in the region and there are many ruins on the shores and the islands, including the temple where the Inca emperor used to stay.
Inca ruins
The oldest national park in Bolivia, it borders Lauca National Park in Chile.
Sajama, Bolivia
Featuring the imponent Nevado Sajama peak (Bolivia's highest), thermal waters, scenic lagoons and andinism routes, it is a prime location for photographers and nature lovers.
Curahuara de Carangas
Once every year this unwelcoming mining town is home to one of the most famous festivals in all of South America.
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite
It features nearly 20 hours of continuous partying with 30000 dancers and about 10000 musicians performing the many folkloric dances of Bolivia.
Carnival costume
The Jesuit missions of the Chiquitania Region in Bolivia, slightly off Bolivia’s tourist trail, have remained intact and even after hundreds of years they continue to marvel visitors.
San Jose de Chiquitos
The six mission towns were founded by a handful of Jesuit priests in the 17th and 18th centuries and amazingly still remain a vibrant cultural force. They can be visited in one long tour.
Jesuit missions
Established in 1545, Potosí became one of the world's richest and most populated cities for a while thanks to the enormous amount of silver mined from the nearby Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain).
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite
The Casa de la Moneda (the Spanish Mint) is an extremely interesting museum. The Spanish turned most of the silver into imprinted silver coins before sending shiploads of them to Spain.
Casa de la Moneda
La Paz is a great introduction to the diversity of Bolivia. The city sits in a crater of clay and sandstone surrounded by the tall mountain peaks of the Altiplano and the majestic Illimani towering over it.
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite
There are countless museums, colonial streets and cultural activities to visit and experience.
Jaen street
Torotoro is one of the most beautiful National Parks in Bolivia and a paradise for the lovers of geology and paleontology.
Torotoro
Among the attractions are the many dinosaur tracks and fossils found all over the place, the cavern of Umajalanta, Inca ruins, cave paintings and the impressive canyon of the Valley of Torotoro.
Ankylosaurus tracks
Once the seat and ceremonial center of the Tiwanaku culture, this ancient pre-Columbian city in ruins near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca was built from stones weighing more than 25 tons from the other side of the lake.
courtesy BoliviaTravelSite
With only a small part excavated, Tiwanaku remains an enigma.
Sun Gate
One of the most popular activities in Bolivia is a mountain bike ride down the world's most dangerous road, also known as the Death Road.
Death road