Places to discover

Best places to visit in Bolivia

To travel to Bolivia is to choose a destination in which mass tourism and all-inclusive package deals have no role to play. And so much the better! Most travellers do, however, combine a trip to Bolivia with a trip to Peru and are happy enough just to visit the area around La Paz. That's such a shame! With its virgin Amazon rainforest, the huge mountains of its Altiplano, and the arid plains in its east, Bolivia has scenery and landscapes unlike anything else in the world to offer. And that's without even mentioning its indigenous culture, which is so much in evidence everywhere in the country and so highly respected. It really is delightful!

What better way is there to get the most out of a travel destination than by swapping tips and ideas about what to see and do there? Evaneos' community of seasoned travellers have provided reviews of both the essential places to see and visit in Bolivia and their favourite off-the-beaten-track and out-of-the-way places.

La Paz, Bolivia's capital, is a charming, atypical and cosmopolitan city, and well worth spending several days exploring. The 4x4 tour of the Uyuni salt flat and Sud Lipez Province is definitely something every self-respecting adventurer should have on their to-do list. On your return, make a stop at Potosí mines, which were once a source of great wealth for Latin America.

To finish off this high-altitude excursion, spend some time in the Amazon rainforest atRurrenabaque, where you'll have the opportunity to see all kinds of jungle animals, including everything from caimans and monkeys to pink river dolphins. And why not reach to this region via the famous 'Death Road', Coroico, perhaps even descending it by bicycle?

Those with enough time on their hands should definitely go to see the giant tree ferns of Amboró National Park in the east of the country, which so many tourists miss the opportunity to visit. Something tourists normally don't miss, however, is the chance to let their hair down and enjoy themselves to the sounds and rhythms of the Diablada at the Oruro Carnival, the most famous in South America after that of Rio de Janeiro, and the opportunity to tour round the Jesuit missions of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

And when you've done all this, you will no doubt head next for Lake Titicaca and Peru, to visit an area which, with its wonderful landscapes and scenery, really is one of the essential places to see in South America.

What a programme! We'll leave you to browse the Evaneos website and find out more about all these sites for yourself. A word of warning however: they are all so wonderful that you might have difficulty deciding which to visit!

Parinacota Volcano is located at an altitude of 6,348 m, on horseback, on the Chilean-Bolivian border. It's located in the department of Oruro, in Bolivia and in the district ofArica and Parinacota Region, in Chile. 
The Devil's Tooth is a rock formation located in the hills around La Paz. It's best known as the Muela del Diablo.
Located 370km from La Paz, Cochabamba is the country's third largest city. The climate never fails to impress visitors who often choose to stay in Cochambamba longer than originally planned.
In the department of Cochambamba, on the banks of the Chapare River, Villa Tunari is a town surrounded by tropical forest.
Salar de Chiguana is a salt desert not far from Salar de Uyuni in the region of Lípez.
Chaupi Orco is a mountain in the Cordillera Apolobamba which is located to the north of the mythical Lake Titicaca and which straddles both Bolivia and Peru.
Laguna Chilata is a high altitude lake located in the Cordillera Real.
Laguna Glaciar is a glacial lagoon at altitude located between the village of Sorata and Laguna Chillata.
Campo Venado is a base camp which sits about 4,300 metres above sea level. This is one step of the trek across the Cordillera Real.
Mina Susana is an old mine located in the Cordillera Real, not far from Laguna Glaciar.
Laguna San Francisco is a lagoon which sits 4,520 metres above sea level in the Cordillera Real.
Chachacomani is a high altitude mountain located in the Cordillera Real in the heart of the La Paz region.
Llica is a small village located north of the famous Salar de Uyuni.
The Sillajuay is a bi-national mountain , located in the Tarapacá region of Chile and in the department of Potosí in Bolivia.
Rio Lauca is a river originating at Laguna Cotacotani in Chile and flows into Lake Coipasa in Bolivia.
The 20,610 ft high Pomerape volcano lies partly in Chile and partly in Bolivia. 
Laguna Tuni is a high altitude lagoon located in the Cordillera Real.
On the border of Chile and Bolivia, Ojo de Perdiz is a typical desert in the Andean Altiplano.
Alota is a small village located in the region of Potosí.
Running along the Argentinian and Chilean borders, Uturuncu Volcano is located in one of the most beautiful regions in Bolivia: the province of Sur Lipez.