Lonely Planet Bolivia

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781786574732
• eBook ISBN: 9781788685092

Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet's Bolivia is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the world's largest salt flat, walk in the path of the Inca and search for magic potions in La Paz markets - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Bolivia and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Bolivia: Full-color images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, food, drink, sport, politics Covers La Paz, Lake Titicaca, the Yungas, the Cordilleras, the Southern Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni, Cochabamba, Potosi, Santa Cruz, the Amazon Basin and more. The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Bolivia is our most comprehensive guide to Bolivia, and is perfect for discovering both popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Central Highlands

Cochabamba

Around Cochabamba

Parque Nacional Tunari

Eastern Cochabamba Valley

Tarata & Huayculli

Incallajta

Totora

Mizque

Parque Nacional Torotoro

Sucre

Around Sucre

Tarabuco

Cordillera de los Frailes

Potosí

Central Highlands

Why Go?

Geographically – and some would say metaphorically – the heart and soul of the country, the Central Highlands are a mix of lively urban centers and vast pastoral and mountainous regions dotted with remote villages. Gorgeous whitewashed Sucre, where independence was declared in 1825, is the gateway to trekking the Cordillera de los Frailes. Potosí is a powerful symbol of the natural wealth of the country, built on the silver deposits extracted from nearby Cerro Rico. Much-lower-altitude Cochabamba is one of Bolivia’s most pleasant cities, with a perfect climate and modern vibe.

Throughout, there are lovely, little-known colonial towns; it’s well worth eschewing the city-to-city mode of travel to explore them. A more distant past is evoked by the Inca ruins in the Cochabamba Valley, but Parque Nacional Torotoro has the last laugh on the age front: it’s bristling with dinosaur footprints and fossils, some of which date back 300 million years.

When to Go

• Mar Indigenous festival Pujllay bursts into life on the third Sunday in March.
• Aug Catch merrymaking at the Fiesta de la Virgen de Urkupiña.
• Oct–Mar Target the summer months to avoid the worst of Potosí’s chills.

Best Places to Eat

AEl Huerto

ACasa de Campo

ACafé Gourmet Mirador

AClementina

Best Places to Stay

ACasa Verde

ASamary Boutique Hotel

AHacienda Cayara

ASamary Wasi

ARunning Chaski Hostal

Central Highlands Highlights

1 Sucre Viewing the whitewashed, red-roofed colonial panorama from high above in La Recoleta.

2 Parque Nacional Torotoro Spelunking and climbing where the dinosaurs once were.

3 Cordillera de los Frailes Trekking this mountainous region with its one-of-a-kind geology and intriguing Jal’qa communities.

4 Casa Nacional de la Moneda Learning about the origin of money at this country’s most fascinating museum, located in Potosí.

5 Cochabamba Packing on the pounds and partying them away while visiting this city’s lively food and nightlife scene.

6 Cerro Tunari Summiting this high peak with Andean condors overhead and views below.

7 Incallajta Visiting these mystical ruins, Bolivia’s version of Machu Picchu.

History

Prior to Spanish domination, the town of Charcas, where Sucre now stands, was the indigenous capital of the valley of Choque-Chaca. It served as the residence of local religious, military and political leaders, and its jurisdiction extended to several...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Bolivia
• Bolivia’s Top 12
• Need to Know
• First Time Bolivia
• If You Like...
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Bolivia Outdoors
• Eat & Drink Like a Local
• Travel with Children
• Regions at a Glance
• La Paz & Around
• Lake Titicaca
• The Cordilleras & Yungas
• Southern Altiplano
• Central Highlands
• South Central Bolivia & The Chaco
• Santa Cruz & Gran Chiquitania
• Amazon Basin
• Understand Bolivia
• Bolivia Today
• History
• Life in Bolivia
• Indigenous Culture
• Music in Bolivia
• The Natural World
• Directory A–Z
• Transportation
• Health
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers