After visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats, I was looking for other things to do in Bolivia. I knew I definitely want to go to Sucre, the capital of Bolivia and a UNESCO World Heritage site, but I didn’t know the best way to get there. To go straight from Uyuni to Sucre, it’s about an 8 hour bus ride. You can take an overnight bus, or you can use up an entire day traveling. Since neither of those options sounded super appealing to me, I decided to cut the trip in half and spend one night in Potosi, which is right in the middle of Uyuni and Sucre.
How To Get to Potosi Bolivia
The best way to go to Potosi from Uyuni is by bus. It’s around $9 USD per person and takes around 4 hours on a very recently paved highway. Honestly it’s in better condition than many highways in the United States! The drive is gorgeous along a canyon rim. The buses leave Uyuni every day at 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, and 4:30 PM.
You can purchase bus tickets online from ticketsbolivia.com.
Things To Do in Potosi Bolivia
Potosi is very colorful, but to be honest, there’s not a whole lot to do there. If you would rather go straight to Sucre, it’s okay skip it. To help you make your decision, below are some of the best things to see and do in Potosi. We got in around lunchtime, checked in to the hotel, had lunch, then spent the afternoon exploring. We left for Sucre first thing the next morning.
Torre de la Compañía de Jesús
Go up in the tower here for a great overlook of the city and the colorful Cerro Rico mountain which is home to Potosi’s famous silver mine. In the 1500s Potosi was an extremely wealthy mining town due to this mountain. The most popular tourist attraction in Potosi is to take a tour of the silver mine, but that didn’t super interest me. Also I think the tours probably leave in the morning, and we definitely didn’t want to stay an extra day just for the tour, so we decided to skip it. However if that is something that would interest you, definitely look into it!
Iglesia de San Lorenzo de Carangas
This is a church with a bell tower you can climb for another overlook of the city. Loved both overlooks!
Mercado Central
After visiting Iglesia de San Lorenzo de Carangas, stroll through Potosi’s Central Market.
The above view of this colorful street with the tower in the background can be found at this {GPS Location}.
Obelisco Potosí
Beautiful park on the main square of Potosi. The perfect spot to find a bench, sit in the sun, and rest for a minutes after climbing all those towers!
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Your thoughts on Potosi Bolivia?
What do you think? Would you go to Potosi or skip it? Have you been to Potosi? What was your experience like?
It’s quite a nice city but the pollution is quite bad sometimes because of the smoky buses. Beware of coming here from low altitudes like from Tarija. I had some altitude sickness, headache and fatigue not helped by the cold nights, even though I rested at Camargo for 5 days and an overnight stop near Pacoyo. So be extra careful. The main remedy is returning to lower altitude which may not be possible if you’re so ill. Expect cold nights and warm days with strong sun. A nice city for wandering through the historic narrow streets and chilling out at the cafes. Next stop, Sucre and I’m looking forward to warmer nights.
I traveled south America for a year and found Potosi to be the best place i visited. The juxtaposition of the silver mine the gives everything to the city but ends up taking the lives of all the miners through silica poisoning is something I’ve never experienced.
Go there
Do the mine tour.
Learn about the city.
Great photos. Potosi is so brilliant and gorgeous. I wish I could go right now.