Things to Do in Potosí

Cerro Rico Mine Tour

Descending into the working cooperative mines of Cerro Rico is the defining Potosí experience. It is also the most ethically complicated one. You will crouch through low tunnels. Your headlamp provides the only light. The dust tastes of iron and sulphur. You will hear faint tap-tapping. Miners chase veins of silver and zinc a kilometre inside the mountain. Most tours pause for offerings. Visitors bring coca leaves, cigarettes, or alcohol splashed for El Tío. This horned clay figure receives honour underground.

Casa Nacional de la Moneda

The old royal mint sits just off Plaza 10 de Noviembre. It is a fortress-like block of thick walls and arched courtyards. Honestly, it is one of the better museums on the continent. Inside, enormous wooden cog-wheels once pressed colonial silver into coins. A gallery holds religious paintings from the Potosí school. A famously mischievous Bacchus mask grins over the entrance courtyard.

Convento de San Francisco Rooftop and Bell Tower

Climbing the belfry of this convent gives you the best free-air view of central Potosí. Cerro Rico rises behind tiled roofs. Whitewashed cupolas of other churches poke up in every direction. On the way up, you will pass a small museum of colonial religious art. It is dim and cool. It smells of old wood and beeswax candles.

Tarapaya Hot Springs and Ojo del Inca

About twenty kilometres north of the city sits Ojo del Inca. This near-perfect circular crater lake rests in a broad, dun-coloured valley. Its water is hazy jade. It steams gently at the edges. Nearby, the developed Tarapaya thermal complex has walled pools of hotter water. You can thaw out here after Potosí's cold nights. The mineral tang of sulphur hangs in the air.

Historic Centre Walking Tour

A slow half-day loop through the UNESCO-listed centre pieces together several sights. The pale pink stone facade of Iglesia de San Lorenzo de Carangas. Its densely carved mestizo-baroque doorway shows angels, mermaids and sun symbols. The arcaded shops of Calle Quijarro. The mercado central where women pile purple potatoes, dried llama meat and bundles of muña herb. You will smell roasting peanuts. Feel polished stones underfoot. Hear Quechua and Spanish trading places every few steps.

Plaza 10 de Noviembre. The obvious first choice. This is the heart of colonial Potosí, ringed by the cathedral, the Casa de la Moneda and rows of arcaded balconies. Rooms here tend to be inside converted colonial townhouses with thick walls, tiled courtyards and creaky beams. It's a mid-range to splurge address. The trade-off for the location is early cathedral bells and the occasional Sunday parade under your window.

Calle Quijarro and Calle Bolívar. A block or two off the main plaza, this stretch is where you'll find most of the mid-range and budget hostels. The long-standing backpacker favourite sits around the Casa Blanca area. Prices are budget-friendly. The shared kitchens tend to be sociable. You're still a short walk from every major sight. Expect thinner walls and the sound of tour minibuses starting up early for mine trips.

San Lorenzo. The lanes around Iglesia de San Lorenzo de Carangas are quieter and more residential. A few small guesthouses have opened in restored family homes with painted wooden ceilings and heavy old locks on the doors. This area suits travellers who want a slower, more local feel. Don't mind climbing a couple of extra blocks to reach the main square.

Mercado Central Fringes. Staying near the central market means walking out of your door into the smell of fresh bread, salteñas coming out of clay ovens, and mugs of api being ladled from steaming pots. Accommodation here skews budget, sometimes basic. If you're an early riser who wants to eat where the vendors eat, it's a great base.

Terminal de Buses Area. Practical rather than romantic. The zone around the bus terminal, up on the higher ground north of the centre, has a cluster of no-frills hotels that suit travellers arriving late from La Paz or leaving pre-dawn for Uyuni. It's a taxi ride from the plaza rather than a walk. The neighbourhood tends to feel windier and colder because of the elevation.

Cerro Rico Slopes. A handful of small lodges and homestays sit on the lower slopes rising toward the mountain. You get sunset views back over the terracotta roofs of Potosí and a genuine sense of altitude. This suits travellers who've acclimatised and want the cinematic wake-up view. Nights are noticeably colder. You'll want a taxi after dark.