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Sucre Bolivia

Sucre, Bolivia, South America Colonial City Sucre, Bolivia, South America colonial city

During the colonial days in Bolivia; Sucre or called Chuquisaca back then, was known as "Paris of the Americas." It was a city of extreme wealth and fine arts.

Many of these wealthy individuals owned mines in Potosi and lived in Sucre because of the better climate conditions in Sucre and the city was relatively close to Potosi.

Because of this wealth, Sucre attracted some of the finest arts and culture. Ornate churches and elegant mansions were built famous architects and talented artists arrived.

Though Sucre today has lost some of its wealth and power, you'll find that its colonial heritage still exists. Today Sucre is known as the "White City", where many of the colonial building are painted white every year. It is also considered one of the most peaceful and relaxing cities in South America and where everything is almost a short walk away.

Sucre has some of the finest colonial architecture in the world, where many of the buildings and hotels have been restored. In 1992 the city was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. These colonial buildings are fascinating to look at because it make you wonder what life was like many years ago.

Sucre is not just an old colonial city, but a very thriving university city. With an estimated of 30,000 students between the two universities and one of them, called San Francisco Xavier University, is the second oldest in the world dating back to 1624.


Attractions - Things to Do

Plaza 25 de Mayo: Located in the heart of Sucre is the famous Plaza 25 de Mayo. It is a popular place where locals and tourist come to walk and relax. The plaza features gorgeous gardens and palm trees. The plaza is lined with elegant colonial buildings painted in white. Also, many restaurants and other attractions are located right off the plaza.

Museo Casa de la Libertad: Located on Plaza 25 de Mayo, this is the most important building for Bolivia's history. This is where the independence fighters, such as the famous Simon Bolivar gathered to declare independence from Spain.


Museo de la Cathedral: Located on Plaza 25 de Mayo, is a 17th century cathedral, that has one of the best collections in Bolivia of colonial religious art. Admission is $2 (15Bs).



Dinosaur Tracks: Located a couple miles north of Sucre, is the world's largest paleontological site. There are about 5,000 impressions of dinosaur footprints from at least 250 different dinosaurs that are embedded on a near-vertical limestone slab. To get there, I recommend taking the red Dino-Truck, which leaves daily from the Cathedral on Plaza 25 de Mayo.

Museo de Arte Indigena (Indigenous Textile Museum): This museum features a series of rooms that displays the art and form of local indigenous weavings and textiles. You'll also see local artists hard at work weaving and spinning the textile. It is open Mon-Fri., admission is $2 (15Bs) and is located 3 blocks southeast of the plaza on San Alberto #413.

Castle of La Glorieta: This castle-like mansion was once occupied by a wealthy family. IT was built in the 1890's and features European style architecture. The property was donated by the family in the 1950's and was used as a military center. Recently, there has been steps to restore the place to its former beauty. This huge property is beautiful and fascinating to explore. To get there you can take a taxi or micro #4 from the corner of Ravelo & Arce and get off 6km south of town.

Getting There

By Air
The airport is located 3 miles (5km) northwest of the city. AeroSur offers daily flights to Sucre from La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz. Taxis from the airport to the city center should cost no more than $3-$4 (23Bs-30Bs). There is also a minibus that drops passengers off near the city center and costs about $0.50cents (4Bs).

By Bus
The bus terminal is located on Alfredo Ostria and Bustillos, about 2km north of the city center. There are many bus companies that offer service between Sucre and other major cities.

The 12-14 hour journey from La Paz cost $9 (70Bs) for the basic bus. You also have the option of taking a more comfortable bus "cama", where seats recline for about $12 (90Bs).

Buses from Santa Cruz take 12 hours and cost $8 (60Bs). Buses from Cochabamba take 12 hours and cost $6 (45Bs).

There are daily departures to and from Potosi that run all day and is about a 3 hour ride, costing about $3 (24Bs). Another option is if your traveling in a group of 2-4 people you can take a taxi between Potosi and Sucre that will cost about $20 (160Bs), covering everyone.


Hotels & Accommodations

Sucre is a unique place to stay overnight, most hotels were once colonial mansions and have been converted over and are neat to stay at. Sucre has a good range of hotels and accommodations that will fit any budget, the best places to stay are near Plaza 25 de Mayo where all the action is. Below is a list of places to stay at.

Hostal Cruz de Popayan is located on Calle Loa #881, just two blocks from the plaza. The hotel is set in a colonial building and is a good budget option with simple rooms. Rates run from $10-$20/night depending on room type and breakfast is included.

Hostelling International Sucre is located on Calle Guillermo Loayza #119, about a 2 minute walk from the bus terminal. Hotel is set in colonial style building and is a good budget option. Shared dorms cost $4/person per night and private rooms range from $10-$20/night depending on room type. Hotel also offers Spanish language tutoring.

Amigo Hostel located on Calle Colon #125, is another good budget option. It is set in a 18th century Art Nouveau Big House, that was refurbished in 2007. Hotel offers shared dorms costing $4/person per night and private rooms range from $6-$10/night depending on room type.

Hostal Colonial offers a great location, right on Plaza 25 de Mayo. Room rates range from $30-$45/night depending on room type and breakfast is included in the price.

Hotel Sucre is a 3-star hotel, located on Calle Bustillos #113. Room rates range from $20-$26/night depending on room.

Capital Plaza Hotel the Hotel is in a beautiful colonial building right on Plaza 25 de Mayo. The hotel is Sucre's most luxurious hotel with a pool, sauna and more. Room rates range from $45-$60/night.


Places to Eat - Restaurants

Sucre has a wide selection on places to eat where you can find restaurants that serve anything from local food to authentic Italian, Chinese and vegetarian food at great prices. Below is a list of some restaurants that are worth a try.

Restaurant La Plaza is right on Plaza 25 de Mayo. They serve lunch and dinner. Menu offers local food, pasta, soup, salad, fish, and meat. They sometimes have live local folk music on Friday nights.

El Huerto is located on Calle Ladislao Cabrera #86. They serve lunch out in a beautiful garden setting and is one of the best places to go for meat and chicken.

Joy Ride Cafe on Calle Nicolas Ortiz #14, the restaurant serves pancakes for breakfast and great coffee. They also serve lunch and during the night the places becomes a popular late night spot for travelers.

Kactus Restaurant on Calle Espana #176 is a popular restaurant and bar. Menu offers a wide variety off food such as steak, soup and salads. They're open from 7pm until late.

Bibilocafe is near the plaza on Calle Nicolas Ortiz #45. They serve pasta for lunch and at night it becomes a popular student hangout.

La Repizza on Calle Nicolas Ortiz #78, they serve breakfast and for lunch they serve pasta and pizza at a good price.

Chifa Hong Kong on Plaza 25 de Mayo offers good Chinese food.


Nightlife

Since Sucre has many university students, the nightlife here is very active and there are many places to go for a good night out. Here is some good places to go:

Joy Ride Cafe on Calle Nicolas Ortiz #14, is a popular late night place among travelers. They also serve good food and sometimes have live music.

Coyote Rodeo on the corner of Avenida Venezula and Del Maestro, is a popular disco club that play up-to-date music.

Salfari has a friendly atmosphere and is a neat bar to go for a few drinks


Language Courses

Come and learn Spanish in Sucre. Sucre is a popular place to take Spanish or Quechua lessons for a few weeks. Since the city has a rich history and a youthful atmosphere, it makes it a perfect place to take some language courses.

Click Here to get FREE Brochures on Language courses in Sucre!

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