Exploring Bolivia: Top Travel Destinations To Visit

Bolivia is a land of contrasts, from the Amazon jungle to the soaring peaks of the Andes, and the world's largest salt flats. It is a relatively quiet corner of South America, allowing visitors to enjoy the views without the crowds. Here is a selection of some of the best places to visit in Bolivia.

Salar de Uyuni

The Landscape

The salt flat was formed by the evaporation of prehistoric lakes tens of thousands of years ago, leaving behind a thick salt crust that extends to the horizon. During the rainy season (December to April), a thin layer of water transforms the flats into a breathtaking mirror, perfectly reflecting the sky. This natural phenomenon draws visitors from all over the world, eager to witness the stunning visual effect.

Getting There

The town of Uyuni serves as the main gateway to the salt flats, with tour operators offering day trips and longer excursions. You can easily get to Uyuni from La Paz by bus or plane, with flights available through Amaszonas and BoA.

What to Do

The salt flats themselves are a photographer's dream, allowing for creative perspective and depth-of-field shots. Beyond the flats, there are deserts, geysers, hot springs, and colourful lakes in the surrounding area to explore. The nearby train cemetery is also worth a visit, with proposals to turn it into a museum.

When to Go

The rainy season (December to April) is the best time to see the salt flats transform into a mirror. However, be cautious of excessive rain in December and January, as it can lead to tour cancellations. During the dry season (May to November), the ground hardens, and you can drive across the stark white landscape to places that aren't accessible during the wet season.

Where to Stay

Accommodation options are available in Uyuni, with a unique highlight being the world's first salt hotel, built almost entirely out of salt blocks cut from the Salar de Uyuni.

La Paz

The Mercado de las Brujas (Witches' Market) is a hub of traditional Bolivian folklore, where spiritual beliefs of Andean culture intertwine with daily life. Here, you can explore traditional remedies, potions, charms, handicrafts, and textiles.

The Mi Teleférico cable car system offers panoramic bird's-eye views of the sprawling city. The best views of La Paz are seen from the cable cars, which also provide a unique way to get around.

Within easy reach of La Paz are several rewarding natural attractions, including the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), a cactus-filled valley that offers a quick break from the busy streets of the city. The Valley of the Moon is an otherworldly landscape resembling the surface of the moon, with erosion sculpting the soft clay and sandstone into unique formations, including spires and canyons.

Lake Titicaca

Bolivia's Lake Titicaca is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains, on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. It is the largest lake in South America in terms of volume of water and surface area, with a surface elevation of 3,812 m (12,507 ft). The lake is located at the northern end of the endorheic Altiplano basin in the Andes and consists of two nearly separate subbasins connected by the Strait of Tiquina, which is 800 m (2,620 ft) across at its narrowest point. The larger subbasin, Lago Grande (also called Lago Chucuito), has a mean depth of 135 m (443 ft) and a maximum depth of 284 m (932 ft). The smaller subbasin, Wiñaymarka (also called Lago Pequeño, "little lake"), has an average depth of 9 m (30 ft) and a maximum depth of 40 m (131 ft). The lake has 41 islands, some of which are densely populated.

The lake is fed by five major river systems: Ramis, Coata, Ilave, Huancané, and Suchez. More than 20 other smaller streams also empty into the lake. Water passes through Lago Huiñaimarca and flows out the single outlet at the Río Desaguadero, which then flows south through Bolivia to Lake Poopó. This only accounts for about 10% of the lake's water balance, with the remaining 90% lost to evapotranspiration caused by strong winds and intense sunlight at high altitudes.

The Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca is often deemed more beautiful than that of Peru, and the ever-present Cordillera Real creates stunning views of the lake. The lake can be found just 72 km (45 miles) from La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. The lake covers 8,300 kilometres (3,204 sq mi) and is 3,812 metres (12,506 feet) above sea level. It is believed that the Incas were born in Lake Titicaca, and the islands are home to Isla Del Sol and Isla De Luna, which contain more than 150 ancient settlements.

The best time to visit the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca is between April and October, when it is dry and sunny. Highlights of the Bolivian side include boat rides across the lake, exploring the Sun Island and Moon Island, and visiting Copacabana on the lake's shores, a popular pilgrimage site.

Tiwanaku

The Tiwanaku empire reached western Bolivia, southern Peru, and northern Chile through politics, trade deals, cultural influence, and religious appeal. However, around 1000 A.D., the population of Tiwanaku started to decline, possibly due to a drought that made farming difficult. Some archaeologists also suggest that a violent public uprising may have been a factor. By 1150 A.D., the Tiwanaku empire had fallen.

Today, visitors to Tiwanaku can explore the archaeological site, which includes the ceremonial centre of the ancient city, as well as two on-site museums that house artefacts from the Tiwanaku civilisation. The site features temples, tombs, monoliths, and aqueducts, constructed from massive blocks of red sandstone and green andesite. The Akapana pyramid is a notable structure, with its top course studded with carved stone tenons in the shape of human and puma heads. Another highlight is the Semi-Subterranean Temple, known for its 175 carved stone faces protruding from the interior walls.

Madidi National Park

The park is accessible via a three-day boat ride from Rurrenabaque, or by crossing the Beni River via passenger ferry from San Buenaventura. It is also possible to fly to Rurrenabaque from La Paz, a journey of around 40 minutes.

Madidi is home to a vast array of wildlife, including jaguars, tapirs, spectacled bears, capybaras, red deer, manatees, giant river otters, pink river dolphins, and over 1,254 species of birds. It is also a birdwatcher's paradise, with toucans, hummingbirds, and macaws among the colourful species to spot.

The park is also a haven for plant life, with over 20,000 species, and insects, with over 120,000 species.

The local indigenous communities also make Madidi a fascinating cultural experience. The local inhabitants speak Quechua, and the park is home to indigenous groups such as the Tacanan-speaking Tacana and Ese Ejja, the Tsimané and Mosetén, and the Toromona.

There are ecolodges within the park, such as the community-owned Chalalan Ecolodge, which offers tours of the park, accommodation in Tacana-style rooms, and international fusion cuisine.

The park's elevation ranges from 1,968 to 19,685 feet above sea level, and its climate varies from cold in the alpine region to tropical in the northern lowlands. The dry season lasts from May to September, and the wet season from October to March.

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