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POTOSรฌ
Potosรฌ is one of the places that cannot leave you indifferent: this post is dedicated to what to see in Potosรฌ, one of the most historically important cities in all of South America, not to mention the whole world.
Potosรฌ is a very special city: 175,000 people live at 4,050 meters, one of the highest cities in the world. Potosi’s historic center is a real gem, but Potosi is best known for its Cerro Rico, which is where silver was mined during colonial times. In the list of what to see in Potosรฌ, therefore, silver takes center stage for better and, more importantly, for worse. At the bottom of the article I leave a paragraph telling the history of Potosรฌ, which is definitely worth a closer look.
Certainly Potosi is part of the list of what to see in Bolivia!
Casa de la moneda: history of Potosรฌ
In the historic center of Potosi, the first thing to see is definitely the Casa de la Moneda. This museum tells the story of Potosi’s silver mines. In addition to historical relics, it is very interesting to learn about the deeds that tell the story of slavery during the colonial era. The name of the building comes from the fact that exactly here silver coins were minted, with machinery that can still be admired today. A visit to the Casa de la Moneda lasts about two hours: admission is charged and the guided tour is free.
What to See in Potosรญ: Plaza X Noviembre and Plaza VI de Agosto
Near Casa de la Moneda are two beautiful plazas: Plaza X Noviembre and Plaza VI de Agosto. Plaza X Noviembre is home to the Cathedral and the old Casa de la Moneda, while Plaza VI de Agosto features beautiful arches. The two plazas are communicating and are the real center of life in Potosi.
Church of San Francisco, with breathtaking views
San Francisco Church is undoubtedly part of the list of what to see in Potosi. This Franciscan monastery can only be visited with a guide, who tells the history of the church, originally built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 13th century. The visit to the San Francisco monastery takes about an hour: in addition to the church, it is possible to see the crypt, where the bones of some of the monks can be observed, a splendid patio, and, above all, it is possible to climb to the roof of the church from where it is possible to appreciate the historic center of Potosรฌ and Cerro Rico, towering in all its grandeur.
In my opinion, the Church of San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places in Potosรญ!
Church of St. Teresa: Tour of the Monastery
Another monastery worth visiting is that of St. Teresa. Again, it is possible to visit the monastery only with a guided tour, which takes about an hour. By visiting St. Theresa’s it is possible to learn about the hard life of the nuns, marked by chastity and long silences. The guided tour is definitely very interesting, as it is possible to admire the church, the patio, religious objects and learn in depth about the life of the nuns.
What to See in Potosรญ: View from the Society of Jesus Tower and the Cobija Arch
In addition to the San Francisco viewpoint there is another place where you can see the historic center of Potosi and Cerro Rico: the tower of the Society of Jesus. All in all, I prefer the San Francisco viewpoint; on the other hand, the visit to the tower of the Society of Jesus lasts the time of a photo, that is, barely ten minutes.
Near the tower is the Arco de Cobija, which offers a wonderful opportunity to take a special and characteristic photo of Cerro Rico. This arch divided the rich Spanish zone from the very poor indigenous zone. I will describe these differences in more detail shortly.
What to see in Potosรฌ: map
Before describing the experience at the Potosi mines, I leave a map with a list of what to see in Potosi.
The mines of Potosรฌ
Visiting the Cerro Rico mines is definitely one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had while traveling. I visited Potosรฌ in 2013 and 2025: after 12 years I confirmed the same feeling. There are various ways to visit the mines: I always chose the one not suitable for those suffering from claustrophobia. The excursion I participated in (which allowed me to visit the Candelaria and Rosario mines), in total, takes about three and a half hours.
From the center of Potosi you go up to the mines. After about twenty minutes you change clothes and initially stop to make some useful purchases for the miners: alcohol, lighters, juice, cigarettes, food, coca leaves, and so on. After another ten minutes you enter the first sector of the mines: the darkness, the feeling of lack of air, the low, muddy tunnels, observing the hard work of the miners make the hike very difficult. Dynamite can often be heard. There is no shortage of tio of the underworld, figurines representing the gods of the mines. It happens many times to crawl, because the height of the tunnels is so low.
Generally the longer excursion allows you to see two different areas of the mines: in total you are underground for about an hour and a half. On both occasions I was shocked by the extremely hard work of the miners, who can push carts as heavy as a ton. I can safely say that the experience is traumatic, shocking and, at the same time, interesting and very helpful in understanding the good fortune of not being born in the poorest areas in the world.
Il tour delle miniere รจ prenotabile qui.
THE STORY OF POTOS
I exploit the last sentence written. Potosรฌ was far from being one of the poorest areas in the world. Potosรฌ, in fact, was called the El Dorado: during colonial times the expression โWorth a Potosรฌโ was widely used to describe something of great value. Potosรฌ was founded in 1545 just a stone’s throw from silver mines. At first the Spaniards enslaved the locals, then invented triangularization: ships left Europe empty, loaded slaves in Africa who were unloaded in South America, and returned loaded with silver to Europe.
Potosi was for about three centuries the icon of inequality. In fact, settlers grew rich in an impressive way, while millions of locals and Africans died enslaved. When I say millions, I am not exaggerating: it is estimated that as many as eight million people lost their lives at the 4,500-meter altitude of Cerro Rico, working in miserable conditions.
The visit to the Cerro Rico mines allowed me to understand, if only slightly, the extremely harsh working conditions.It was difficult for me to stay an hour and a half in the mines, and when I saw sunlight it was a relief. To this day, the Potosi mines are operating, but the amount of silver to be mined is now minimal.
An estimate of the amount of silver mined at Potosi is given by this sentence: the amount of silver would have been enough to build a bridge capable of connecting South America to Europe.
IN ADDITION TO WHAT TO SEE AT POTOS might interest you ….
FAQs on What to See in Potosรญ
- How many days should you spend in Potosรญ? In my opinion, a visit to Potosรญ is worth at least a day and a half: one full day to explore the historic center and half a day to tour the mines.
- When is the best time to visit Potosรญ? The best time to visit Potosรญ is from May through October, during the dry season. At an elevation of 4,050 meters, however, it gets quite cold at night, with temperatures that can drop below freezing. From November through April, you may encounter downpours, though these do not significantly affect your visit to Potosรญ.
- At what altitude is Potosรญ located? Potosรญ is at an altitude of 4,050 meters. The altitude could cause some problems. To prevent or treat the symptoms of altitude sickness (nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite), there are three methods: taking a diuretic (such as Diamox), using local remedies (mate de coca, or tea made with coca leaves), or descending to a lower elevation. Iโve always opted for the second method. I highly recommend visiting Sucre and La Paz first, so your body can acclimate to high altitudes. La Paz, in fact, is at an altitude of 3,600 meters (El Alto exceeds 4,000), while Sucre is at 2,800.
- Whatโs there to eat in Potosรญ? First of all, the food is excellent. The specialties are goat and kalapurka, a meat-filled soup heated on hot stones. I especially recommend Tambo Senorial and El Tenedor de Plata. Kalapurka takes time: you have to wait at least half an hour to enjoy this delicacy.
- Where to go for drinks in Potosรญ? There are some great pubs and nightclubs in Potosรญ. I had a great time at Boliche de Alan, La Casona, Pub Chivaz, and La Habana (which is a full-fledged nightclub).
- Where to stay in Potosรญ? I had a very good stay at Hostal Los Faroles, just 7 minutes from the main square.
- How do you get to Potosรญ? From Potosรญ, you can reach Sucre and Uyuni by shared taxi; the trip takes about three hours. You can also reach Tupiza by bus; the trip takes five hours.
