The Best of Bolivia

We’ll have breakfast on board the catamaran before continuing our voyage on Lake Titicaca.  First we’ll head to the Andean communities of Pariti, Kalauta and Patapatani, located on the shores of the smaller portion of the lake known as Wiñay Marca. 

First we’ll stop at Pariti Island, a mystical place with a powerful connection to the region’s ancient history. When local people began finding ceramic pieces while plowing and working the land, their discoveries caught the attention of archaeologists. The archaeologists came and began to explore the island further, and their digs turned up numerous artifacts, including pieces of fine ceramics. These were dated, and discovered to be from the Tiwanaku civilization, which existed in the Titicaca Basin from around 550 to 1000 AD. Intriguingly, some ceramic figures were representations of wildlife such as tigers and monkeys, indicating that Pariti was perhaps once a ceremonial site, visited by people from beyond the Andes and as far as the jungle.  All of these artifacts are displayed at the Pariti Museum, which we will visit during our tour.   

After Pariti we will continue on to Kalauta. Here you’ll have the chance to row a traditional fishing boat through the totorales (reed plants) that grow here, and which are used to make boats of all sizes. Kalauta is also home to large number of funeral towers, built when Kalauta was an ancient stone town and one of the largest pre-Hispanic necropolises. Here we’ll have a snack before moving on.  

Our final destination is Pata Patani, where the locals welcomes tourists at the port by handing them handmade garlands of flowers. The locals will probably try to get you to dance with them as they play their traditional instruments, so don’t be shy and join in! The community here is very much rooted in its ancient traditions, and fishing remains the main occupation of the villagers. After the singing and dancing, we’ll visit the Pata Patani Museum, which takes care of one of the oldest and best-preserved Andean mummies, called Tani.  

This marks the end of our exploration of Lake Titicaca. We’ll head back to the catamaran for a tasty buffet lunch as we make our way back across Lake Titicaca. Once we reach the shore, we’ll head back overland to La Paz. 

On Day 3 we will pick you up from your hotel in La Paz for our private overland trip to Uyuni, passing through spectacular Bolivian panoramas. We’ll arrive At the Salar de Uyuni in time for a sunset tour of the salt flats. This is considered one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset – it’s a truly special moment when the sun dips down towards the horizon over the vast expanse of the salt flats.  

Afterwards we’ll return to our hotel for a good night’s sleep before a full exploration of the salt flats the next day. 

We’ll pick up from the hotel after breakfast and then depart for the salt flat. Our first stop will be the Train Cemetery, where rusty old trains sit in the desert, a strange and incongruous sight indeed. We’ll also visit the village of Colchani, where you can see the salt extracting process and local handicrafts made of, you guessed it, salt. Then we stop at Playa Blanca and the salt museum, before having a look at the ojos de sal, or “salt eyes,” fascinating features created at points where surface salt water drains away. Heading further out onto the salt flats, we’ll stop to look at the hexagons that form on the surface, and take in the magnificent views across Uyuni. Here we will have a picnic lunch.  

Next we will head to Incahuasi, an “island” in the sea of salt. Located at the heart of the salt flat, Incahuasi is the largest of a group of islands that emerge from the salt, forming their own isolated ecosystems. The island is covered with a species of giant cacti that grow up to 12 meters high (26.25 feet), a peculiar site in the middle of the vast flats. After more time to enjoy the views, we’ll head back to the hotel at around 5 p.m. 

Notes:  

From April to November, the dry season, the surface of the salt flats gives the opportunity to play with photography and perspective.   

From December to March, the salt flats are covered with a layer of water, becoming a huge white mirror where the sky is perfectly reflected on the flat surface.   

Due to flooding during the wet season, some of the attractions might not be reachable and as a precaution vehicles will only go to the safest flooded locations.  

When the service starts at a salt hotel in Colchani, the tour does not include the visit to the Train Cemetery. 

Day 5 begins with private transfer from your hotel in Uyuni to Potosi, which takes about four hours. Once we arrive in Potosi, we’ll embark on a fascinating city tour. Potosi was once home to the Spanish colonial silver mint, and for a while the city was one of the richest in the world, with huge amounts of valuable metals extracted from the nearby mountain, Cerro Rico. For this reason, Potosi is packed with colonial architecture, much of it now fading in a testament to the city’s former glory. At 4,090 meters (13,420 ft) above sea level, Potosi is also one of the highest cities in the world.  

Our city tour will include various highlights, all contained in what is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will visit San Lorenzo Church where we can appreciate its beautiful façade; the Casa de la Moneda Museum (the former mint, where African slaves were forced to work as human mules; the exterior of the Tower of Company; the exterior of the Arch of Cobija; and the artisan market in the city’s colonial area.  

After our city tour, we’ll head to Sucre, which takes about three and a half hours. When we arrive, we will take you to your hotel. 

Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, despite La Paz being the seat of government. Founded by the Spanish in 1538, Sucre is now a pretty colonial city with a pleasant subtropical highland climate. It’s a fine place to explore, and our full-day city tour will show you some of the main highlights.  

First we will visit the House of Liberty Museum, which houses one of the most impressive historical collections in the nation. Moving on, we’ll visit a number of other historically and culturally important destinations, such as the Convent of La Recoleta Museum (which has a great viewing point), the Convent of San Felipe Nery, Bolivar Park and the main historical monuments.  

We’ll have lunch in a restaurant before continuing on to the Jatun Yampara Community. This small indigenous community is home to one of the oldest cultures on the continent, and is famous for its artisanal textiles and ceramics. We will watch as the local artisans work on their ceramics and textiles, and then visit the community's Museum of Native Clothing. Here we will learn more about the local archaeology, agriculture practices and see an exhibition of native medicinal herbs. You will also have the opportunity to interact with the locals and gain some firsthand knowledge about their traditional practices and customs. The highlight of this cultural experience will be the chance to participate in a typical offering to Pachamama, or Mother Earth. Afterwards, we’ll head back into Sucre. 

On the morning of Day 7, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport in Sucre for you flight to La Paz. Once you’ve settled in to your hotel, we’ll take you on a tour of this fascinating metropolis.  

Our tour will include a number of the city’s highlights, such as the famous Witches’ Market, where yatiri witch doctors sell their wares and services. We’ll also visit San Francisco Colonial Church and the traditional artisanal crafts sold along Calle Sagarnaga; Plaza Murillo, which is home to the Cathedral of La Paz, the Government Palace and the National Congress; and Calle Jaen, a colorful colonial street with a cluster of interesting museums.  

Our next stop is the Valle de la Luna, which isn’t a valley at all, but rather an otherworldly maze of canyons, strange rock formations and giant spires. This peculiar landscape was created by rain and wind erosion, which slowly cut away at the clay and sandstone of the local mountains. The result was this strange, craggy and multicolored landscape, which wouldn’t look out of place in a science fiction movie.   

After exploring the Valle de la Luna and its two trails, we’ll head back to La Paz and take you to your hotel, where our tour finishes.