Sucre

Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia and the place where its independence was declared, is widely considered the most beautiful city in the country, a UNESCO gem known as the White City for its elegant, gleaming whitewashed colonial architecture. Set in a temperate highland valley at a gentler altitude than La Paz or Potosi, its harmonious centre of white churches, grand mansions, leafy plazas and universities has a relaxed, sophisticated air, making it a lovely, comfortable place to soak up colonial splendour and even learn Spanish.

History

Before the Spanish arrived Sucre was an Inca town called Chuquisaca, and on 30 November 1538 Pedro Anzures founded it as Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo; in 1559 Philip II made it the seat of the Audiencia de Charcas, and the Recoleta monastery followed in 1601, an archbishopric in 1609 and the University of Saint Francis Xavier in 1624. On 25 May 1809 the bell of the Basilica of San Francisco, rung until it broke, opened the Bolivian independence movement; the city became the provisional capital of the newly independent country in July 1826, and in 1839 a law named it the capital of Bolivia and renamed it after Antonio José de Sucre. The seat of government moved to La Paz in 1898, and in 1991 Sucre became a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Sucre).

Highlights

• The white colonial centre - the gleaming whitewashed churches and mansions.
• Plaza 25 de Mayo - the elegant main square.
• La Recoleta - the monastery and viewpoint over the white city.
• The dinosaur footprints - the Cal Orck'o cliff of prehistoric tracks nearby.

When to go

Year-round, thanks to its mild, temperate highland climate, with the dry season from May to October the most reliable; it is lower and warmer than La Paz and Potosi, making it a pleasant place to acclimatise and relax.

Practical notes

It is more relaxed, elegant and comfortable than Bolivia's higher, harsher cities, its appeal the graceful colonial beauty and pleasant climate rather than dramatic sights; it is often used as a base to learn Spanish or unwind. It is a lower altitude than La Paz, though still over 2,700 metres. Its harmonious white colonial centre is genuinely the loveliest in Bolivia.

Nearby

Potosi, the Tarabuco indigenous market and the highlands are within reach.

Key facts