Introducing Bolivia
Simply superlative – this is Bolivia. It’s the hemisphere’s highest, most isolated and most rugged nation. It’s among the earth’s coldest, warmest, windiest and steamiest spots. It boasts among the driest, saltiest and swampiest natural landscapes in the world. Although the poorest country in South America (and boy do Bolivians get tired of hearing that), it’s also one of the richest in terms of natural resources. It’s also South America’s most indigenous country, with over 60% of the population claiming indigenous heritage, including Aymará, Quechua, Guaraní and over 30 other ethnic groups. Bolivia has it all…except, that is, for beaches.
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This landlocked country boasts the soaring peaks of the Cordillera Real around Sorata and the hallucinogenic salt flats of Uyuni, the steamy jungles of the Amazon Basin and wildlife-rich grasslands of the Southeast. Unparalleled beauty is also reflected in its vibrant indigenous cultures, colonial cities such as Sucre and Potosí, and whispers of ancient civilizations. This is exactly what attracts visitors, and with good reason. Bolivia is now well and truly on travelers’ radars; opportunities for cultural and adventure activities and off-the-beaten-path exploration have exploded. But while most travelers stick to the well-worn paths of the Altiplano, there’s plenty to be found elsewhere, including the tropical east and the lowland regions in the south.
Bolivia’s social and political fronts have been in flux since the appointment of the country’s first indigenous president. Optimism is generally high, especially among the indigenous majority, although many changes are afoot. Protests, marches and demonstrations are a perpetual part of the country’s mind-boggling landscape. This is a truly extraordinary place. Put on your high-altitude goggles, take a deep breath (or three) and live superlatively.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
- explore Peru and Bolivia including the Inca Trail
- journey from Bolivia to Brazil
- travel from Cusco To La Paz
- Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips in Bolivia
Last updated: Oct 23, 2009
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Visa question, plus San Juan del Rosario mummies
by bellablackadder 0 replies, last post 31 July 2010
I was in Bolivia in November, it was the first time I had been there since they instituted the current pay-for-visa system at the airport…
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is 1000 pounds a month enough?
by theirishgirl 3 replies, last post 31 July 2010
Hi all sorry to be posting another budget question but after researching and thinking about it I felt comfortable with the figure but…
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traveling through Bolivia
by cocobananas 7 replies, last post 31 July 2010
Hi! I would like to travel through Bolivia from Peru doing the following: copacabana - la paz - uyuni - tupiza - Argentina - Chile. Nothing…
Bolivia
Our Top Picks For Bolivia
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1 Salar de Uyuni
An eerie, otherworldly sea of salt that will haunt your daydreams for years to come
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2 Potosí
A wealth of colonial churches with fabulous paintings, and miners looking to strike it lucky in hell
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3 Sorata
Alluring spot for action or inaction, for exhilarating treks or swinging in a hammock
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4 Parque Nacional Torotoro
Thousands of dinosaur tracks criss-cross this rough and rugged beauty of a national park
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5 Samaipata
This picturesque, laid-back town is the gateway to the pre-Inca site, El Fuerte, and stunning Parque Nacional & Área de Uso Múltiple Amboró
Fast Facts about Bolivia
- Birth rate
23.3 births/1000
- Literacy rate
87.2%
- Population below poverty line
64%
- Merchant marines
25 ships
- Annual military spending
US$130 million
- Highest point
Nevado Sajama 6452m
- Population
8.9 million humans, 3 million llamas
- Airports with unpaved landing strips
1068
- Average annual income
US$2900
Our favourite Bolivia Blogs (beta)
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What’s flat and salty and dusty all over? San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni, Bolivia
Blog: Chronicles of a year-long break-up - 30 July 2010
For a while it seemed as if it would never happen. It felt like we were doomed to spend eternity bumping and crawling across a barren wasteland, forced by protruding rocks and roaming livestock to take the longest route across the desert plain. Then just as we started to give up hope there it was, [...]
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11 South America Backpacking with Indie Travel Podcast – podcast
Blog: Heather on her travels - 24 July 2010
In Podcast 11 I talk to Craig and Linda from Indie Travel Podcast about their 4 months travelling with friends in South America, visiting Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay. They pick out the highlights of their trip, and give some advice on travelling by bus, how to avoid scams and pickpockets and how they [...]
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Bolivia’s Isla del Sol in photos
Blog: The Brink of Something Else - 6 July 2010
I’ve never been much of a tranquility-hunter on my travels. I like bustling cities, heaving markets, heaving surf, sweaty crowded clubs with a pounding beat. I enjoy museums and galleries, grand old libraries with green desk lights and the smell of polished wood and musty, dusty old books; but I enjoy them for the mental [...]
