Cathedral

Just east of the main plaza, the cathedral has fine stained-glass above the altar. The adjacent tower was constructed by the Jesuits as part of a church before Oruro was founded. When the Jesuits were expelled, it was designated as the cathedral of the Oruro bishopric.

In 1994, the original baroque entrance was moved and reconstructed at the Santuario de la Virgen del Socavón (Virgin of the Grotto), which presents a grand city view. It was here that 16th-century miners began worshipping the Virgen de Candelaria, the patron of Oruro miners. The present church, which is a 19th-century reconstruction of the 1781 original, figures prominently in Oruro's Carnaval as the site where good ultimately defeats evil. Capilla de Serrato, a steep climb from the end of Calle Washington, also offers impressive city views. A couple of blocks southeast of the main plaza, it's worth checking out the Portada del Beaterio, the façade of a convent church carved with ornate vegetal and bird motifs.