Juan José Toro Montoya
Bolivia’s tourism offering grows
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Juan José Toro Montoya
Bolivia’s tourism offering grows
The country begins the year that could finally position it as a tourist destination
Bolivia began 2026 with high expectations of attracting the international tourism it has sought for decades, and it is doing so with two spearheads: on the one hand, the country has been singled out as one of the best places to visit this year and, on the other, its still new government has created a ministry that deals mostly with the smokeless industry.
The mention comes from a magazine that operators in the sector call “the Bible of tourism”, Condé Nast Traveller (CN Traveller), which as far back as October 28, 2024 published the article “43 abandoned places around the world that are hauntingly beautiful”, in which Caitlin Morton admitted that “Uyuni is known primarily for its salt flats and red lakes, but the Bolivian region boasts another unusual tourist attraction: a ‘graveyard’ of old abandoned trains.” With the reference to this open-air museum, it was already being shown that Bolivia was more than the salt flat, but the government at the time, more concerned with ideological issues such as the defense of the “wiphala”, did not even take notice.
The next warning came on August 9, 2025, when Laura Hampson published, in the same magazine, the following advice: “head to the silver cities of the Americas. You’ll find imposing colonial architecture and the legendary silver mines of the Cerro Rico in the city of Potosí, Bolivia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don’t forget to pair this with an excursion to the nearby Salar de Uyuni, where the salt flats take on a distinctive silvery sheen at sunrise.”
And the beauty of Potosí’s stunning white sea is undeniable, and the main reason why Bolivia appears among “The best places to visit in 2026”, described by Arati Menon and Megan Spurrell, also in CN Traveller, in two separate articles published on December 17, 2025. “In Bolivia, the vast stretches of shimmering salt flats have long been a draw, but if you head to the Potosí region you’ll find a geological bounty of lagoons, hot springs, and snow-capped volcanoes that are finally home to some of South America’s hottest hotel openings,” says one, while the other mentions the “Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve (which) dazzles with its sculptural Valley of the Rocks; the blood-red waters of Laguna Colorada; an 85°F hot spring pool called Termas de Polques; and the emerald Laguna Verde that glows beneath the snow-capped Licancabur volcano. Here, deserts are dotted with geysers and steaming geothermal fields with bubbling, silvery pools.”
By the time those articles were published, Bolivia already had a new government that had created the Ministry of Sustainable Tourism, Cultures, Folklore and Gastronomy which, with a vice-ministry for each of those areas, aims to strengthen the national tourism offering and capitalize on CN Traveller’s recommendations—echoed by other outlets such as Spain’s El País, where Sara Andrade Abad recommends the 12 best destinations to visit in 2026 and includes “magical places such as the Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, Sucre, La Paz, Potosí.”
On these foundations, and on the heritage Bolivia has registered with UNESCO, President Rodrigo Paz himself launched the “country brand” as early as November 27, 2025, an initiative intended to turn tourism into a way to “put Bolivia on the world map” by aligning government efforts with those of the private sector.
Tangible heritage
Without taking into account those shared with other countries, Bolivia has inscribed the following sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List:
City of Potosí (1987). In the 16th century it was considered the largest industrial complex in the world, home to the most important silver deposit of the time—so significant that it enabled King Philip II to turn Spain into an empire. The silver coins minted at its two mints became the first to circulate worldwide, which is why this city was named “the Vatican of numismatics” at a congress of international specialists held in 2016.
Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos (1990). These comprise six complexes of indigenous reductions of archers, built by the Society of Jesus between 1696 and 1760 in the Chiquitanía region of the Department of Santa Cruz. In addition to their historical, religious, and architectural value, the site is attractive for the continued practice of music based on colonial scores that have been preserved to this day.
City of Sucre (1991). Founded in 1538 as an outpost on the route to the silver deposit of Potosí, this city is Bolivia’s true capital and, therefore, a synthesis of its rich history. This is where the country was founded, in the Casa de la Libertad, and it is also a place where one can find a representative showcase of significant religious architecture. Among its attractions, one should also include the dinosaur footprint cliff at Cal Orcko and the Yampara culture, which practices the Pujllay and the ayarichi—both of which were, in turn, inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list.
Fort of Samaipata (1998). A pre-Hispanic archaeological site identified as an astronomical observatory of the Chané culture, later occupied by the Incas. It is located in the Florida province of the Department of Santa Cruz and consists of two parts: the hill, which contains numerous rock carvings and was probably the ceremonial center of the ancient city between the 14th and 16th centuries; and the area south of the hill, where the administrative buildings and dwellings were located.
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (2000). One of the largest parks in the Amazon, covering 1,523,000 hectares, and a natural heritage site considered important for the diversity of its ecosystems. It includes populations of large vertebrates threatened with extinction, a flora of 4,000 species, and more than 600 varieties of birds.
Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture (2000). A pre-Inca archaeological city located in the Ingavi province of the Department of La Paz, 21 kilometers southeast of Lake Titicaca. It was the capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire that reached its peak between 500 and 900 CE. Its influence is believed to have covered much of the southern Andes and formed the basis of what later became the Inca Empire.
Intangible heritage
From 2001 onward, Bolivia proclaimed as its own some of its heritage expressions which, from 2008 onward, were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). These have now been strengthened as tourist attractions that can be visited at different times of the year:
The Andean cosmovision of the Kallawayas (2003/2008). Ancestral wisdom preserved by traditional doctors in Bolivia’s Andean region, with particular presence in the Bautista Saavedra province of the Department of La Paz. It can be visited at any time of year.
Carnival of Oruro (2001/2008). A festivity celebrated in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria, whose feast day is February 2, but in Bolivia it is aligned with Carnival. It is one of the country’s largest celebrations, both for its spectacle and its tradition.
Ichapekene Piesta (2012). The main festival of San Ignacio de Moxos, in the Department of Beni. It begins in May and extends into June. The principal procession stands out, with the participation of 48 groups in costume wearing masks representing ancestors and animals.
The Pujllay and the Ayarichi (2014). The music and dances of the Yampara culture performed in communities in the municipality of Tarabuco, in the Department of Chuquisaca.
Ritual itineraries in the city of La Paz during Alasita (2017). This festivity is celebrated from January 24 onward in La Paz, although miniature fairs like this are replicated in other cities on different dates.
Festivity of the Lord Jesus of the Gran Poder (2019). Centered on Trinity Sunday, a movable feast which in 2026 will be celebrated on May 24, it originated in the Ch’ijini neighborhood of La Paz, though it has now spread to other areas.
La Fiesta Grande of Tarija (2021). Although dedicated to Saint Roch, whose feast day is August 16, it continues into September with a series of religious processions, music festivals, dances, competitions, and fireworks.
Festivity of Ch’utillos (2023). Celebrated in Potosí in August. Its origin dates back to the Qaraqara culture, whose antiquity is estimated at 1300 BCE, but its turning point came in the colonial period, with the enthronement of the image of Saint Bartholomew on August 24, 1589.
Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe (2025). Inscribed in December just past, so it is still a novelty. The festivity is celebrated in Sucre and dates back to 1601, when the priest Diego de Ocaña established devotion to the Virgin who gives it her name.
Dinosaurs
The most recent news about Bolivian tourist attractions emerged after the Feast of Guadalupe was inscribed on the ICH list: paleontologists officially reported the identification of 16,600 dinosaur footprints at Carreras Pampa, in Toro Toro National Park, located in the Charcas province of Potosí.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Raúl Esperante, from the Geoscience Research Institute in the United States, worked at the site between 2015 and 2024 until gathering sufficient information to affirm that the Toro Toro deposit is the largest and most varied in the world. As a result, visitors can find a wide variety of dinosaur tracks there, in addition to natural wonders such as the natural reserve and the Umajalanta caverns.
These dinosaur footprints add to Bolivia’s vast and varied offering—one of the best places to visit in 2026.
Author: Juan José Toro Montoya
Photos: UNESCO and El Potosí
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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