Potosí, Bolivia Tours & Vacation packages | Guided trips to Potosi with Ada Tours

Potosí, the capital of Bolivia's Potosí department, is often celebrated as the highest city in the world, perched at an altitude of approximately 4,090 meters. The city is situated at the foot of Cerro de Potosí, colloquially known as Cerro Rico or "rich mountain," which has historically overshadowed the city with its legendary silver deposits. The peak of Cerro de Potosí reaches an impressive 4,824 meters (15,827 feet) above sea level, adding to the city's dramatic and storied landscape.

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Despite their striking beauty, the churches of Potosí were built through the harsh labor of enslaved workers. These grand edifices starkly juxtapose the professed Christian values of the Spanish mine owners who financed them with the grim realities of the mining conditions they enforced. It was said that while divine authority was proclaimed in Potosí’s 34 churches, the Devil reveled in the city’s six thousand mines, highlighting the profound contradiction between faith and exploitation.

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Breathtaking nature, ancient history, warm-hearted people, and the feeling that you’ve found a place where time loses its meaning. Are you ready to journey to a land where every moment becomes an adventure?

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Excursions in Potosí

For adventure seekers, this is paradise: boat rides through winding jungle rivers, horseback riding across endless plains, and climbing cliffs with breathtaking panoramic views. All of this is paired with cultural immersion—from ancient rituals to modern-day festivals, brimming with passion and the joy of life.

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Potosi, the city of churches!

Potosí’s churches, adorned with intricately carved porticos and lavishly gilded interiors, stand as prime examples of the mestizo-Baroque style, blending European Christian motifs with indigenous Andean symbols. These churches were not only a testament to religious devotion but also an expression of gratitude for the immense wealth generated by the city. Unusually, Potosí’s churches face south toward the imposing Cerro Rico, rather than the typical westward orientation of Catholic churches. This orientation reflects both the city's spiritual significance and its role in the conversion of the indigenous population. With hundreds of thousands of indigenous workers from various ethnic groups laboring under the mita system, Potosí became an ideal setting for religious indoctrination. In addition to numerous churches and convents built for Spanish use, the Spaniards constructed fourteen parish churches specifically for the indigenous mitayos, underscoring their efforts to integrate and convert the local populace.