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    Sucre: Dream Capital

    Colonial StreetMore Photos
    The White City – as it is known in Bolivia - was founded in 1538 as La Plata (The Silver); the city was the capital of the Charcas, an extensive territory stretching from the Rio de la Plata to Peru. In 1776, the Spaniards created new administrative divisions and the city name was changed to Chuquisaca. On 6 of August 1825 the Bolivian independence was declared here and its name was changed again to Sucre, honouring in such a way a general involved in the independence process. Its wide sidewalks and pleasantly empty streets allow a full appreciation of its colonial white houses with beautiful wood balconies.

    Catedral Metropolitana de Sucre: The cathedral was constructed between 1559 and 1712, and it occupies one of the corners of the Plaza 25 de Mayo, the central plaza in Sucre. The art collection in its museum was organized from artworks that belonged to Archbishop Arrien and is one of the best collections in Bolivia of Sacred Art.

    Basilica de San Francisco: Few buildings define Sucre’s centre better than the San Francisco Basilica, it includes a wonderful bridge of arches over the adjacent street which gives the area its special look. In the past it included the adjacent Mercado Central and a monastery across the Arce Street.

    Central Market: In a city that likes to sleep until the late morning, the Mercado Central is a good place to eat breakfast while taking a close look at the local culture and food. Sucre’s market enjoys the city’s vicinity to high valleys and tropical areas; the fruits variety is stunning.

    Plaza 25 de Mayo: The most distinctive feature of Spaniard colonial towns is the central plaza, which serves them as administrative and cultural centres. In Sucre’s plaza was declared the Bolivian independence and several monuments related to the event can be appreciated.
    ${QuickSuggestions} Sucre is beautiful but very small, thus the best is to combine a visit with nearby attractions; a day in the town is more than enough. Potosi is just two hours away by car or three hours away by bus and offers many attractions including the silver mines of colonial times.

    The colonial center of Sucre is apparently void of inhabitants; most houses have been transformed into hotels, internet kiosks or restaurants. Thus, booking places in advance is not necessary.

    I warmly recommend the Cafe Penco Penquitos, at Estudiantes 60, in front of the university and a block away from the central plaza. They try so hard to serve real Brazilian coffee that they even brought a waitress from there; her charming Spanish is fully worth the visit. The pleasant interior includes a fountain decorated with sculpted giant mushrooms that successfully filters out the street noises.

    Two times during the mornings and once in the early afternoon a truck leaves from the cathedral to a nearby paleontological park. The trip costs $1.25 and takes a couple of hours.

    Sucre’s climate is halfway between cold La Paz and steaming Santa Cruz. It reminds of mild Cochabamba. Light clothes for the day and something warm fro the chilly evenings are the best. The city is too close to the Andean Plateau for mosquitoes or other insects to be a problem.
    ${BestWay} Sucre is a destination of its own in Bolivia; it is not in the way to any other place. Hence it is worth consideration only as part of a relatively long trip to the southern part of the country.

    Once the decision is taken, it is possible to reach the city with bus and airplane. Planes from La Paz leave every day; the flight takes a bit more than forty minutes. Buses are a bit more complicated; since Sucre is on the route between Potosi and Cochabamba, the best is to reach it with buses departing from one of those cities. Direct buses from La Paz travel to Sucre through Potosi and the harsh trip takes twelve hours.

    Buses are sporadically stopped and searched for illegal substances by the local police; holding your documents handy at all times is essential.

    Within Sucre there is an elaborated network of minibuses, but they are too crowded to be pleasant. The city is small enough to cover by foot – especially the downtown – and taxis charge as little as a quarter for short trips.

    From journal Sucre: Dream Capital