5 Best Sights in Sucre, Southern Bolivia

Started in 1559, this neoclassical cathedral is famous for its statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is adorned with diamonds, gold, emeralds, and pearls donated during the 17th century by mining barons.

The most popular exhibits at the Charcas Museum are mummified bodies discovered outside of Sucre in the 1960s. Curators believe the centuries-old mummies were entombed as human sacrifices. Also featured at this university-run museum are galleries of colonial paintings and textiles.

The Indigenous Art Museum has moved from its previous home in the Caserón de la Capellanía, to a smaller but well-designed space near the Recoleta. The museum preserves the 4,000-year-old weavings and tapestry art of the Andean world, especially communities around Tarabuco. The tour in English is interesting and the elaborate textile work—including a display of costumes showcasing regional fiesta garb—is truly impressive; there are also loom demonstrations. The onsite shop is very expensive; there are better options in town for buying.

Founded in 1601 by Franciscan monks, the Museum of the Retreat displays colonial religious works in a setting of serene gardens known as the "Courtyard of the Orange Trees." Equally noteworthy is the restored chapel with its intricately carved choir stalls, many of which are 1,000 years old. The tours (Spanish only) last 30 minutes. Make sure to take the time afterwards to visit the viewpoint, Cafe Mirador just below, and the nearby textile museum.

Three miles outside of Sucre is, unexpectedly, one of the world's most important paleontological sites, with more than 5,500 dinosaur footprints petrified into a sandstone cliff. Over the past 68 million years, what was a well-traveled clay beach has been raised by the same tectonic movements that created the Andes into this 360-foot-high cliff. The footprints were exposed during work by a local cement factory, and although now protected within the park, are under serious threat from erosion. There are tours at noon and 1 pm that take you right up to the footprints; make sure to get there on time, and wear closed shoes (no sandals). The park itself is not just for kids, with an interesting time line and a dozen seriously impressive full-size replicas of dinosaurs. Transport (the Sauromovil) leaves from Plaza 25 de Mayo in front of the cathedral at 9:30, noon, and 2:30 every day and costs (Bs)15.