Destinations-Potosí

The silver from the 4824 m high Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) once made Potosí the biggest city in the Americas and one of the richest in the world. However, Cerro Rico also claimed the lives of countless thousands of Indian and African slaves. The mines of the Cerro Rico continue to be the main source of income for Potosí; however, there has not been a lot of change in the way mining is conducted. A visit to the mines will always cause the visitor to feel the same sensations that the miners feel, the solitude, abandonment, infinite darkness, and the presence of the ancestral divinities who watch over the lives of the miners.

• Included: transport and professional bilingual guide. A helmet, jacket and booths will also be included. We recommend bringing some little presents for the miners like coca leaves, cigarettes, etc. We also strongly recommend carrying some water with you, as the air in the mines can be very dry and warm.
• Time: Half day.
• Type: this excursion can be booked as a private or a group service.
• Remarks: a full day excursion is possible, combining the mines with a visit to the Casa de la Moneda and an picnic at the volcanic crater lake Tarapaya.

You can take guided visit to the huge and impressive Casa Nacional de la Moneda. All silver mined in Potosí had to be brought to this place, to be turned into ingots in such a way the Spanish Crown could tax it. It is definitively one of the chief monuments of civil building in Hispanic America. Founded in 1572 and rebuilt in 1759-73, it has 160 rooms with fortress thick walls.

• Included: transport, bilingual guide and entrance fees to the sites mentioned.
• Time: 4 hours.
• Type: this excursion can be booked as a private or a group service.