Sucre
Sucre, officially La Ilustre y Heroica Sucre is the de jure capital city of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the sixth most populous city in Bolivia.
Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of 2,790 m (9,150 ft), making it the second-highest capital city in the world after Quito. This relatively high altitude gives the city a subtropical highland climate with cool temperatures year-round. Over the centuries, the city has received various names, including La Plata, Charcas, and Chuquisaca. Today, the region is of predominantly Quechua background, with some Aymara communities and influences.
Getting to Sucre
- 01Sucre Bus Terminal
- 02Alcantarí International Airport
Despite its name there are only domestic services, from La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba; operated by BoA and Ecojet.
Worth seeing
The historical parts of Sucre were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
- 01Cal Orck'o
More than 5,000 dinosaur footprints imprinted on a 70 degree sloping wall of a limestone quarry, which used to be a lakeshore.
- 02Casa de la Libertad
This museum is in a well-restored and maintained convent from the colonial era.
- 03Plaza 25 de Mayo
The heart of Sucre, surrounded by the cathedral, the office of prefecture, the town hall, the historic Casa de la Libertad, as well as a swag of restaurants and bars.
- 04Glorieta Castle
Fascinating place with a fantastic story behind it.
- 05National Military History Museum
- 06Museo del Tesoro
Plaza 25 de mayo # 59 (north corner), infomuseo@museodeltesoro.com.
Things to do
Sucre is generally known as a great city to kick back in. It is a popular place for people to study Spanish or volunteer, and many who visit end up staying for far longer than expected.
Where to eat
Sucre offers a wide range of eateries from street vendors and stalls in the markets to elegant restaurants. The large numbers of students mean there are many interesting but inexpensive places to get a filling meal. Probably the cheapest lunches are had upstairs in the market (from Bs. 8). Salteñas, a type of large empanada, usually filled with meat, that's popular in Bolivia, can be found easily.
- 01Patio de Comidas
An outdoor cooked food center inside Parque Bolivar that is frequented by only locals.
- 02Condor Cafe
- 03Bohemio's
Junin 433 (adjacent to central market on the former Peatonal).
- 04Florin
Serves a mix of Bolivian and international dishes, including shwarma, Thai and an Indonesian feast for two (or more).
- 05El Germen
Serves a fusion of delicious Bolivian and German cooking.
Getting around Sucre the local way
- Get inYou can also take a shared taxi, it will take about 2½-3 hr and the driver will go very very fast.
- Get inMany tour agencies will offer to book tickets ahead for you, but understand that this is not how things are normally done in Sucre, so expect to pay more, and make sure you check whether you need to redeem the ticket from the agency for a ticket from the bus line.
- Get inTo get to or from Sucre from other cities besides Potosí without taking a night bus, it's possible to take a chain of "trufis" (colectivo vans) or shared taxis between intermediate towns and villages, which often run frequently all day.
- Go nextIf you want explanation and guidance, any tour agency can arrange a tour.
- Go next10 one way) public transportation (minivans) too, or even trucks on the road to and from Tarabuco.
- Go nextTransportation is very limited and people have been stuck out here, so it's best to go with a tour agency.
- Go nextYotala and Nucchu – Yotala is a little nice town, can be reached with minivan (Bs.
From Wikivoyage: Sucre, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.