Sucre is a city in Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia. It is the official capital of the country, though most of the government is based in La Paz. Its center is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is a pretty city with welcoming people and a peaceful atmosphere.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Famed throughout Bolivia for its pretty, well-kept centre, and for its agreeable climate, la ciudad blanca ("the white city") is probably the most tranquil city in Bolivia (or perhaps South America). While it offers specific attractions in the form of historic buildings and renowned theatre as well as indigenous culture and prehistoric sites in the surrounding towns and countryside, the highlight of Sucre might be its relaxed atmosphere, which detains many travellers for far longer than expected. Sucre's history has always been closely tied to that of Potosí. The city rose to prominence as an attractive retreat for wealthy and influential figures connected with Potosí's silver mines.
Some of the attractions outside of Sucre, such as Tarabuco market and the dinosaur footprints, can be visited by guided tour, tourist bus or public transport. Sucre is a small city and the center is very walkable. For the most part, you won't need to move more than five blocks from Plaza 25 de Mayo, the main square. Outside of the city there are many hiking and walking opportunities, as explained below. For reliable trails and GPS navigation in this region, consult OpenStreetMap, which is used by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap.
The historical parts of Sucre were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. 1 Cal Orck'o (Parque Cretácico). Tu–F 09:00–17:00, Sa Su holidays 10:00–18:00; tours to the footprints are at 12:00 and 13:00 only. More than 5,000 dinosaur footprints imprinted on a 70 degree sloping wall of a limestone quarry, which used to be a lakeshore. This is the world's largest set of dinosaur tracks, and includes many different species (though contrary to rumors, none of them are T. rex, which only lived in North America). To visit the footprints and the museum that accompanies them, you can take the Dinobus at 09:30, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00; return times 10:00, 11:30, 13:30, 14:30, 16:00, 17:00.
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. While the city centre can be seen in a day (add another day or two if you like museums, churches, cafes, or moving slowly), the surrounding countryside is rich in other attractions, from traditional villages to dinosaur footprints to trekking through the mountains of the Cordillera de las Frailes. 1 La Recoleta. Walk up Calle Dalence ("Pantaleón Dalence"), Grau, or Calvo ("Daniel Calvo") from the central plaza to La Recoleta, a spot up on a hill with a plaza and old buildings.
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. Several small salteña eateries are at the lower end of Calle San Alberto. Sucre is also famous for its chocolates.
Most places on the main square, and down the first block of Calle Nicolas Ortiz, are heavily gringofied, -for better or worse. Sunday is by far the slowest night. In the market there are many stalls selling all kinds of fruit juices and salads. Particularly recommended is the multi-vitaminico, a mix of basically everything in the stall - cereales, fruits, vegetables, and sometimes egg, beer, honey etc. - which is a great pre-hike breakfast or a great post-drinking pick-me-up. 1 El Alfarero, Arce 262. 17:00-22:00. University students run a cheap and cosy cafe with some board games and pingpong table. Also screens films. Students receive a discount. 2 Bibliocafe.
The plain-clothed police officer scam seems to be popular (but seldom) in Sucre, especially targeting women travelers. Read all about it under Bolivia#Stay safe and be aware. If you are near the central plaza and this happens to you, walk there, as there are usually uniformed police there.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Sucre typically sees ~20°C daytime highs and 2 rainy days.
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