J_neveryes

3.00 Canada - 16-Feb-24 -

Sucre feels like a de jure capital city, that is to say, a city of civil servants and white-collar professionals.  "Laid back" is a phrase you often hear to describe Sucre, and of the four larger cities (Santa Cruz, La Paz, Potosi, and Sucre) that I visited in Bolivia in 2023, I would certainly agree that it felt the most, well, pasteurized.  To compare it to the other three cities that I visited, it's prettier than Santa Cruz, less dynamic than La Paz, and less interesting than Potosi.  In summary, I liked it much better than Santa Cruz, but little less so than La Paz and Potosi.

Sucre's heart is Plaza de Armas 25 de Mayo.  Surrounding the lively and family friendly Plaza are several museums, good number of restaurants, a Cathedral, and people dressed up as zebras.  Casa de La Libertad - found on the northwest side of the Plaza - no longer requires you to visit with a guide. 

Near Casa de La Libertad is an attractive state government building.  I went inside and just kept walking up the various stairways until I arrived at its roof.  From the roof, I was then able to access the dome-like structure of the building.  Inside this structure was a spiral staircase, which led to a cupola and a small lookout. To be honest, I don't know if a security guard or government worker would have prohibited me from getting to the roof had they seen me.  Please also be mindful that it is a working civic building, rather than a tourist site.

If you move away from the Plaza, you will encounter other interesting pockets of local life.  To the very northern edge of the UNESCO World Heritage Site boundary - and within the zone - is Parque Simón Bolívar, for example.  You won't see much "outstanding universal value" in the park, but it is a good place to see local families and young folks hang out.  The Parque also contains a mini Eiffel Tower, which was designed by Mr. Gustav Eiffel himself.  

Across from the park is Bolivia's Supreme Court - and again within the UNESCO zone - which you can independently tour after registering with the security office.  There, however, isn't much to see in the building.

In summary, this walkable city is pleasant enough, pretty enough, and authentic enough, but it just lacks something to make it truly memorable.  Sucre did, however, strike me as a city that could surprise you with its hidden charms, if you had a local friend who can help you discover it.

Timonator

3.50 Germany - 28-May-23 -

In total I spent 11 nights in Sucre as it's a pleasant city which offers quite som activities and services even though it has a bit of a small town feeling as most places are a small walk from the city center. Some of the white, colonial houses in the city are really nice to look at during day and night and around the central plaza 25 de mayo there is a checkerboard street system. Nevertheless I can understand why some people indicated in their reviews that it's a bit weak to use these properties to make Sucre a WHS. But now that it is a WHS I will rate it not too bad as I have enjoyed my long stay here even though nothing was breathtakingly interesting. In the following I will describe my activities in town and my recommendations. 
 
I have visited the cathedral museum which allows you to visit the cathedral's interior. I was too late for the guided tour so I looked at many religious artefacts without explaination. It was interesting to learn that the statue of the Virgen Guadaloupe made among others of diamonds is standing in the chapel next to the cathedral. I only learned it after my visit though. There is a public holiday once per year for the virgin.  
 
I can recommend the guided tour that I found via freetourexpert.com that led me to Manu who gave me a really nice free walking tour with facts about the history of the places. Among others he showed us the Santa Clara convent where behind a construction nuns are baking salteñas, a good lunch snack, and only buy talking and without seeing them you can buy some from them. That was quite special and tasty. Also I liked the tour with Manu so much that I booked a two day hike with him through the surrounding Cordillera de los Frailes. We walked parts of the Inca trail towards the "crater" of Maragua where we slept in a hostel. On the second day we walked past some dinosaur footprints into Potolo from where we took a bus back to Sucre on a street that made me thought if I'm really not afraid of heights. I can recommend this hike through the landscape in which many people of the Jal'qa culture live. If you want to know more about this culture without leaving Sucre, I can recommend the indigenous textile museum next to the Recoleta area where there is also a famous sunset viewpoint and a museum in the convent of Recoleta which however was a fail when I visited. First things first in the textile museum you can learn a lot on the indigenous cultures of the area. They have a 50 page book with all text signs of the museum that are presented in Spanish by which you can read the texs also in English, French or German. The German was a really good translation of all texts which made it joyful to read. In many other museums I experienced really bad translations before. You can easily spend 3 to 4 hours in the museum if you want to read it all. The museum of the Recoleta convent however is famous for the wood carvings of the chorus displaying the Franciscan victims of the Nagasaki crucification of 1595. The room was closed for restauration when we visited and the rest of the visit going through rooms of the active convent which display Christian artifacts was again not very interesting for me. Additionally our guide from the first moment on seemed to want us leave again. She explained a few things per room and otherqise pushed us through. Not reconmandable. The plaza in front of the convent however is recommandable for the sunset view, the nice WHS sign and the small market in which I bought my llama wool (I hope) pullover.  
 
Another museum and must see is the casa de la libertad at the central plaza 25 de mayo. It's the place where the Bolivian independance has been declared and it awards the Bolivians fighting for the independance and the former presidents. Main honours go of course to the Libertador Simon Bolivar and his right hand Sucre after whom the city has been named.  
 
Next to the independance house there is a bell tower with a nice café and viewpoint on top and on the other side is the administration building for the region of Chuquisaca which looks interesting as well.  
 
Outside the core topic of the WHS we visited nice restaurants in the city like the ON, El Huerto for lunch and the Posadas with very nice ambiance, a salsa class in the joyride café which was good and some festivities like the fería aleman in the Plaza Cochabamba, a special celebration of the German schools with very bad fake German food but good vibes as well as many school parades in the streets and festivities around the 25th of May, the foundation date of Chuquisaca and Sucre. Also the chocolate festival that stood in relation with the tasty brand of para tí was nice. The café behind the old townhall during colonial times (coffee bike) is also really joyful to sit in between huge trees in a garden. 
 
Next to Parque Simon Bolivar there are also some more white buildings with official purpose for people searching for evidence that it's the white city. 
 
We also visited the dinosaur parl in Cal Orck'o in which there are tours to other dinosaur footsteps in a cement factory at 12 and 1 o'clock. After havind seen the other dinosaur footsteps in the mountains it was not that interesting anymore. But it's a nice half day trip especially if you have kids.  
 
Finally we visited the show in Origenes which is a folklore costume museum, cultural center, restaurant and show hall at the same time. While you get some dinner the dancers present many, many different costumes to you on the stage coming from all parts and cultures of the country. It's not too expensive and really entertaining especially because some costumes are really spectacular.  
 
So all in all I enjoyed my stay in Sucre and surroundings a lot and can recommend it to everyone also because the weather is really pleasant. Nevertheless it's not a spectacular WHS so I'm not rating it super good.  

Read more from Timonator here.

GabLabCebu

2.00 Philippines - 15-Apr-20 -

WHS#26

I visited Sucre on my trip to South America in April 2016. I did basically use Sucre as a jump-off point to see sites like Cal Orcko, Potosi, and the Salar de Uyuni. In the end, Sucre kind of fell into the background for me. It's definitely a very pleasant city, one of many great colonial cities in Latin America, but nothing about Sucre really stood out for me. The "White City" (cue my white city syndrome) just didn't impress me, nor was it any prettier than some of the other colonial cities I had visited on the trip. I had just come from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, which wasn't much less pleasant than Sucre, aside from the weather. But before this turns into a ramble, let's discuss the actual experience I had, which wasn't half as bad as it might be looking now.

Flying into Sucre from Santa Cruz was one of the most memorable flights for me because it was only 35 minutes. And in those 35 minutes, you get to see the rainforest below you slowly fade into the mountainous grasslands where Sucre is located, before finally approaching the city itself, which seems to magically appear sprawling on a hilltop. Taking a taxi to the hotel, we were exposed to a bit more of a gritty side of Sucre. A lot of the buildings that aren't so close to the main square seemed to be very rundown or not from the colonial era at all (or maybe both), all the way to our hotel that was just 3 blocks from the Plaza 25 de Mayo. Even walking towards the plaza, the buildings didn't give me the historic feel I was waiting for until we actually reached the plaza. The plaza is surrounded by some of the most important buildings, including both local and national government buildings, the cathedral, and the Casa de la Libertad, as well as nice restaurants to eat lunch in. The architecture, aside from the churches, seemed to be more neoclassical or neo-baroque than the actual baroque I expected, so it ended up reminding me of government buildings that I see all the time back in the Philippines. The afternoon was spent for Cal Orcko as well as simply walking aimlessly around the historic center, which to its credit, was indeed very pleasant. The next morning, we left for Potosi, where we caught another bus to Uyuni. Side note, I will neither be rating nor writing a review for Potosi unless I can revisit, since I was never really able to spend time in either the historic center or the mines in the short layover time we had there. But yes, I don't really feel like I scratched much deeper than the surface for either city, but I feel like I spent enough time in Sucre to assess it.

I'll admit I probably would've had a more favorable view on the city if I had been able to enter one of the churches, especially to see the city from a rooftop of a church, which looks really cool in pictures. But alas, I just didn't experience anything that blew me away in Sucre. I can totally understand why many people would love it, but I just really didn't find it that special, and its seemingly weak inscription justifications ("The historic city was designed according to a simple urban plan with checkerboard- patterned streets, similar to other towns founded by the Spanish in America in the 16th century." and "excellent intact and well-preserved illustration of this architectural blending achieved in Latin America") kind of back me up here. It may be an excellent example of a colonial city, but the justifications make no attempt to differentiate it from other colonial WHS cities. Ultimately, that's how I felt about Sucre. After visiting Cuzco, Arequipa, Quito, and even La Paz, I couldn't really find any defining characteristic Sucre had over these cities, not even how "white" it is. In the end, my experience there was just a tad too forgettable for me to give a rating on par with some of the other colonial cities I got to visit.

Zoë Sheng

3.50 Chinese-Canadian - 03-Dec-19 -

I think Sucre gets a bit of a bad rep because it's "another colonial town" and basically it is. I still liked the town because it grows on you. It's very laid back, there are many foreigners coming here to learn Spanish so you always run into friendly people and start to see familiar faces. When I made Sucre my base for a few days to explore not only the town itself but also the surrounding area I also took advantage to take some Spanish lessons at my hostel.

There was also a big banner that they are planning some celebrations for the 20th anniversary - that's still 2 years to go - but it shows how they really care about the title of being a UNESCO town.

The best view is from the roofs of the San Felipe Neri church. The church itself isn't that great but it's worth it for the view and the sisters were again really, really friendly. Spend a lazy afternoon in the central park where kids like to roam around and everyone else likes to have a rest on the benches.

So I almost feel this place is worthy of the title not for the buildings but for the feel you get.

Nan

3.00 Germany - 15-Nov-17 -

Sucre is one of the prettiest cities in Latin America I have encountered in my travels so far. Immediately when I exited the shared cab from Potosi and stepped out at Parque Simon Bolivar, I was smitten by the white colonial and post colonial buildings that make up the city center. Personally, I would put it near the top along sites as illustrious as San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. To me it's second only to Mexico City.

Sucre at 2.500m was a good comprise between the high, dry and cold mining town of Potosi and the tropical cities of the Bolivian lowlands. It felt a bit like those British cities in the mountains of India where they would escape to in summer with their custom made trains. The wealth present in the city at preivous times shows quite strongly. Overall the city gives up a relaxed vibe and I found my time very enjoyable.

I would encourage you to visit the Gutierrez Museum. It shows a little bit the wealth that the upper crust of Bolivian society accumulated in the 19th century, courtesy of the silver mines at Potosi. You should also hike up to La Recoletta for a view of the city.

Getting There and Away

Sucre has an airport connecting to La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. The airport is at quite a distance from the city center. Plan 45min or so to get there. A taxi should cost 60 to 80 Bolivianos. To connect directly to Santa Cruz use Amazonas. BoA requires a chaotic transfer in Cochabamba.

Alternatively, there are plenty of bus and shared taxi options. The bus ride to Santa Cruz seems to be hellish as it takes 14-15h for a seemingly short distance (250km as the bird flies). Apparently, descending 2000m from the Andes comes at a price.

While You Are There

The nearest WHS is Potosi which can be easily done on a daytrip. If you don't plan to continue on to Salar de Uyuni (you should, though), it may be advisable to return to Sucre in the afternoon to prevent altitude sickness. You can either take a bus or the faster shared cabs (2.5h, 50 Bolivianos).

A bit outside town you find the tentative site of Cal Orck'o . It's still an active concrete factory and they are closed on Monday. Even without entering the museum I managed to get a view of the dinosaur footprints. My recommendation would be to go by cab. I was generous and paid 40 Bolivianos (5€) for a return ride from the city.

Notes

• Picking up on Iain' s and Els' comments it seems Monday is an especially bad day to visit as several sites are closed, most notably the Casa de la Libertad.
• If you are interested in learning about Sucre (the man) I can thoroughly recommend the Revolutions podcast. There is a whole series of the South American independence movement and Sucre features prominently in it. It's also a great way to pass the time on the long bus rides you are bound to take when travelling in South America.

Els Slots

3.00 The Netherlands - 05-May-11 -

I arrived in Sucre by plane from La Paz on May 25. Little did I know that it was the yearly departmental holiday. Outside of the airport I even ran into the convoy of Presidente Evo Morales, who had made a quick visit to the Bolivian capital from his seat in La Paz. Two things to remember about Sucre: they like their festivities AND they are very proud to still be the official capital of the country.

I stayed for 5 nights in total, mostly to relax a little at a lower altitude than Cuzco and La Paz (where I did not sleep well) and also to visit neighbouring sites Potosi and Cal Orck'o. It's an elegant place, indeed all buildings in the city center are bright white. Seeing the sights of Sucre itself was as problematic as described in the review below by Iain Jackson. Somehow there always was a reason not to be open: the holiday, or just erratic opening hours. I mostly stumbled upon big locks closing the doors of churches and convents.

The most reliable bet is the Casa de La Libertad. Possibly the most interesting place too, as this is where the Bolivians (led by 2 Venezuelans) declared independence. Entrance is via a guided tour only. Mine was led by a very serious guide, showing us the treasures that are so important to his country. And to neighbouring countries as well, as it also holds the first Argentinian flag (both Kirchners had been here in recent years to pay their respects).

Every day something was happening at the city's central square 25 de Mayo: religious processions carrying a statue around the square several times and accompanied by South American marching music (a bit out of tune as well, this is Bolivia), loud protests by indigenous women (wearing very fine traditional costumes, but I guessed that it was not the right moment to take a picture) and even a car rally for most of the weekend.

Iain Jackson

Scotland UK - 31-Dec-09 -

I visited Sucre in March 1993 only 15 months or so after it had been "inscribed" as a WHS. For the preceding 6 weeks or so I had been in low-lying tropical areas and the weather at Sucre's 2790m altitude came as a very pleasant change.

I found it an attractive city with many interesting and buildings and a relaxed atmosphere.

I was very impressed by the Supreme Court. Not so much the building itself, which dates only from 1945, but by the ease with which I could enter and visit, and this in a country where death squads were said to stalk the land and assassination was the preferred method of settling political differences.

On the main square,Plaza 25 de Mayo, are several significant buildings. In the Casa de la Libertad the country's Declaration of Independence was signed and it was treated with appropriate seriousness by the parties of awed schoolkids being shown flags, bloodied clothing and other memorabilia of the struggle for independence.

There is a number of interesting churches in the city centre but I found getting into them quite difficult. They all seemed to have different, and very short, opening hours, with eccentric guardians, who may, or may not, open up at the advertised times.

Try to penetrate the cathedral to see the Virgin of Guadalupe studded with hundreds of amethysts, emeralds, pearls, rubies etc. It was much venerated by campesinos when I was there.

At San Felipe Neri I managed to see the cloisters and climb onto the roof to see the Penitents' Benches, though exactly what these were for I did not discover.

The museum in Santa Clara convent is also worth a visit for its eclectic mix of exhibits.

There are plenty of places to stay (I can recommend Hostal San Francisco) and to eat (eg La Taverne in the Alliance Francaise) and I was left almost entirely hassle free.

I flew into Sucre from Santa Cruz, the approach to the airport thro' the Andean hills is "exciting" and left by bus to Potosi