The traveler who moves throughout Bolivia can accumulate the feeling that it is as feasible to die suffocated by the high temperatures of the jungle lowlands as to freeze in minutes in the towns settled in the Andes mountain range. For this reason, when arriving in Sucre, the relief is enormous. Despite being located at an altitude of 2,750 meters, this is a town that is among the most temperate in the South American country.
It could be one of the arguments with less weight to go to Sucre, because the truth is that the city is as its name implies, a real sweet for palates who like cultural visits. Although in reality the place name comes from the original Quechua and Puquina languages, and could be related to the local deity of lightning.
In most guides they do not moderate when proclaiming it the most beautiful in Bolivia, which is always subjective. But, really, it is exquisitely delicate.
Of a very manageable size (260,000 inhabitants in a not very extensive urban framework), Sucre unfolds in a Cartesian grid drawn by the Spanish colonizers. And the best thing is that most of its nucleus is still made up of the houses left by the conquerors. The snowy white of the facades stands out, wisely mixed with the stone seen in some of the baroque ornaments. The low houses and the large wooden portals, along with dark stone pavements and Castilian-style balconies, give it the atmosphere of a film set. As you enter the courtyards, expect fountains and a sensational profusion of flowers.
The cathedral built in the 16th century has a very high bell tower that becomes a visual reference of the city, an element with which to orient yourself. Inside, the chapel of the Virgin of Guadalupe keeps an image that is dressed in gold clothing and precious jewels: diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, amethysts… that make it the richest image (in the monetary sense) of Christianity.
After the cathedral, the convent of San Felipe Neri is the most outstanding complex of religious buildings in Sucre. It no longer performs that function and is now a religious school, but the parish church and the enormous two-story cloister formed by arches continue as stone testimony. The center of the patio is presided over by the classic fountain that brings freshness to an already shady and relaxing area. You can access the roofs and completely surround the set of buildings, and visit some of the rooms that were formerly occupied by the monks. The pharmacy with its bottles and potions takes the traveler back to the time of the conquest.
The list of other convents and churches (Santa Clara, Santa Teresa, San Francisco, Santa Mónica…) that can be visited in Sucre is long, as is the list of museums. And highlighting, the Cretaceous park that brings together the world’s largest collection of dinosaur footprints. Paleontologists have cleared a piece of land that concealed up to 5,000 footprints.
Sucre, in addition, is equipped with the most charming hotels and restaurants in Bolivia, so the stop can be restorative, especially if you come (or are going to continue your trip) along the very slow Andean roads, which often force you to stop in towns where the hotel industry is light-years from what can be found in Sucre.
Bolivians and foreigners climb the gentle slope to La Recoleta in the late afternoon. There you have the best view of Sucre in its entirety, framed by the arcaded plaza where the fresh air invites the strategically positioned artisans to haggle over aguayos. In the Franciscan museum that is in the same square, you have to look for the cedar that is several centuries old that offers an imposing image.
Sucre is separated by six hours by train from Potosí, another of the mythical colonial cities of Bolivia. But in the latter case you have to forget about moderate temperatures. The legendary mining town is located at 4,070 meters above sea level and its climate is unquestionably demanding on the traveler.
