Sucre is the most elegantly preserved colonial capital in South America — its immaculate whitewashed buildings gleaming under a vivid blue Andean sky at 2,800 metres, earning it the nickname “La Ciudad Blanca” (The White City). This companion post accompanies a real sucre bolivia walking tour filmed in video, the video Sucre Bolivia Walking Tour, which takes viewers on an immersive walk through this UNESCO World Heritage colonial city.

About This Walking Tour

This walking tour explores Sucre’s UNESCO World Heritage colonial centre — a city whose uniform whitewashed architecture, dating primarily from the 16th to 18th centuries, creates an atmosphere of extraordinary visual coherence. The walk covers the Plaza 25 de Mayo — the central square flanked by the Cathedral of Sucre (begun 1553), the Casa de la Libertad (where Bolivia’s independence was declared on August 6, 1825), and the Prefectura; the Metropolitan Cathedral‘s bell towers (climbable for the finest view of the white city’s rooftop landscape); and the San Felipe Neri Convent, whose rooftop cloister walk is Sucre’s best-loved viewpoint overlooking the colonial rooftops.

The itinerary also covers the San Francisco Church (1540), which is said to contain the oldest bell in the Americas, and the hilltop Recoleta Convent and viewpoint, where a Sunday indigenous market takes place below a colonial monastery with panoramic valley views. The extraordinary Cal Orcko dinosaur footprint site, 5 km from the city centre on a limestone quarry wall, contains over 5,055 dinosaur footprints from 68 million years ago — the largest and most diverse dinosaur tracksite in the world.

Highlights of Sucre

The Casa de la Libertad on the Plaza 25 de Mayo is Bolivia’s most important historical building — the former Jesuit university hall where the Bolivian Declaration of Independence was signed on August 6, 1825, the portrait of Simón Bolívar for whom the country was named hangs here, and the independence documents are on display. The building originally housed the Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, founded in 1624 — one of the oldest universities in the Americas. San Felipe Neri’s rooftop walk around the convent’s colonial cloister provides the most iconic view of Sucre — the white domes, terracotta tiles, and bell towers of the colonial city laid out against the surrounding Andean hills.

The Cal Orcko dinosaur tracksite is one of the world’s most remarkable palaeontological sites — a 73-metre high, 80-metre wide nearly vertical limestone wall exposed during cement quarrying operations that carries the tracks of 294 individual dinosaurs of 8 species, including a 347-metre sauropod trackway, the longest of any species found. The site is 68 million years old and is now protected and open to visitors through the Parque Cretácico adjacent to the quarry.

A Brief History of Sucre

Sucre has held four names: La Plata (founded 1538), Charcas, Chuquisaca, and finally Sucre (renamed 1840 in honour of independence hero Antonio José de Sucre). As the seat of the Audiencia de Charcas, it administered the silver production from Potosí — the most productive silver mine in world history — and became one of the wealthiest and most powerful administrative centres in colonial South America. The wealth of Potosí funded the extraordinary colonial churches and convents of Sucre.

Bolivia declared independence here on August 6, 1825, and Sucre was briefly the capital of the new nation. In 1898 a civil war known as the “Federal Revolution” transferred the seat of government to La Paz while Sucre retained the title of constitutional capital — creating the unusual situation that Bolivia has two capitals to this day. Sucre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 for the exceptional integrity and homogeneity of its colonial architecture.

Practical Tips

Bolivia’s currency is the Boliviano (BOB). Spanish is the official language; Quechua and Aymara are also official. Alcantarí Airport is approximately 35 km from Sucre; domestic flights from La Paz take approximately 1 hour. The historic centre is entirely walkable and compact. Altitude of 2,800 metres requires acclimatisation — arrive from a lower altitude if possible and take the first day slowly. Bolivia is one of the most affordable countries for travellers in South America. Sucre’s universities give the city a young, vibrant café culture despite its modest size.

Best Time to Visit

April through October is the dry season and the most comfortable for walking — clear blue skies and the whitewashed buildings are at their most spectacular in strong Andean sunlight. June and July bring the clearest skies and lowest humidity. Sucre’s September Fiestas de la Virgen de Guadalupe include street processions and cultural events.

Watch & Explore More

Watch the Sucre Bolivia walking tour above and discover one of South America’s finest and least-known colonial cities. For more Andean city walks, see Cusco: Inca Streets to Sacsayhuamán and Quito: Colonial Old Town to El Panecillo. Subscribe to @walkingtoursvideoscom for walking tours from cities on every continent.