Best Colonial Towns in Latin America

Cochabamba is the third largest city in Bolivia and it is famed for being home to the largest religious statue in the world.


If you are traveling to Cochabamba Bolivia for the first time, the city is known for its good food, beautiful surroundings and for having the nicest climate in the country.

Cochabamba is a fascinating place with a strong Spanish heritage. Here it's the list of cool things to do:

Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia: Natural Attractions

There are a few National Parks located in the area around Cochabamba Bolivia. Two of the most popular ones are the Carrasco National Park and the Toro Toro National Park:

Carrasco National Park

Hiking & Bird Spotting

Carrasco National Park, located 60 miles east of Cochabamba Bolivia, is a great place where you can enjoy beautiful mountain and waterfall scenery, caves, Inca Ruins and lush vegetation.

Things Tourists do in Bolivia for fun

The Park features over 5000 different species of plants and you can spot Jaguar and the Andean Bear amongst other animals. Also, if you are a bird enthusiast, the park is home to hundreds of bird species such as the famed Guacharo (Oil bird), which nests in caves around the park.

Fishing & Camping

The park doesn’t require any kind of fishing permit so, if you love fishing, there are natural pools where you can enjoy trout fishing.

South of Carrasco National Park, in Sehuencas, you can find around 5 camping areas but they’re not shops nearby, and the area tends to flood.

The best bet for overnight accommodation, it’s to head to Villa (Village) Tunari where you can find plenty of hotel accommodation, camping areas and plenty of shops.

Wildlife Sanctuary

Carrasco Park is also home to a Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located just 6 miles from Villa (village) Tunari.

If you are planning to visit the Wildlife Sanctuary during the week, you need to let the Sanctuary know in advance when you’re planning to be there, as they only let tourists in on weekends and holidays.

The Sanctuary also only allow in thirty people per day, and the entry fee is roughly US$2.50. The entry fee also includes a free guided tour of the Repechon Caves.

Toro Toro National Park

Toro Toro National Park is located 45 miles south of Cochabamba Bolivia and it is Bolivia’s smallest national park but a fascinating one.

The park’s landscape consists of amazing rock formations and caves (over 20 caves) where you can explore dinosaur prints, fossils, and Inca paintings.

Bird Spotting

Apart from amazing rock formations, Toro Toro Park is a bird paradise for bird enthusiast and it is home to different types of parrots such as the red-fronted macaw.

Caving

Toro Toro Park is also a popular spot for underground caving, and it’s home to the Cueva (Cave) Humajalanta, which is a partially underwater cave where you can explore the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formations.

Town of Toro Toro

Not far from the town of Toro Toro, you can find the El Vergel canyon with beautiful waterfalls from where you can get amazing views.

Near the town of Toro Toro you can also find the Llama Chaqui archaeological site where you can see amazing Inca paintings.

Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia: Places of Interest

Mariscal Santa Cruz Park

If you are traveling to the city with the family, visiting the Mariscal Santa Cruz Park is one of the most popular things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia.

Mariscal Park serves as an amusement-type park and features kid’s play areas, picnic areas, a swimming pool, and a lake where you can hire paddle boats.

San Pedro Hill

San Pedro Hill is home to the Cristo De La Concordia, which is, undoubtedly, one of the most famous landmarks in Cochabamba Bolivia.

This landmark, located in Pedro Hill, is a massive statue of Jesus Christ, which is similar to the one found in Rio De Janeiro Brazil.

San Sebastian Hill

On San Sebastian Hill you can find the famed Coronilla Heroines landmark, which was built to commemorate the bravely of a group of Bolivian women who resisted the Spanish armies in 1812.

Martín Cárdenas Botanical Garden

The Martín Cárdenas Botanical Garden, located on Avenue 23rd of March, is a lovely place to stroll by and marvel at beautiful plants.

The Botanic Garden features an arboretum, a cactarium, a herbarium and Martin Cardenas house museum.

September the 14th Square

The September the 14th Square (Plaza 14 De Septiembre‎), along Esteba Arze Street, is where you can find the beautiful Cathedral, where you can marvel at 16th century paintings.

Colon Square

Colon Square (Plaza Colon), located on Venezuela Street, is another beautiful square and a very important one, as it is the place where protesters gather around.

House of Culture Center

The House of Culture Center (Casa De La Cultura), located near the Santa Clara convent, is an interesting place where you can learn more about indigenous cultures of Bolivia such as the Inca through interactive exhibitions.

Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia: Shopping

If you are visiting the city for the first time, exploring the city’s traditional markets would be one of the highlight of your vacation.

Just like the rest of Bolivia, shopping at one of the traditional markets for hand made items is one of the most popular things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia.

La Cancha, San Antonio and Calatayud markets are the most popular ones and there are all found in the Sudoeste neighborhood, near the Bus Terminal.

La Cancha, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, is the most popular as it features a variety of vendors selling anything from foods to handmade goods.

If you can’t make it to La Cancha Market, the next best place for souvenir shopping, it’s the San Antonio Market, located along Tarata Street.

At this market, you can find pretty nice handmade items such as bags, small guitars and so on.

Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia: Nightlife & Entertainment

If you are looking to enjoy clubbing, Cochabamba Bolivia has a vibrant nightlife boosted by the University students. Apart from discos, there are plenty of restaurants and bars offering live entertainment.

Places such as La Recoleta, nearby the Cine Center, feature plenty of bars and restaurants.

Another nightlife hotspot it’s between Avenue Ayacucho and Avenue Heroinas where you can find more bars and restaurants.

Things to do in Cochabamba Bolivia: Events & Festivals

If you are traveling to Cochabamba Bolivia for the first time, it’s a good idea to travel during one of the city’s yearly religious festivals to soak in Bolivian culture.

For instance, the Virgen De La Candelaria Festivity, the San Jose Festivity and the San Isidro Festivity are celebrated in February, March and May respectively.

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Best Colonial Towns in Latin America

Arequipa, located south of Peru near the border with Bolivia, is along Trujillo Peru and Chiclayo Peru, one of the most popular holiday destinations in Peru.


If you are traveling to Arequipa for the first time, the city is within driving distance of the Colca Valley, where you can enjoy water rafting and explore the Colca Canyon, which is twice the size of the Arizona Grand Canyon in the United States Of America.

Things to do in Arequipa: Outdoor Activities

If you are an outdoor enthusiast, the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca is one of the best places near Arequipa where you can explore Peru’s natural scenery and enjoy fun outdoor activities.

Hiking & Climbing

If you love hiking, the Salinas Reserve is home to the active volcano El Misti, which stands at over 2000 meters.

The El Misti (located 8 miles north east of Arequipa) features slopes that are quite steep so if you area an inexperienced hiker, you may want to hike along the base of the volcano. Otherwise, you can hike up the El Misti slopes to get marvelous views of the area around.

If you are an experienced climber, the El Misti's summit can be climbed in a day, although most people do camp along the way and make it a two day affair.

Animal Spotting

If you love flora and bird spotting, Salinas Reserve is home to the Salinas Lake, which features a variety of vegetation and wildlife such as Llamas, Flamingos and more.

The Salinas Reserve is also home to the beautiful plains of Pampa Canahuas where you can observe the Vicugna (type of camelid similar to llama).

Water Rafting

If you are traveling to Arequipa between spring and Christmas time, you can enjoy a river rafting trip in the Colca Valley, along the Colca River.

One of the best ways to do a water rafting trip, it’s with an organized tour, as it’ll include the rafting gear, itinerary and transportation.

However, if you have your own kayaks and prefer to venture out in the Colca Valley for a water rafting trip, the town of Huambo is where you need to head.

The drive from Arequipa to Huambo is a few hours (4 to 5 hours), and once you get to the town, you can hire out donkeys to travel the remainder of the trip, which would take a 5 hour hike to the Colca Valley

Also, if you are expert rafter, the Colca Canyon sections have rapid grades between 3 and 5 suitable for experienced rafters..

Colca Valley Trekking Tour

If you are traveling to Arequipa with the intention of exploring the majestic Colca Canyon, I would suggest an booking an organized trekking tour. In Arequipa, you can book a Colca Canyon trek with one of the many tour companies there.

A typical Colca Valley trekking tour can last between two and five days and can include a trek to the Colca Canyon, as well as a trek of the entire Colca Valley.

Beach Activities

If you are looking to enjoy some time at the beach, the beach town of Mollendo is only a couple of hours drive along the Carretera Interoceanica (highway 30).

Also, while in Mollendo you can visit the National Sanctuary of Mejía Lagoons, which is just a short drive from Mollendo beach town.

The Mejia Sanctuary is home to over 100 different species of birds that include local and migratory birds.

Things to do in Arequipa: Places of Interest

Monastery of Saint Catalina

If you are into architecture, the Monastery of Saint Catalina, located in the Historic Center district on Zela Street, is a great example of early 16th century colonial architecture.

You can tour the monastery for around $10 and see the many alleys and rooms such as a restored period kitchen.

Monastery of La Recoleta

The Monastery of La Recoleta, adjacent the Ministry of Education, is another monastery open for public viewing.

Along with the Monastery of Santa Catalina, La Recoleta offers you a glimpse into the missionary activities of nuns and monks during colonial times.

You can walk inside the rooms and explore the items there. In particular, the famed La Recoleta library is an attraction of its own as it features thousands of old books.

Arequipa Cathedral & Plaza De Armas

Visits to both Arequipa Cathedral & Plaza De Armas are two of the most popular things to do in Arequipa.

Plaza De Armas (Main Square) is actually surrounded by the cathedral of Arequipa and three beautiful granite portals.

The Main Square feature lovely tropical trees as well as a beautiful bronze fountain crowned by the statue of a soldier.

The Cathedral is free to explore, and once inside you can see an amazingly imposing altar with a beautifully carved pulpit as well as a Belgian organ.

Complex of San Francisco

The Complex of San Francisco, located nearby the Santa Catalina Monastery, features a small park, a 16th century church, a convent and the Cimientos de Fierro building, which houses a museum and a small market.

Andinos Sanctuary Museum

The Andinos Sanctuary Museum (Museo Santuarios Andinos), adjacent the Plaza De Armas (Main Square), is another popular cultural attraction in the city.

The museum features Inca mummified human remains found in Peru’s volcanoes such as the ones found in El Misti volcano.

Things to do in Arequipa: Shopping

Just as popular Panama Hats are in Cuenca Ecuador, Alpaca and Vicuña woolen and leather goods are the most popular items to shop for during a vacation to Arequipa Peru.

Shopping is, indeed, one of the top things to do in Arequipa and the Historic Center district is where you can find many of the high scale boutiques such as Patio del Ekeko‎, which one of the best places where you can find high quality Alpaca goods.

If you are looking to enjoy a nit of retail shopping, along Ejercito Avenue you can find Saga Falabella Shopping Mall, Real Plaza Arequipa and Cayma Shopping Center. All three offering plenty of department stores and food courts.

For local produce shopping, on San Camillo Street you can find Central Market (Mercado Central), where you can purchase fruits, vegetables and that kind of thing.

Another popular market, it’s Antiquilla Market located on Antiquilla Street.

Things to do in Arequipa: Nightlife & Entertainment

Since Arequipa is a University town, the nightlife in the city has a lively atmosphere
with plenty of nightclubs and live music venues.

The Historic Center district, and the area around Plaza De Armas, it’s where you can find the bulk of bars, restaurants and discos.

The Main Theater (Teatro Minicipal), adjacent Topy Top, is one of the most popular places to hang out for a pleasant night of entertainment.

The theater features nightly entertainment where you can catch local folkloric groups performing traditional Peruvian dancing.

Things to do in Arequipa: Events & Festivals

Arequipa International Guitar Festival

The Arequipa International Guitar Festival, held in August, is a popular event that brings together the best guitarist in Peru.

Great Parade of Arequipa

The Great Parade of Arequipa, held in August, is one of the most important and most popular events in Arequipa.

During this time, the city features hundreds of floats and many beautiful parades, which are reminiscent of the carnival in Sao Paulo Brazil.

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