World Heritage: Potosí, Bolivia

Around 1545, so the story goes, a herder named Diego Huallpa climbed a mountain in the altiplano, an Andean plateau stretching across what is now western Bolivia, in search of a missing llama, only to stumble upon a seam of silver. The recently overthrown Inca empire considered this peak to be sacred, but the Spanish conquistadors, who had heard about the discovery, swiftly started mining. The mountain, which became known as Cerro Rico (Rich Hill), proved to be the greatest source of silver in history.

At its foot developed the city of Potosí, which grew to become one of the wealthiest and most industrialised places on the planet in the 16th and 17th centuries. Home to some of Latin America’s finest examples of architecture, at least one street was literally paved with silver. In the novel Don Quixote, published in the early 1600s, the eponymous knight remarks to his squire, Sancho Panza, ‘It’s worth a Potosí’ – aka a fortune. The legend on the city’s coat of arms even boasted: ‘I am rich Potosí, treasure of the world, king of the mountains, envy of kings.’

Cerro Rico’s silver had a seismic impact. It created global trading networks, propped up the Spanish empire and helped to fuel the Industrial Revolution, changing the Western world. But it came at a horrific cost. So many Indigenous people and enslaved Africans died in the mines and processing plants that Cerro Rico became known as ‘the mountain that eats men’.

Today, the silver has long gone and the local economy is in the doldrums, but the city remains one of the most fascinating in South America. Lying south-west of Sucre and north-east of the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s biggest salt flat, Potosí is surrounded by stark, inhospitable steppe and towering, snow-streaked peaks. At a breathless altitude of 4,090m, it is one of the highest cities on Earth (second only in Bolivia to El Alto, which sits next to the country’s de facto capital La Paz).

Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, Potosí is an architectural treasure trove, boasting some 2,000 elegant and remarkably well-preserved 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century churches, mansions, theatres and other historical buildings. They share the distinctive Mestizo-Baroque style, which combines Indigenous and European designs: keep an eye out for traditional Andean symbols, such as the sun and the moon, alongside Catholic iconography in the grand cathedral, which overlooks the main square and hides an interior that is a wedding cake of white pillars, pink marble, stained glass and gilt edging.

Looming above the city’s sea of terracotta-coloured roofs is the dusty, ochre-red peak of Cerro Rico, which is honeycombed with tunnels and shafts, some dating back almost half a millennia. Largely unchecked mining continues, which prompted UNESCO to add Potosí to its ‘List of World Heritage [sites] in Danger’ in 2014. If you don’t suffer from claustrophobia, take a guided tour of Cerro Rico, where miners still toil on tin, zinc and lead seams, sustained by coca leaves and offerings to the demonic El Tío (The Uncle), the mythical lord of the underworld. It’s an extreme but unforgettable experience.

Back in central Potosí, the architectural highlight is the Casa Real de la Moneda, the heavily fortified former royal mint, which covers an entire city block. Now a museum, its evocative halls and smelting rooms contain an array of art and artefacts, coins and machinery from the city’s heyday, including the mesmerising Mestizo-Baroque painting ‘La Virgen del Cerro’ (The Virgin of the Mountain). The artist who painted it is unknown, yet it remains one of the most significant pieces of art in Bolivia, with the Virgin Mary at its centre representing both Pachamama (Mother Earth) and Cerro Rico.

Above the Casa Real de la Moneda’s entrance hangs El Mascarón, a symbol of the city. At first glance, the unsettling face is often taken to be the Roman god Bacchus, but like everything in Potosí this 19th-century creation is open to interpretation. Some claim it is llama herder Diego Huallpa; others argue it is a caricature of the director of the mint or was built to cover up the Spanish royal coat of arms after Bolivia won its independence. If you look closely, you will notice El Mascarón is not entirely symmetrical: one side smiles, the other grimaces. Given Potosí’s tumultuous history, that feels appropriate.

Need to know

Location: Potosí lies 540km south-east of La Paz, which has the nearest international airport. There’s also a domestic airport 155km north-east of the city in Sucre, Bolivia’s constitutional capital. Potosí has bus, minibus and shared-taxi links to La Paz, Sucre, Oruro (a useful hub) and sites such as the Salar de Uyuni. Given the distances involved and the rough roads in the altiplano, it is sensible to stay at least a couple of nights.
Getting around: Central Potosí is compact and easy to explore on foot. The altitude can be challenging, though, so don’t push yourself and allow adequate time to acclimatise.
Accommodation: There are several good guesthouses, hostels and hotels in Potosí, usually in historical buildings. Try Hostal Colonial or the atmospheric Hotel Museo Cayara, which lies a short drive from the city.
Further information: Shafik’s book, Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia (Latin America Bureau, 2022), explores the history of Potosí in detail, as does the Rough Guide to Bolivia (2018), which he co-authored

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