If a trip back in time to the colonial days of South America is what gets your motor going, then a trip to the Potosi region of Bolivia is a must.
You can fly in direct to the Potosi Airport, and set up your base of operations in a hotel or apartment of your choosing. You can rent a car or hire a driver, or simply use a taxi to get around, but the majority of your time will be spent on guided tours of the Cerro Rico mines or the Casa Real de Moneda.
The Cerra Rico mines are what prompted the Spanish colonials to found the Casa Real Royal Mint House in the 1500s. It was here that they turned mined silver into coinage which would be transported back to Spain, and between this and the mines themselves – a testament to times when slave labour was still a common practice – they make up two of the most visited sites within Bolivia.
It is the Casa Real de Moneda Royal Mint House that is the treasure-trove of history. This is hands-down one of Bolivia’s best museums, and explains the background of silver and the way it has influenced Spanish life over the years. The museum also contains many religious and historically symbolic artefacts of the natural indigenous people.
You can also visit the salt desert sea of Salar de Yuni, which is the world’s largest. This region is probably the most photographed in the entire country, and the landscape is a step into the past as you watch llamas wander by a region nearly untouched by human hands.