Experience the enchanting beauty of Bolivia! Immerse yourself in the rich biodiversity of Bolivia, witness the majestic heights of the Andes Mountains, and delve into the fascinating indigenous cultures that thrive within its borders. From the vibrant markets of El Alto to the breathtaking bioclimatic landscapes, Bolivia offers a truly mesmerizing expedition that will leave you in awe.
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General Information
Bolivia is located in the heart of South America, between the parallels: 9 degrees, 39 minutes and 22 degrees 53 minutes of South latitude; and between the meridians: 57 degrees 25 minutes and 69 degrees 38 minutes western longitude of the Greenwich meridian. It limits to the North and East with the Federative Republic of Brazil, to the Southeast with the Republic of Paraguay, to the South with the Argentine Republic, to the Southwest with the Republic of Chile and to the West with the Republic of Peru. Link to Google maps: https://bit.ly/3QH8U3h
Bolivia is divided into three large natural geographical zones: the Andean zone that includes the Altiplano and the Cordilleras, the Sub-Andean zone that has Yungas and Valleys, and the Llanos zone or also known as the lowlands, which extends from the Amazon to the Chaco.
Interesting facts
- Bolivia is the heart of South America.
- The Andean zone that includes the Altiplano and the Cordilleras.
- The Sub-Andean zone that has Yungas and Valleys.
- The Llanos zone or also known as the lowlands, which extends from the Amazon to the Chaco.
- Titicaca Lake.
- Extraordinary vegetation which products were cataloged by the World Health Organization among the most complete foods (quinoa real, potato, etc.).
- The Cordillera de los Andes, considered the largest mountain range in the world.
- The hospitality of its people is well known, since pre-Hispanic times.
- Bolivia ranks number seven among the countries in the world with the greatest diversity of birds and eleventh in variety of mammals.
- The ecological impact and intervention in the Bolivian Amazon is one of the lowest in the region, the demographic index is less than 2 inhabitants per square kilometer and the degree of directed deforestation is well below the levels experienced neighboring countries.
| CATEGORY | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Capital | La Paz & Sucre |
| Surface | 1098580 Km2 |
| Parts | Andean zone, Sub-Andean zone and Llanos zone |
| Population | 9 millions |
| Languages | Spanish, Aymara, Quechua, Guarani and other 33 indegenous languages |
| Religion | Catholic 90%, but law guarantees freedom of worship. |
| Government | Democratic Republic |
| Currency | Bolivian Boliviano (BOB). The symbol used for the Boliviano is Bs. |
| Current weather | www.weather.com |
| News | https://eldeber.com.bo/ |
| Tourism | https://boliviatravelsite.com/ |
| Time zone | -4 GMT |
| Electric power | In Bolivia the common voltage is 230 V. The frequency is 50 Hz. The plugs and sockets are of the A/C type. |
In addition to bringing clothes suited for each city’s normal temperature range, we suggest you pack the following:
- Warm clothing for nights
- Raincoat or waterproof poncho
- Windbreaker
- Comfortable shoes
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Small carrying case
- Camera, extra batteries, film, memory card
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Personal medication
- Copy of your passport
If this is the first time you visit our cities located in high regions, you should take into account that the altitude does not affect everyone, however, if you feel the symptoms of altitude sickness (headache, fatigue, physical exhaustion, dizziness , nausea, agitation, and/or lack of appetite), known locally as “sorojchi” it is recommended to take the following precautions:
- Rest the first day.
- Drink coca tea (infusion).
- Avoid physical exertion the first days.
- Do not eat in excess.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco and other toxic habits.
- People who suffer from heart problems consult their doctor before traveling to the cities of La Paz, Potosí and Oruro.
We invite you to read these frequent inquiries (FAQs)
To enter our country it is necessary to have a valid passport or a visa granted for 30 or 90 days according to the agreement with the country of origin. The citizens of the Andean Community countries (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia) can move around the community only with their personal identification card in accordance with current international agreements.
For more information, enter the link of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the following link: https://bit.ly/3zXjM6q
Europeans are granted a 30-day tourist visa on arrival that can be extended free of charge to 90 days. Most other nationalities including US citizens must ask for a visa.
To enter Bolivia, the following is required: 1) Certificate of vaccine against COVID-19 in physical or digital format with a complete two-dose scheme or a single dose with at least fourteen (14) days before the date of entry or Test Certified negative RT-PCR or certified nasal antigen for people over five (5) years of age, up to seventy-two (72) hours before boarding in the country of origin, for nationals or foreigners coming from outside the country by air, land or lake that do not have the vaccine.
The Bolivian currency is the BOLIVIAN (Bs 1 = 100 cents), the official currency cuts are 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1, 2 and 5 Bolivianos which have the number of amount of money on the obverse with the inscription “Union is strength” and on the reverse the coat of arms of Bolivia with the inscription “Plurinational State of Bolivia”, the bills have the denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Bolivianos.
In all the capital cities of the country it is possible to change the main foreign currencies (dollar, euro, Argentine peso, real, yen, Chilean peso and pound sterling, among others) and at the border points with the country it is possible to change the currency according to the entry border. Although there are street exchange points at the border posts as well as in some streets of the capital cities called “free exchangers” it is advisable to use these services only in case of urgency or exchange of little money, it is advisable to use authorized exchange houses and existing banks.
To have a reference of the price of your currency in relation to the Bolivian you can visit the web portal of the Central Bank of Bolivia where you will find the daily prices of foreign currencies with respect to the Boliviano.
On the other hand, the ATMs of the vast majority of financial institutions and banks have ENLACE and REDBANK ATM networks, which accept debit cards: PLUS and CIRRUS, and VISA, MASTERCARD and AMERICAN EXPRESS credit cards. It is important to consider that you can withdraw bolivianos or dollars from these ATMs at the official exchange rate.
You can access banking services nationwide in its different types, depending on the town where you are:
Bank Service Hours Nationwide
From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (continuous hours).
In the altiplanic regions it is not very frequent that the visitor requires a vaccine, except medical prescription, the most common is the possibility of suffering from altitude sickness for which it is recommended not to make physical efforts, take coca infusions and pills that you will find at any pharmacy. However, when you decide to visit the Eastern region, especially the Bolivian Amazon that shows hot and tropical climates, the traveler can be a victim of mosquito bites, so it is very important to have the yellow fever vaccine, which must be applied 10 to 14 days before traveling.
Among the most important vaccinations that the visitor should take into account when traveling to hot climates are the following:
- Compulsory vaccinations: against yellow fever, compulsory for all travelers and visitors coming from a country where yellow fever exists (endemic).
- Vaccines generally recommended regardless of traveling: Hepatitis A, Tetanus-diphtheria, Triple Viral.
- Vaccines recommended in special situations: Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Influenza, Pneumococcal.
- For those who visit tropical areas (Brazilian border) anti-malaria tablets are recommended.
You must go to a specialized vaccination center for the prescription of vaccines.
The altiplano, located at an average altitude of 4,000 meters, extends over an elongated band delimited by two imposing mountain ranges, the Occidental to the west, and the Cordillera Real to the east. The cold and dry climate reigns over the altiplano, taking into account that the humidity that comes from tropical regions is blocked by the Cordillera Real. The southern regions are considered arid, since they are frequently affected by drought, dry winds and temperatures that drop to -20°C in winter. However, in the middle of the altiplanic plain, two large bodies of water show their singular beauty: Lake Titicaca (to the north), and Lake Poopó (in the center).
The cold, arid and dry climate of the altiplano region is compensated by its singular beauty, by its mineral wealth (copper, silver, tin, tungsten, lithium, gold, among others.), by its extraordinary vegetation whose products were cataloged by the World Health Organization among the most complete foods (quinoa real, potato, etc.) and for its fauna, which provides inputs to the best fashion designers in the world (vicuña, alpaca, llama, etc.)
Another region that includes the sub-Andean zone is the Valleys, which are located in a strip from north to south of the country, between the Andes mountain range and the Amazon basin, at an intermediate altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. It comprises most of the Department of Cochabamba, the eastern side of the Department of Potosí, the western halves of the Departments of Chuquisaca and Tarija, as well as a part of the Department of La Paz, and the westernmost portion of the Department of Santa Cruz (in the region where Valle Grande is located). Cochabamba is the city of the valley par excellence, although Sucre and the beautiful Tarija also stand out as important cities in this geographical area. The main characteristic of this area is the temperate climate and the diversity of crops, being the main suppliers of fruits and vegetables in the country. The hospitality of its people is well known, since pre-Hispanic times they moved to that area from different regions of the country to become agricultural and livestock producers.
WHAT IS THE CLIMATE LIKE IN BOLIVIA?
Bolivia’s climate encompasses a variety of temperatures and weather conditions: generally cold in the highlands, temperate in the valleys, and warm in the plains. In addition to the variability of weather conditions, many parts of the country experience irregular weather throughout the year or large and unpredictable variations.
The autumn-winter season is a cold, dry and sunny period in the valleys and highlands, especially in the latter, where low temperatures are recorded at the end of June and beginning of July, during these months in the east the days are cool with possible precipitation.
The spring-summer season is a hot and rainy period in the months of December, January, February and March. The rainy season also has its charm and the vegetation is more abundant.
Most of the destinations in Bolivia can be visited all year round, but certain places are more appreciable and accessible in certain seasons. In the Amazon zone there is a greater probability of inaccessibility during the rainy season than in the dry season, while the valleys and highlands are accessible practically all year round. Many say that the best season to visit Bolivia is from March to November. In general, the days are hot, the afternoons can be very cool in the Altiplano, in general, sun and blue skies. From December to March, the rainy season occurs, it is difficult to carry out activities, extreme sports and, above all, it makes internal mobilization by road difficult.
If you want to spend a few days in Bolivia, take into account the following dates. Well, you need to recognize the right day for your plans:
• January 1: New Year.
• January 22: Plurinational State.
• February 20: Carnival.
• February 21: Carnival.
• April 6: Holy Week.
• April 7: Holy Week.
• May 1: Labor Day.
• June 8: Corpus Christi.
• June 21: Aymara or Andean New Year.
• August 6: Independence Day.
• November 2: All Souls’ Day.
• December 25: Christmas.
For visiting regions with rugged terrain, the most frequently requested vehicles are four-wheel drive SUVs.
To drive in Bolivia, you must carry with you:
- Driving license
- Copy of passport
- Vehicle documentation (SOAT – Compulsory Traffic Accident Insurance, Certificate of Roadworthiness, and Ownership Card)
- Vehicle hire contract, if the car is rented
- International driving license valid for one year.
ECUADOR WONDERS
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