Holiday in Cochabamba

About Cochabamba

Cochabamba is the culinary capital of Bolivia and one of the most pleasant cities in the country — located in a fertile valley at an altitude of 2,558 meters, with a mild spring climate year-round, earning the city the nickname Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera. The fourth largest city in Bolivia with around 630,000 inhabitants is the heart of Quechua culture and an ideal starting point for adventures in the Bolivian Andes and subtropics. The Cristo de la Concordia on Cerro San Pedro is 34.2 meters tall (plus a 6.2 meter base), taller than the famous Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, and offers a breathtaking view over the entire Cochabamba valley. A cable car (Teleferico) takes you up, or you can climb the 1,399 steps on foot. On Sundays, you can ascend a staircase inside the statue to the outstretched arms. The Mercado Campesino (La Cancha) is one of the largest open-air markets in South America: an apparently endless labyrinth of stalls stretching over dozens of city blocks, selling literally everything — from llama wool to fresh fruit to traditional medicine. The smell of freshly cooked Sopa de Mani and sizzling Saltenas wafts through the aisles. The colonial center around Plaza 14 de Septiembre, with the cathedral, the archbishop's palace, and pastel-colored arcade houses, forms a calm counterpoint to the chaotic market hustle. The Convento de Santa Teresa, an active Carmelite monastery, opens its doors to visitors and showcases a surprisingly rich collection of colonial sacred art. The Toro Toro National Park, a day trip southeast of Cochabamba (4-5 hours), offers a surreal landscape: dinosaur footprints, deep canyons, limestone caves, and condor watching in a little-visited, spectacular Andean landscape.