Cerro Rico

The most common way for tourists to interact with Cerro Rico is to simply admire the mountain as it watches over the city of Potosi. However, a much more adventurous approach is to hop aboard a mine tour that takes you deep beneath the surface of Cerro Rico and allows you to see what the actual conditions were like for miners as they toiled away. These mining tours often spend multiple hours underground and usually last a half day, allowing you more time to explore Potosi once you’re done.

• You must pay an entrance fee to visit the Cerro Rico mines.

• Protective clothing is required for visits down into the mines of Cerro Rico.

• These historic mines are not wheelchair accessible and visits require a lot of time walking underground, so you must be in moderate physical condition.

• Families should note that almost all tours won’t take young children into the mine, while others have a higher age limit for participation.

Cerro Rico is located to the south of Potosi, with its mines located right on the city limits. Guided tours from Potosi are the best way to visit, as they not only manage access inside the mine but also provide transportation for you to get there from the city center.

The mines at Cerro Rico are generally active during the week, so you should plan a weekday visit if you want to see what goes on there underground. This activity does make a visit during the week potentially more dangerous, so more cautious travelers may choose to go on Sunday when work doesn’t take place.

The National Mint of Bolivia is one of the main attractions in Potosi and a natural next stop after visiting the mines of Cerro Rico. Having seen where the city’s silver comes from, you can learn how this historic mint used that silver to produce Spanish colonial coins. Visiting the museum, you can learn about this side of Potosi’s history and see its collection of treasures.