Exploring Potosí on a Shoestring: Bolivia's Silver City for Under $30/Day

From La Paz, you've got options that won't drain your wallet. The overnight bus runs about 80-100 bolivianos ($12-15) and while it's no luxury liner, it gets the job done. I grabbed a seat on Todo Turismo for 100 bolivianos, which offers slightly better suspension – critical on Bolivia's notoriously rough mountain roads. The journey takes 7-9 hours depending on road conditions, and I recommend bringing a serious neck pillow to avoid waking up with your head at angles your chiropractor would scold you for.

If you're coming from Sucre, you're looking at a much easier 3-hour ride for around 30 bolivianos ($4). The elevation jump is significant – Potosí sits at a lung-busting 4,090 meters (13,420 ft), making it one of the highest cities in the world. Even for someone like me who regularly works on high-rise construction, the altitude hit hard. Pack some altitude sickness pills and give yourself a day to acclimate before tackling the mines or major sightseeing.

Potosí offers solid budget options that won't leave you sleeping in a mining shaft. I checked into Hostal Compañía de Jesús for 70 bolivianos ($10) per night, which gets you a private room with shared bathroom in a renovated colonial building. The hot water was intermittent – a common issue at this altitude – but the thick adobe walls kept my room surprisingly comfortable without heating.

For those willing to bunk with others, Hostal Turistico Recoleta offers dorm beds starting at 40 bolivianos ($6) with breakfast included. The building itself is a piece of architectural history, with stone arches and wooden beams that have stood for centuries. As someone who welds structural supports for a living, I couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship that's kept these buildings standing through earthquakes and revolutions.

A critical investment for any budget accommodation in Potosí is a quality sleeping bag liner. The nights get cold year-round, and many hostels provide only minimal bedding. I also recommend bringing a portable door lock for added security in budget accommodations where door locks might be antiques themselves.

As a welder who's worked in industrial sites across the US, visiting the infamous Cerro Rico mines wasn't just tourism – it was professional pilgrimage. These mines have been in continuous operation since 1545, making them among the oldest industrial facilities still functioning in the Western Hemisphere.

Standard tours run 120-150 bolivianos ($17-22), but I recommend Big Deal Tours (130 bolivianos) for their focus on the technical aspects of mining rather than just the sensational elements. Before entering, you'll gear up with helmets, headlamps, and protective clothing – a familiar ritual for anyone who's worked in industrial settings. The equipment provided is basic but functional; I brought my own dust mask which I'd strongly recommend given the silica dust.

The tour takes you through narrow tunnels where you'll see miners using techniques ranging from hand tools to pneumatic drills. What struck me most was the contrast between ancient methods and modern adaptations. The miners still make offerings to El Tío, the underground deity they believe controls their fate, while using modern explosives and extraction techniques.

As someone who works with metal daily, seeing the raw silver ore in its natural state was fascinating – this is where it all begins, before it reaches the refineries and fabrication shops where I'd normally encounter it. The conditions are harsh, and it's a sobering reminder of where our materials come from.

Food in Potosí is where your budget really stretches. The local markets are a structural marvel themselves – colonial-era buildings repurposed with modern metal reinforcements creating vast indoor spaces where vendors sell everything from raw materials to prepared meals.

Mercado Central and Mercado Uyuni offer almuerzo (set lunch) options starting at 12-15 bolivianos ($1.75-2.20). These typically include soup, a main dish with rice or potatoes, and a simple dessert. The portions are generous – designed to fuel miners and laborers through physically demanding afternoons.

For breakfast, street vendors sell salteñas (Bolivian empanadas) for 5-7 bolivianos ($0.75-1) each. Two make a substantial morning meal. My favorite spot was a tiny stall near Plaza 10 de Noviembre where the owner used a small propane torch to finish the pastries – a welding torch's culinary cousin that gave them a perfect crisp finish.

Street food is abundant and safe if you follow basic precautions. I lived on api (a thick corn drink) with pastel (fried pastry) for breakfast (10 bolivianos total) and found dinner options like charque de llama (dried llama meat) with chuño (freeze-dried potatoes) for 20-25 bolivianos ($3-3.60).

One item I never travel without is my portable water filter which saved me countless bolivianos on bottled water and prevented adding plastic waste to Potosí's already challenged environment.

Potosí's UNESCO World Heritage status comes from its remarkable colonial architecture – and the best part is that much of it can be appreciated absolutely free. The city is essentially an open-air museum of Spanish colonial design, with the added interest of seeing how these structures have been maintained and modified over centuries.

The Cathedral's façade is a masterclass in stonework, with intricate carvings that have weathered nearly 500 years of high-altitude sun and freezing nights. While entering costs 10 bolivianos, you can admire the exterior craftsmanship for free. I spent an hour just examining the load-bearing techniques used in the bell tower – methods that predate modern engineering but have proven remarkably durable.

The Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint) is the one attraction worth splurging on. At 60 bolivianos ($8.70) for foreigners, it's your biggest expense but absolutely worth it. The industrial equipment inside – massive wooden coin presses powered originally by mules and later by early steam engines – shows remarkable engineering innovation. As someone who works with metal forming equipment, seeing these 18th-century predecessors was fascinating.

For tracking my walks through the colonial streets, I relied on my GPS hiking watch. Potosí's high altitude means excellent GPS reception, and the solar charging feature meant I never ran out of battery despite the power outages that occasionally affect the city. I recorded over 15 miles of walking over three days, creating custom maps of the architectural highlights I discovered off the main tourist path.