Best Sunset Spots in Bolivia
In our opinion, watching the sunset is one of life’s pleasures. It’s always the most relaxed hour of the day when you can just watch the changing sky, the street lights turn on, and imagine all the people finishing their day and going home.
We are also sunrise lovers, but that’s for a different post 😉
Watching the sunset in nature is our all-time-favorite, but won’t be included in this article – here we try to focus on the best town spots you may visit along your route. Please share with us your favorites!
Isla del Sol and Copacabana Sunset Spots
The only place in Bolivia where you can see a sunset over the water, and it’s magical.
Copacabana: El Condor and Eagle Cafe & Cerro Calvario
El Condor and Eagle Cafe overlooks the bay and is a really pretty place to have a pre-sunset drink. However, they close at 18:00, so from there we suggest you climb around 10 minutes up Cerro Calvario and find a nice spot to look at the Titicaca lake and islands.
Isla del Sol (north): near hostal mirador
on the small street leading north from Hostal Mirador, sunset is the hour when the local Challapampas return with their animals home. This is a lovely spot to take a walk and watch the sun meeting the sea.
Sucre Sunset Spots
San Felipe de Neri
San Felipe de Neri – this old monastery is now used as a girl’s school but is now open for visitors that are interested in its history and architecture (17 BOB including a worthwhile tour). Last entry is at 17:30, but they will let you stay up until shortly before 18:00, just enough to see the white city going all pink and red and orange.
La Recoleta
La Recoleta – the most famous Sucre sunset spot, the square around this monastery has great panoramics of Sucre. You can bring a picnic there, but note it’s really windy (so maybe just a cheap and great Tarija wine for 20 BOB). Another option is to sit at Cafe Time & Coffe and have a cocktail or a hot chocolate. If you are too lazy to hike up La Recoleta, you can take one of the buses heading there from the area of the market/park bolivar (e.g. line #8) for 2 BOB.
Uyuni Sunset Spots
We didn’t personally go to any of those, but heard other backpackers tips regarding:
Train cemetery
Train cemetery – a 3km walk from town center is the train cemetery, which is also the starting point of any Salar tour. You’re likely to be alone there at sunset and can climb (carefully) the old trains to get a better view.
Mirador Salar de Uyuni
Mirador Salar de Uyuni is a nice hill overlooking the Salar. A taxi there and back from town was reported to cost 40 BOB.
Sajama Village Sunset Spots
Iglesia de la Natividad
Before heading to Lagunas de Altura hike you are likely to stay in the village. We recommend watching the sunset from behind the village’s ancient church and looking at the twins Volcan Pomerape (6,282m) and Volcan Parinacota (6,348m) on the border to Chile. This was by far our best sunset in Bolivia. In the small tienda behind the church, you can also get a beer and some snacks.
La Paz Sunset Spots
Montículo Park
Montículo park is a beautiful park in Sopocachi with benches overlooking the city. You won’t see the sun going down, but the nice colors over the city
The Teleferico (cable car)
The Teleferico, La Paz’s cable car system, is open till 21:00 so you can watch the sunset while soaring above the city. We did a round from San Hose station, taking the purple, silver, blue, then returning with red, orange and white (hope to write a post about it soon).
Coroico Sunset Spots
Rute 40 Bench
Your hostel will probably have a nice sunset spot, but in case you are in town, the best spot we found was the benches on ruta 40, behind Don Vito Pub (google map). You can also have a beer or snack from one of the 2 tiendas just behind and look at the cool Montezuma birds and their super unique nests.
Rurrenabaque Sunset Spots
Beni Riverfront
The Beni riverfront is the place to be at sunset. Watch boats load plantain and the people buying it in huge bunches; have a watermelon for 2 BOB; see the children playing (or working) and logs of wood from the jungle drifting in the river. If you are lucky, you may get a breeze of wind.
