Sucre - City Information

Find Hotel reservations, tours, offers, attractions in Sucre, Bolivia! Sucre, called the white city, is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. Sucre was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO.

The Chuquisaca Department is located in South-east Bolivia, surrounded by Potosi, Tarija, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba departments and has a small border with Paraguay.

The capital of Chuquisaca is Sucre, which is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. It is located in the region of the central valleys of Bolivia about two hours by road from Potosi.

Sucre is called the white city. It's a city of towers, beautiful churches where the architecture reflects the life of the colonial Spanish aristocracy.

Sucre was the birth place of the independence movements of the Americas. In fact, Sucre was the first to rebel against Spanish rule on 25th May 1809. Its colonial past is visible in many religious and civil buildings distributed in the center of the city. Narrow streets, churches, fastidious residences, white facades, red roofs allow us to discover a past of art and religion.

In 1991 Sucre was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in light of its Historical and Cultural value. For all of this Sucre is a unique city ideal for living in it and admiring it. Its historical and cultural background make it a safe and receptive city. Sucre is peaceful and ideal for rest and getting away from the big and congestive modern cities.

Province Oropeza Province
Founded September 29, 1539

Elevation 2,750 m (9,022 ft)
Population (2006) - Total 225 000
Time zone GMT -4 (UTC)
Area code(s) 4

Very much a Spanish city during the colonial era, the narrow streets of the city centre are organised in a grid, reflecting the Andalusian culture that is embodied in the architecture of the city's great houses and numerous convents and churches. Sucre remains the seat of the Catholic church in Bolivia, and a common sight is members of religious orders dressed in traditional costume. For much of its colonial history, Sucre's temperate climate was preferred by the Spanish royalty and wealthy families involved in silver trade coming from Potosi. Testament to this is the Glorieta Castle. Sucre's University (Universidad Real & Pontifice de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca) is one of the oldest universities in the new world.

The city attracts thousands of tourists every year thanks to its well-conserved downtown with buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Nestled at the foot of the twin hills of Churuquella and Sika Sika, Sucre is the gateway to numerous small villages that date from the colonial era, the most well-known of which is Tarabuco, home of the colorful "Pujllay" festival held each March. Most of these villagers are members of one of the indigenous ethnicities. Many dress in clothing distinctive to their respective villages.

The City of Four Names

Sucre is also called "The City of Four Names". Each of the well known names represent a specific era of the city's history.

Charcas was the indigenous name for the place upon which the Spaniards built the colonial city.
La Plata was the name given to the emerging Hispanic city of privilege and honor.
The name Chuquisaca was bestowed upon the city during the independence era.
Sucre honors the great marshal of the Battle of Ayacucho (December 9, 1824), Don Antonio Jose de Sucre.

On November 30, 1538 Sucre was founded under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo by Pedro Anzures, Marques de Campo Redondo. In 1538 the Spanish King Philip II established the Audiencia de Charcas in La Plata with authority over an area which covers what is now Paraguay, southeastern Peru, Northern Chile and Argentina, and much of Bolivia. The Audiencia de Charcas was a subdivision of the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1601 the Recoleta Monastery was founded by the Franciscans and in 1609, an archbishopric was founded in the city. In 1624, St Francis Xavier University of Chuquisaca was founded.

Until the 19th century, La Plata was the judicial, religious and cultural centre of the region. In 1839, after the city became the capital of Bolivia, it was renamed in honour of the revolutionary leader Antonio Jose de Sucre. Too remote after the economic decline of Potosi and its silver industry, it saw the Bolivian seat of government move to La Paz in 1898. Many argue Sucre was the epicenter that initiated the independence campaign against Spain in all of Latin America. The first "Grito Libertario" (Shout for Freedom) in any Western Hemisphere Spanish colony of took place in Sucre in 1809. Ironically, Bolivia was the last territory to gain its independence in 1825. In 1991, Sucre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Prior to Spanish domination, the town of Charcas, where Sucre now stands, was the indigenous capital of the valley of Choque-Chaca. When the Spanish arrived, the entire area from Southern Peru to the Rio de la Plata in present-day Argentina came to be known as Charcas.

In the early 1530s Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador who felled the Inca empire, sent his brother Gonzalo to the Charcas region to oversee indigenous mining activities that might prove valuable to the Spanish realm. As a direct result, in 1538 a new Spanish capital of the Charcas was founded. The city, later to become Sucre, was named La Plata.

Whereas previously all territories in the region had been governed from Lima, in 1559 King Felipe II (Philip II) created the Audiencia (Royal Court) of Charcas, with its headquarters in the young city, to help administer the eastern territories.

In 1776, a new Viceroyalty was established in what is now Buenos Aires, and the Charcas came under its control. The city became known as Chuquisaca (a Spanish corruption of Choque-Chaca). During the 17th century, the city received an archbishopry, established the University of San Xavier and opened the Academia Carolina law school - factors which fostered continued development of liberal and revolutionary ideas and set the stage for the first cry of Independence in the Americas on May 25, 1809.

Sucre became one of Bolivia's two seats of power, but because its power base was primarily judicial it didn't attract the same levels of economic and population growth. In 1898, Bolivia's seat of government was officially moved to La Paz, leaving Sucre to develop at a relatively slow pace and retain its pretty, colonial facade.

In 1991 the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) inscribed Sucre as an historic city, thus putting the city once known as 'the Athens of America' on the international travel map.

The climate is moderate at the southwest, central, and north valleys and hot at the East zone. Sucre lies at an altitude of 2750m (9,000ft) and the lower altitude gives the city a warm temperate climate year-round.

From April until November, Sucre is free of the annoying rains that could humidify the desires of the travelers looking for adventure. During these months there are many important events that give a festival and atmosphere to Sucre.

Sucre is located 701km (435 miles) SE of La Paz; 366km (227 miles) SE of Cochabamba; 612km (379 miles) SW of Santa Cruz; 162km (100 miles) NE of Potosi.

By Bus

The bus terminal is about 2 kilometers from the city center at the corner of Alfredo Ostria Gutierrez and Bustillos.

There are buses to all major cities in Bolivia.

Hourly buses to and from Potosi (4 hours) and Cochabamba (10-12 hours) departing in the early evening. Several of these continue on to Santa Cruz (another 12 hours). There are also afternoon services to Santa Cruz (15-20hr), mostly via the rough but scenic Samaipata route.
Many long-distance bus lines have morning and evening departures for La Paz (14-16 hours) via Oruro (10 hours).
Daily connections to Uyuni (10-12hr), but these normally include changing buses at Potosi.
Buses also leave for Camiri (18hr), with connections to the Argentine border at Yacuiba.

By Plane

Aerosur and TAM operate flights to Santa Cruz, La Paz, and Cochabamba.

All planes arrive at the Juana Azurduy de Padilla Airport, which is about 10 km from the center. The airport may close in bad weather. It is always worth checking ahead before arriving as the airport has limited waiting areas. It does have several shops, including a shop selling the chocolate the city is famous for.

Festivals

Carnival: (variable) February - March
Pujllay de Tarabuco: 2nd Sunday of March
Guadalupe Virgen Festivity: 8th September
Todos Santos y Difuntos: (Halloween) 1st - 2nd November
Christmas at Villa Serrano: 24rd December

Gastronomy

Chorizos: The "Chorizos Criollos" (Creole Sausages) are the most typical type of food of Sucre, and they are usually served right before noon, and most of the time they are accompanied with by dark beer.

Empanadas (Saltenas): The "Empanadas" (Pastries stuffed with meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. Some of these could be spicy) are an important part of the traditional foods of Chuquisaca most of the time they are eaten before noon.