Fun things to do in Bolivia

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La Iglesia y Torre de la Compañía de Jesús were originally built between 1581 and 1599, although most of the current building dates from the eighteenth century. Climb the tower at the Compañía de Jesús for great views over the rooftops of Potosi.

There are some interesting metal sculptures of St George and the dragon in the courtyard.

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Sucre's Casa de la Libertad has enormous significance with Bolivians as it was here in 1825 that Bolivia's decalration of independence was signed. It is an interesting museum if you are interested in modern history.

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9am-12 midday & 2.30-7pm, sun 9am-12 midday

Admission: Bs.10

Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia. It's an attractive, colonial city, with a big student population. It was founded in 1538 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991.

It has lots of museums, colonial buildings, churches, bars and restaurants to delight the traveller.

Iglesia de San Francisco is the oldest church in La Paz. The foundation stone for the original San Francisco church was laid here in 1548, a year before the city of La Paz was even founded. The current church building largely dates from 18th century reconstruction.

This is another of the four Calle Jaén museums which you can visit on the combined ticket for 4 bolivianos. It is the former home of General Murillo, who was hanged by the Spaniards in 1810 for his leading role in the independence movement. It is an attractive 18th century mansion built around a courtyard.

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La Paz was founded by the Spanish conquistador Alonso de Mendoza in 1548. It is a very hilly city so you will find yourself constantly walking up and down steep sloping streets. It is the highest national "capital" in the world and its altitude ranges from 3100m to 4058m. I have written "capital" because it now shares that title with Sucre, but the presidential palace and all of the main government buildings are still here.

The first thing you will notice, apart from the fact that it is incredibly hilly, is how congested it is, with narrow streets and every available patch of land built on. It's hard to believe that its population is only 1.5 million.

The downtown area has grand buildings, markets and many museums. One of the best things to do is visit the four Calle Jaén museums. Firstly, because they are in the most attractive old colonial area of the city and secondly because four museums on one combined ticket for just 4 bolivianos is great value.

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La Paz' s Museum of Pre-Columbian precious metals has a pricelss collection of gold and silver coins, jewellery and artifacts.

It is one of the four Calle Jaén museums you can visit on a combined ticket for just 4 bolivianos.

Museo del Litoral Boliviano is one of the four Calle Jaén museums which you can visit on a combined ticket for just 4 bolivianos. It focuses on military history with an emphasis on the War of the Pacific with Chile (1879-84).