City of Eternal Spring: A Downtown Cochabamba Tour

Cochabamba is known as Bolivia’s City of Eternal Spring, due to its pleasant semi-arid climate.

On this walking tour of Downtown Cochabamba, I’ll show you vibrant spots not often mentioned in guidebooks, like convents, cloisters, free galleries and enchanted passages. You’ll also see the main attractions like the picturesque September 14 Square and the impressive Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian.

The tour starts in Colon Square. As you weave through the city’s streets, you’ll learn how Bolivia’s fourth largest city plays a major role in the country’s economy. You’ll pass Francisco del Granado Square on your way to the jewel of Cochabamba, the Monasterio de Santa Teresa (Saint Theresa Monastery).

Along the way, I’ll explain why you keep seeing the same type of shop on the same street. I’ll also tell you about the traditional dress for Cholitas (young Bolivian women) and which foods to sample downtown. By the time the tour ends near the Church of Santo Domingo, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the city.

Along the way, you’ll have the chance to:

• Walk through Pasaje Histórico San Rafael (the Devil’s Passage) and hear its legends
• Take in the Teatro Achá, the theater that used to be a convent
• Peruse free art galleries like Gildaro Antezana’s studio and Galería Melchor Pérez de Holguín
• Visit the newly renovated Casona Santivañez Museum, and the Museo Arqueológico de la Universidad (the archeology museum)
• Pop into the most famous market downtown, Mercado 25 de Mayo

By the end of this one-hour Cochabamba tour, you’ll have visited the most emblematic spots in the downtown area and discovered the background and history behind its lesser-known and most famous spots.