Silver Mine Tours in Potosi, Bolivia
Taking a mine tour in Potosi is a highlight of many tourists visit to Bolivia. With over 1000 cooperative mines in the outlying areas there are many options – and tour operators – to choose from. Travel Guide to Potosi, Bolivia
Note: If you are claustrophobic-prone and worried about being underground in an enclosed space for too long a time, some tours visit more than one mine, making short stops below ground, while others tour a single mine and stay below ground for 2 hours or longer. Ask around for a tour that suits your preference.
A typical tour lasts 4 hours (morning or afternoon leaving at 8 a.m. or 2 p.m.) and includes transportation plus all necessary gear (lamplight & facemask).
Your first stop from the town of Potosi is to the market to buy gifts for the miners – bring a little extra cash. Miners do not work on the weekends, so make sure to plan your tour for a weekday.
To see what it is like walking inside a mine shaft with ony a headlamp lighting the way view this YouTube vide:
Another video on South America Living“s YouTube Channel is of miners hard at work:
Photographs & video by Blake McHugh, all rights reserved.