6 Recommendations For a Family Day In Sucre, Bolivia
Sucre is a wonderful place to just wander and discover things on your own. But if you’re looking for some pointers that your kids are sure to love, read on.
Table of Contents
- Sucre – Eat, Walk, Discover
- Our Recommendations On a Map
- #1 – Get Coffee and Pastries At Espresso Coffee Bike
- #2 – Tour the Para Ti Chocolate Factory Museum
- #3 – Eat Lunch (or Coffee) at the Café Mirador San Miguel
- #4 – Visit La Recoleta and Walk the Cobblestone Alleys
- #5 – Shop at the Mercado Central
- #6 – Attend the Origenes Espacio Cultural Dinner and Show
Sucre – Eat, Walk, Discover
Sucre is the first city we visited in Bolivia. It made us fall in love with the country.
The ostentatious Spanish architecture is painted white or natural stone. Turning a corner on any of the busy streets might reward you with a surprise: an adorable plaza tucked away in a little nook, a bird’s eye-view of the city, a cobblestone pedestrian street lined with arts and crafts.
To be honest, if you land a hostel or vacation rental anywhere in the historical center and just walk around, you probably don’t need this blog post. You will stumble across enough delights to keep you busy for as long as you have energy to wander.
But if you are working with a compressed itinerary and want to keep the kids entertained, here are a few pointers. We have three boys — three, six and nine — and they enjoyed every one of these activities.
Our Recommendations On a Map
To save you some time trying to research where these places are, I provided a map for your reference. All of the places, except the chocolate factory tour, are within walking distance from each other. However, if the little ones are kicking up a fuss, hailing a taxi is easy and cheap. Expect to pay about 15-20 Bolivianos wherever you go, or about $2-$3.
#1 – Get Coffee and Pastries At Espresso Coffee Bike
Espresso Coffee Bike is highly rated and has courtyard seating. I got a mocha there as well as some fresh-roasted coffee for the road. We loved it.
But no need to settle for my advice here. There are many similar shops that serve coffee, baked goods, and fresh fruit juice in the vicinity. Just stroll around Plaza de Armas 25 de Mayo, and the surrounding blocks, and find one that has the menu and atmosphere that strikes your fancy.
#2 – Tour the Para Ti Chocolate Factory Museum
The Chocolates Para Ti Museo del Chocolate is a must-visit. You should call ahead to reserve your tour (here is a link to their Facebook page). This destination is the only one on my list that requires a taxi. Taxis can be hailed from anywhere (it seems like every third car is a taxi in Sucre). Don’t trust the location on Google Maps. We followed Google’s instructions and ended up on a busy intersection nowhere near the factory. Then we hailed a cab and told the driver “Fabrica Chocolates Para Ti” and he knew where to go.
Though located at the Para Ti Chocolate Factory, it wasn’t a factory tour. The most you saw of the production floor was through a window in passing (no photos allowed).
We were led to the museum and watched a couple of videos. The videos and live demonstrations taught us about the harvest, fermentation, and manufacture of chocolate. It was a world-schooling win! Para Ti chocolate is unique in that their suppliers harvest the cacao from the jungle, where it grows naturally, instead of grow it on a farm.
Of course, the best part was the tasting!
#3 – Eat Lunch (or Coffee) at the Café Mirador San Miguel
Cafe Mirador San Miguel is a restaurant and coffee shop built in a church’s bell tower. The food and coffee were wonderful and the view was magnificent.
There are many floors with tables all the way up the tower. I think maybe there were five or six floors. But you have to go all the way to the top for the view.
#4 – Visit La Recoleta and Walk the Cobblestone Alleys
This area of the city has so much to see. Monasterio La Recoleta features an ornate Spanish courtyard and a panoramic view of the city. You can find a cute artesan market through one of the alleys attached to the courtyard.
Nearby is the Arte Indigena museum and shop, which we tried to go to but was closed on the day we walked by. There are many more attractions, including the “Gato” streets and the Palacete Guerrero. Don’t feel obligated to see them all. If you really need to burn some energy, the path up the Cerro Sica Sica mountain is only a short walk from here.
Make sure to budget enough time just to wander around the cobblestone streets and alleys.
#5 – Shop at the Mercado Central
Need a late afternoon snack after all that strolling and wandering? The Mercado Central has everything you need and more. Try some of the exotic fruit, the local flat bread, or an authentic Bolivian meal. Or make your way into the interior courtyard where there are countless fresh fruit juice stalls. In my last newsletter, I described it as a psychedelic trip.
Is it your goal for your kids to practice Spanish? Give them 10 bolivianos and have them buy their own snack!
#6 – Attend the Origenes Espacio Cultural Dinner and Show
If I could only choose one activity on this list, the Origenes dinner and show would be it. It was one of our favorite experiences.
It runs at 8 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays and includes a delicious dinner and two hours of high octane cultural entertainment. Make sure to reserve your table. The cost came out to about $70 total for our family of five. It was totally worth it!
