5 Best Sights in Central Bolivia, Bolivia

This geological masterpiece is the highlight of any visit to Cochabamba but somehow is missed by many visitors to Bolivia. A high-altitude valley, it is filled with plunging canyon walls, caves and caverns shaped and eroded by rivers and winds, footprints embedded in the rock from some of the biggest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth, and an underground pool filled with blind silvery fish. The most-visited sights are the Umajalanta cave, Bolivia´s largest; the arched caverns of Ciudad Itas, sculpted over millennia by water erosion; and the El Vergel falls, which pour out of the rock and create a lush green oasis where you can refresh yourself. For the bird-inclined, a little persistence might reward you with sightings of condors and the endangered red-fronted macaw. The visit is best done in two or three days with a tour agency leaving from Cochabamba. Accommodation in the town of Torotoro is basic, but it's worth roughing it to spend the extra time in the area.

In Cochabamba, size matters, particularly when it comes to the gleaming white statue of Christ with open arms that stands watch on a hilltop overlooking the city. It is, you'll surely be reminded, currently the world's largest, and although this is debated elsewhere, it is definitely larger than The Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. Comparisons aside, it does make for a great spot to get a perspective on the city, which has a population of more than half a million.

This monument honors women who died during Bolivia's protracted War of Independence. There are outstanding views of Cochabamba from La Coronilla, a hill on the outskirts of the city where the monument is located.

This museum is one of the more comprehensive collections of artifacts—some 40,000 in all—outside of La Paz, offering a detailed look at pre-Columbian cultures from the region and around Bolivia. There's also a section that narrates the fossil chronology of Bolivia, which provides some good background information if you plan to visit any of the dinosaur footprints scattered around Cochabamba and Sucre. The information is mostly in Spanish, but some English guides are available. Phone ahead to check.

Across the Río Rocha, this palace was built but never occupied by Simón Patiño, a local tin baron who amassed one of the world's largest tin fortunes. The mansion and 10-acre gardens reflect his predilection for French Renaissance style. One of the chambers on the upper floor mimics Italy's Sistine Chapel. The mansion, a five-minute taxi ride from the center of town, is now a cultural and educational center and is the most interesting place to visit in the city. The palace provides a glimpse into the Cochabamba of old, when the wealth of Potosí was flowing freely.