Pulacayo

Bolivia

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At this virtual ghost town, brilliantly colored rocks rise beside the road and a mineral-rich stream reveals streaks of blue, yellow, red and green. The silver mines north of the village closed in 1959, and today only a few hundred hardy souls remain. Take any bus to Potosí and ask to be dropped off at Pulacayo (B$5, 30 minutes) or book a tour. There is a fee of B$10 to enter the village.

Also worth seeing here is the mansion of the 22nd president of Bolivia, Aniceto Arce Ruíz. Nearby is a collection of decaying steam locomotives that were originally imported to transport ore. They include Bolivia's first steam engine, El Chiripa, and the train that was robbed by legendary bandits Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, including a wooden rail car that bears the bullet holes from the attack.

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  • Clock Tower

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View more attractions

Nearby Bolivia attractions

1. Museo Ferrocarril

9.13 MILES

Serious trainspotters might want to take a look inside this huge hangar of a museum, which houses several salt-crusted train engines and carriages. It's…

4. Clock Tower

9.39 MILES

This European-style clock tower was built in 1930 with a clock mechanism that was imported from Germany. You can find the tourist police office here.

6. Church

9.42 MILES

The simple church on Colón is a local landmark.

8. Cementerio de Trenes

10.53 MILES

The only real attraction in Uyuni, Cementerio de Trenes is a rusty collection of historic steam locomotives and rail cars dating back to the 19th century,…

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