Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CERRO RICO TOURS
Several agencies run regular tours to the mines. These last half a day and cost around
Bs100 per person, though some companies charge less, particularly outside the June to
September high season. Most guides are former miners and know what they're talking
about, though few speak more than limited English. Groups should be no bigger than eight,
and you should be provided with rubber boots, a mining jacket or overalls, safety helmet
and headlamp; it's worth bringing along a handkerchief to cover your mouth and some wa-
ter.
Be warned, though, that this is an unpleasant and highly dangerous environment, where
safety precautions are largely left to supernatural forces. The mines are dirty, wet, muddy
and very claustrophobic . The air is fetid with dust and gases, including arsenic, and the
chances of being hit by falling rocks or a speeding mine trolley are real. Many of the tun-
nels are narrow and have low ceilings, and temperatures can reach over 40°C, so walking
and crawling through the mines would be exhausting even if the entrances weren't situ-
ated at over 4000m above sea level . From every group, one or two usually head for the
exit within ten minutes of entering the mine - if you don't like it, your guide will lead you
out. Once inside, tours generally involve walking, crawling and clambering through often
dirty and narrow tunnels deep underground for two or three hours - you should be reason-
ably fit and altitude-acclimatized; don't visit if you have heart or respiratory difficulties or
are claustrophobic. Some people also question the ethics of making a tourist attraction of a
workplace where conditions are so appalling. That said, however, most people who do visit
the mines find the experience one of the most unforgettable in Bolivia.
Tours of the mines begin with a visit to the miners' market around Plaza El Calvario,
where you can buy coca, dynamite, black-tobacco cigarettes, pure cane alcohol and fizzy
drinks - take a selection of these as gifts for the miners you'll be visiting. Thousands of
miners still work in Cerro Rico (including a high proportion of children), divided between
around 27 different mining cooperatives. The most commonly visited mines include Can-
delaria, Santa Rita, Santa Rosita and Rosario.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search