On the arcaded Plaza 14 de Septiembre, Cochabamba's cathedral is the valley’s oldest religious building, begun in 1542 as a tiny stone-and-adobe structure. Later additions and renovations have removed some character, but a fine eastern portal has been preserved. Inside it is light and airy, with various mediocre ceiling paintings. There are statues of several saints, a gilded altarpiece and a grotto for the ever-popular Inmaculada (Virgin of the Immaculate Conception).
Catedral Metropolitana
Cochabamba
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.36 MILES
Nothing symbolizes Bolivia's gilded mineral age like tin baron Simón Patiño's European-style Palacio Portales. Though he never actually inhabited this…
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1.57 MILES
This immense Christ statue standing atop Cerro de San Pedro (2800m) behind Cochabamba is the second largest of its kind in the world. It's 44cm higher…
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0.32 MILES
The noble, timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa is straight out of a Gabriel García Márquez novel. Guided tours (around 45 minutes) of this gracefully…
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10.98 MILES
If you haven’t already had your fill of Simón Patiño’s legacy in Oruro and Cochabamba, you can visit Villa Albina in the village of Pairumani and tour the…
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0.43 MILES
Sprawling, chaotic and claustrophobic, Cochabamba's main market, while lacking an attractive mise-en-scène, is nevertheless a colorful place to wander…
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16.26 MILES
The ruins of Inca-Rakay, in the Serranía de Tarhuani, are the most readily accessible ruins in the Cochabamba Valley, but they are mostly crumbling stone…
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0.09 MILES
The Museo Arqueológico provides an excellent overview of Bolivia’s various indigenous cultures. The collection is split into three sections: the…
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10.39 MILES
This artificial lake on the ever-expanding southern outskirts of Cochabamba is a popular spot for cochabambinos. However, the lake itself is not an…
Nearby Cochabamba attractions
1. Museo Arqueológico de la UMSS
0.09 MILES
The Museo Arqueológico provides an excellent overview of Bolivia’s various indigenous cultures. The collection is split into three sections: the…
0.14 MILES
This rococo church was founded in 1612, but construction didn’t begin until 1778. Its intriguing main facade is made of stone, with anthropomorphic…
3. Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
0.14 MILES
Constructed in 1581, the Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco is Cochabamba’s second-oldest church. However, major revisions and renovations occurred in…
0.21 MILES
This church and its accompanying convent of the same name were built in the early 20th century in an unadorned Gothic style.
0.32 MILES
The noble, timeworn Convento de Santa Teresa is straight out of a Gabriel García Márquez novel. Guided tours (around 45 minutes) of this gracefully…
0.38 MILES
This church, built in 1875, combines neoclassical, baroque and Byzantine elements.
0.43 MILES
Sprawling, chaotic and claustrophobic, Cochabamba's main market, while lacking an attractive mise-en-scène, is nevertheless a colorful place to wander…
1.17 MILES
North of the river, the baroque Iglesia de la Recoleta (construction began in 1654) houses the attractive wooden Cristo de la Recoleta.