Getting Around Sucre

Getting Around Sucre

Sucre is a compact city, and its UNESCO-listed colonial centre is easy to explore on foot. Most of what a visitor wants to see clusters within a few blocks of Plaza 25 de Mayo, the main square, so you can leave the transport question aside for much of your stay. For longer hops across town, or for trips out to the surrounding valleys and villages, you have a few straightforward options: micros, taxis, and organised tours.

On Foot

Walking is the default way to get around central Sucre. The historic core is small and very walkable, and for the most part you won't need to move more than five blocks from Plaza 25 de Mayo. The narrow streets of the centre are laid out in a grid, a legacy of the city's colonial Andalusian design, which makes navigating straightforward even without a map.

If you plan to hike outside the city, where there are many walking opportunities, bring reliable trail maps and GPS navigation. OpenStreetMap is a good base for this region and is used by mobile apps such as OsmAnd and Mapy.cz; you can also download GPX or KML files for trails through Waymarked Trails.

Micros (Local Buses)

Sucre's local public transport is provided by micros — small buses, really not much bigger than vans, that run set routes. They don't have formal stops, so you simply flag one down wherever you are and tell the driver when you want to get off. You pay the fare to the driver. Micros run frequently and can sometimes be very crowded; don't be surprised to see someone hanging out the door.

Micros are also useful for reaching the bus terminal from the centre: micros 3 and A run from Junín, near the plaza, to the terminal.

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful in Sucre and are a convenient option for short trips within the centre. Within the central area, you should not pay more than Bs. 5 per person. Note that fares are often quoted per person rather than per vehicle, so if you would rather not share a taxi, make that clear to the driver.

Rail, Metro and Tram

Sucre has no rail, metro or tram network for visitors to use. Getting around the city and reaching it from elsewhere is done by road or by air.

Getting from the Airport into the City

Sucre is served by Alcantarí International Airport (SRE), situated south of the city. Despite the "international" in its name, it handles only domestic services, with flights from La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, operated by BoA and Ecojet. The airport lies some distance outside the urban area, so plan on a road transfer into town rather than a walk or a local micro from the terminal.

Arriving by Long-Distance Bus

Sucre's bus terminal sits a short distance from the city centre. A taxi to the centre is inexpensive, and the fare is charged per person rather than per vehicle — if you are not comfortable sharing a taxi, say so clearly. Alternatively, micros 3 and A connect Junín, near the plaza, with the terminal.

At the terminal itself, there is a small charge for accessing the platforms, paid at a little office before boarding. The clerk gives you a ticket, which you hand to another person at the exit door. You can skip this by waiting for your bus just outside the terminal gate, as many locals do.

Several practical points are worth knowing before you buy:

• Tickets generally go on sale only on the day of departure, though some companies will sell the day before. To be sure of a seat, arrive at the terminal before midday; if you are flexible, turning up a few hours — or even an hour — before departure can yield good bargains.
• Many companies sell only cama (lie-flat) tickets. If you want to travel cheaply in semi-cama, arriving a few hours ahead may work better.
• Tour agencies will often offer to book tickets for you, but this is not how things are normally done in Sucre, so expect to pay more. Check whether you need to redeem the agency's voucher for an actual ticket from the bus line.
• Buy from the operator's office inside the terminal. The touts in the car park outside are usually genuine, but have been known to "double sell" seats.
• Don't expect a toilet on board unless you travel with the most expensive operators — ask to be sure.
• Roads out of Sucre are fairly rough, with the exception of the road to Potosí, which is also the route to Oruro and La Paz. For this reason, think hard about upgrading to a semi-cama or full cama bus.
• Blockades around Sucre and to nearby towns and cities are not uncommon, so ask whether the road is open before buying a ticket.

Most long-distance routes other than Potosí are overnight services, and buses generally don't run them during the day. Potosí has frequent connections throughout the day, and shared taxis also cover that route. If you want to travel to other cities by day without taking a night bus, it's possible to chain together "trufis" (colectivo vans) or shared taxis between intermediate towns and villages, which often run frequently all day. In smaller towns you may have to look for transport where the main street meets the highway in your direction of travel, even if departures are also supposed to leave from the town square. Start early in the morning if you want to complete such a journey in one day.

Guided Tours and Day Trips

Some attractions outside Sucre — such as the Tarabuco market and the dinosaur footprints — can be visited by guided tour, tourist bus, or public transport. If you would rather not piece together micros and trufis yourself, a tour is the simplest way to reach them.