San Antonio de Lipez: The ghost mining town

Get yourself prepared to visit the most mysterious town in Bolivia. Walk around its ruins and dare to get one of the most thrilling experiences in a lifetime.

Located in Cordillera de Lipez Southwestern Bolivia in the Lípez province of the Potosí Department. This town had its history as one of the most famous mines of exploitation of silver in the country. Fifty years ago, the town was abandoned without any explanation. Nowadays, Bolivians believe this is an actual ghost town raised by the devil.

This is an abandonment town that had 150,000 inhabitants. It’s hard to believe people just vanished. Some people say that the mine-workers made a pact with the devil to give them wealth. However, due to inexplicable reasons, these devil forces killed all mine-workers one by one.

Others say the mine-workers did not fulfill part of the pact. As a consequence, the town fell into a curse making people just abandon the town or die without any reason. It seems that the town of San Antonio de Lipez is somehow hunted by darkness. Making the place more attractive for locals and tourists that seek a supernatural experience.

Today some people, including tourists, come to visit the town. The mysteries within this place attracts its visitors. It’s said that while exploring the San Antonio del Lipez town, you will get to see the ghosts of the mine-workers walking around. The perfect spot for people that enjoy a little bit of dark tourism indeed.

How to get to San Antonio de Lipez

If you are looking to visit the town, there are some tour operators in Tupiza that can take you on a tour. It’s highly recommended to go with an operator as access to the town can be quite hard to pass through.

Take into consideration that the town is located around 4 800 meters above sea level. It would be kind of difficult for people not used to the altitude. Some experts say people start to feel sick when reaching the 2 500 meters so take note of this fact.

It’s important to go well prepared as the road can be challenging. Moreover, do not forget to bring extra water, food, and a thick jacket. The weather can play against you, especially when traveling over the Andes.

What you can find

The town does not preserve its original structure so all you can see will be ruins. There are also some camelids like llamas and sheep in the region. If you are lucky, you can get to find some short-tail chinchillas as well.

Apart from that, if you are traveling to San Antonio del Lipez with a tour package, you can see some other attractions along the way. This includes:

• Red Lagoon
• Green Lagoon
• Quetena Chico Village
• Quetena Volcano

When to travel

The best time to travel to San Antonio de Lípez is from January to April and August to December, where you can find a mild and pleasant climate. On the other hand, between May and July, the weather can turn a little aggressive. You can come across snowy days that might block out access to the town.

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