Cochabamba, the city of eternal spring

In this city, it is always spring: never too hot and never too cold. Its name is Cochabamba, and it is located in the Bolivian valleys. Besides its pleasant weather, Cochabamba is a great place to unveil interesting pieces of Bolivian history. Let’s see what we can find in the city of the eternal spring.

Largest Christ statue in Latin America

What better way to start discovering Cochabamba than having a full view of it? That is why we will start this story from the Viewpoint of San Pedro, a place that is not only special for the city sight but also for having the largest statue of Jesus Christ in Latin America. It is called Cristo de la Concordia, and with 40.44 meters of altitude, it is the third highest Christ statue in the world, behind Jesus Buntu Burake in Indonesia and Pomnik Chrystusa Króla in Poland.

San Pedro Viewpoint, Cochabamba

JV87+CQ5, Av. de la Concordia, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Cristo de la Concordia, Cochabamba

JV88+722, Av. de la Concordia, Cochabamba, Bolivia

The best way to reach San Pedro Viewpoint is by cable car and, if you are here during the weekend, you can also go inside of Cristo de la Concordia, to have an even higher view of Cochabamba.

El Pueblito

El Pueblito, translated as the little town, is the most iconic neighborhood of Cochabamba because it keeps the characteristics of a typical colonial town of the Bolivian valleys, with the main square surrounded by streets full of clay houses. Some historians even believe that the first foundation of the city could have been in this place.

El Pueblito, Cochabamba

JVF5+X74, Cochabamba, Bolivia

The richest man of Bolivia

Just a few minutes away from El Pueblito is Portales Palace, which belonged to the richest man in Bolivia and one of the ten richest men on earth. His name was Simón I. Patiño, also known as the Tin Baron.

Portales Palace, Cochabamba

Potosi 1392, Cochabamba, Bolivia

He was the son of a humble Bolivian woman and a Spanish man who would not recognize him as his own. Simón I. Patiño worked for a long time in the mining industry, up to the day he found a huge tin mine in a property that he acquired for 30 dollars. But finding it meant nothing without extracting the mineral, so together with his wife, they sold all of their belongings to invest in their finding.

And it turned out that after years of work, Simón I. Patiño did not only extract the mineral from his property, but he also ended up controlling the tin business in the whole country and even investing internationally. That is how he went from being a broke man to making a fortune that placed him among the richest men in the world.

Portales Palace was the place where Simón I. Patiño dreamed to spend the last years of his life, after many years living abroad. Even if it was not the largest of his properties, it was designed by famous professionals from around the world, from Europe to Japan. But unfortunately, Simón I. Patiño passed away while he was finally returning to Bolivia, so his last dream never came true. Nowadays, Portales Palace is a foundation and a museum.

Let Cochabamba surprise you with curious pieces of Bolivian history, while you enjoy the perfect weather of the city of the eternal spring.