Bolivia's whitewashed constitutional capital
Sucre is one of South America's best-preserved colonial cities — a UNESCO World Heritage Site where every building is painted white by municipal law, the university is the oldest in Bolivia, and dinosaur footprints are embedded in a cliff face just outside town. The Sunday market draws Quechua women from the surrounding valley in vibrant pollera skirts, and the nearby Maragua Crater is one of the most dramatic geological features in the Andes.
Founded by the Spanish in 1538 as La Plata (later Chuquisaca), Sucre served as the seat of the Real Audiencia de Charcas — the legal authority for the entire Spanish empire in South America. Bolivia's independence was declared here on 6 August 1825, and the city was renamed after Antonio José de Sucre, the Venezuelan general who led the decisive Battle of Ayacucho. Today it remains Bolivia's constitutional capital and seat of the Supreme Court, though La Paz holds executive and legislative power.