Visiting a silver mine in Potosi, Bolivia. Silver mine visits are why many folks travel to Potosi, Bolivia in the first place, and I knew before we reached the town via bus that the awesome teen would love it. He did, had a lot of fun and explained it all to Mom in detail (patiently… ) upon his return.
Face masks (so as to not breathe in the dust), hard hats & head lamps are all provided by the tour company.
To find a tour, walk around the main plaza – Plaza 10 de Noviembre – and you will find various tour operators to talk to. Some go to only one mine and are underground for over an hour, some visit more than one mine with less time underground.
If traveling in a group, be sure and get a discounted group rate. All tour groups stop at the market beforehand to buy gifts for the miners and to appease Tio – guardian of the mining underworld.
The awesome teen shot the video above during his visit and also took the photographs on this page. You see the miners busy at work and hear a bit of the lecture being given by the tour guide. Tours last approximately 4 hours, only a small part of that time spent underground.
Rather than pay for a tour, Mom walked around town and did other things, such as visiting the hot springs at Miraflores & Tarapaya.