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Cochabamba

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Cochabamba

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Cochabamba (Aymara and ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 661,484 according to the 2024 Bolivian census. Its name is from a compound of the Quechua words qucha "lake" and pampa, "open plain." Residents of the city and the surrounding areas are commonly referred to as cochalas or, more formally, cochabambinos.

AI overview

Cochabamba is a city in the Andes Mountains of central Bolivia and the country's fourth-largest city, with a population of over 660,000. The city serves as the capital of the Cochabamba Department and takes its name from Quechua words meaning "lake" and "open plain."

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality
Cochabamba
Region
Cochabamba
Country
Bolivia
Population
0

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Key facts

Settlement.settlement_type
City & Municipality
Settlement.official_name
Cochabamba
Settlement.native_name
Quchapampa
Settlement.nicknames
"City of Eternal Spring""The Garden City""La Llajta"
Settlement.anthem
Himno a Cochabamba
Settlement.image_flag
Flag of Cochabamba City new design.png
Settlement.image_shield
File:Escudo de Cochabamba.svg
Settlement.pushpin_map
Bolivia#South America
Settlement.pushpin_relief
1
Settlement.pushpin_label_position
bottom
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
Location in Bolivia
Settlement.pushpin_mapsize
280
Settlement.map_caption
Location of Cochabamba in Bolivia
Settlement.subdivision_type
Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1
Department
Settlement.subdivision_type2
Province
Settlement.subdivision_name2
Cercado Province
Settlement.subdivision_type3
Municipality

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name
Cochabamba
Demonym
Cochabambino
Population
632013
Area
157
Elevation
2558
Official website
www.cochabamba.bo
Image
Catedral metropolitana de Cochabamba 03.jpg
Dialing code
591 4
Show 6 more facts
Commons category
Cochabamba
native label
Quchapampa
inception
1571-08-15
P12749
thulium
postal code
0301
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Understand

thumb|200px|14 de Septiembre Square and the Catedral Metropolitana de San Sebastián

Buy

thumb|A market in Cochabamba

If you don't want to get knee-deep into the sprawling Cancha for your souvenirs, there is also a small pasaje behind the Post Office. You can enter from Av. Heroínas Avenue or Esteban Arze. Prices are comparable to La Cancha and you can pick up typical Cochabamba goods.

Eat

Lunchtime usually consists of a fixed menu at a number of restaurants or pensiones around time. The "almuerzo completo" consists of soup + main dish and often an appetizer and dessert. There are many options to find the menu displayed outside the door, usually consisting of your choice of two soups or 2-3 main dishes. This fixed menu varies in price depending on the part of town, and could run between Bs. 15-25.

Silpancho is traditional Bolivian dish that supposedly originates from Cochabamba.

Thanks to the city's origin as an agricultural center for mining communities, Cochabamba claims to have the best food in Bolivia.

Drink

The best chicha, fermented corn (or peach) based beverage, is said to come from the Cochabamba region. The small town of Punata, some distance to the southwest, is especially well-known. Please note that not all chicherías have the same hygienic standards.

Stay safe

thumb|The southern side of la colina de San Sebastian in the more dangerous southwestern district of the city Cars rarely give preference to pedestrians, even at crosswalks. Don't assume they will stop.

When getting into a cab late at night, it is best to call a radio taxi which you can get from friends, a local family, or the hostal you are staying at. If you cannot call a mobile radio to pick you up, make sure to take a taxi with a company name on the side and remember that company in case anything happens so that you can report it to them. It is best to ask a hotel, restaurant, bar, or discoteca to call a taxi for you.

Go next

Punata – A market on Tuesday with a lot of indigenous people selling animals. Tarata – Nice picturesque town that can make an easy day trip. Quillacollo – Known for its Fiesta de la Virgen de Urkupiña (August 15). Chapare Region – National Park Isiboro Sécure and local indigenous communities, you can stay with for several days. Torotoro National Park – Popular with travellers that head to Cochabamba for its dinosaur foot prints, large cave and hiking opportunities. The (mini)buses leave hourly or when full (06:00-18:00, ) from the . Iquique, Chile – There are direct buses, some with a transfer in Oruro. Keep in mind that the border to Chile opens at 08:00. So, it makes little sense to leave at 16:00 from Cochabamba. Waiting time at the border can extend this trip up to 23 hr(!). From Iquique you will have several connections to Santiago.

shn:ၵူဝ်ႇၶျႃႇပၢမ်ႇပႃႇ

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~35 min read

Article

36 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Pre-Inca and Inca
  • Spanish and Bolivian
  • Water War
  • Climate and geography
  • Demography
  • Culture
  • Government
  • Capital status
  • Municipal government
  • Economy
  • Commerce
  • Agriculture
  • Services
  • Transport
  • Light rail
  • Airport
  • Municipal waste
  • Media
  • Print media
  • Radio stations
  • Television channels
  • Education
  • Neighborhoods
  • Metropolitan area
  • Additional notes of interest
  • Notable residents
  • Business people
  • Musicians
  • Literature
  • Other
  • Twin towns – sister cities
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

Cochabamba (Aymara and ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 661,484 according to the 2024 Bolivian census. Its name is from a compound of the Quechua words qucha "lake" and pampa, "open plain." Residents of the city and the surrounding areas are commonly referred to as cochalas or, more formally, cochabambinos.

It is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" or "The Garden City" because of its spring-like temperatures all year round. It is also known as "La Llajta," which means "town" in Quechua. It is the largest urban center between the higher capital of La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the tropical plains of the east. It sits south-west of the Tunari mountains, and north of the foothills of the Valle Alto. In antiquity, the area featured numerous lakes, which gave the city its name. Many of these lakes have since disappeared to urban development, but Coña Coña and Alalay lakes are extant examples. It has been a populated settlement since the Pre-Inca period, and is today an important cultural, educational, political, and commercial centre.

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