Oruro - Culture

Oruro is located in the high plateau. It is the folkloric capital of Bolivia due to its colourful carnival, dedicated to the virgin of Socavón, patron of the miners. Oruro is the center of the railway system of Bolivia and was an important mine resources of Bolivia.

The city of Oruro is a mixture of history, customs, culture, and folklore. The Carnival of Oruro has been and is one of the most important folkloric shows of the Andean region.

Oruro (pop. 182,000), which has been a mining town since silver was discovered in 1606, is known as “the Folkloric Capital of Bolivia.” It’s one of the most colorful places in South America to spend Carnival—the city puts on a lively festival called La Diablada. You’ll see a lot of wild devil costumes, which represent the Spanish rulers who ran the mines and forced the indigenous people to work under terrible conditions. (Expect to be pelted with water balloons—one of the festival’s customs.)

Year round the city has a number of attractions, including the Virgin del Savon Sanctuary and the Museum of Archaeology, which has an interesting collection of Carnival masks. The artisans who craft Carnival masks and embroidery can be found along the Calle La Paz.

Oruro is a jumping-off point for reaching two of the country’s natural wonders: the Uyuni salt pans, or salares (vast dry lakes covered by a thick crust of salt) and the Laguna Colorada (a fiery red lake, which is home to a unique breed of flamingo). From Oruru, you first take a train or bus to the town of Uyuni. Then, with a guide, you set out via four-wheel-drive truck on a four-day tour of the area. You’ll need to bring along or rent a sleeping bag for lodging along the way—nights are quite cold. Oruro is 125 mi/200 km southeast of La Paz.

Oruro is the regional administrative and commercial capital, and mining plays, or rather used to play an important role.

The mineral riches and the ores in the mountains, were the economical backbone of the city.

The carnival becomes more and more fabulous every year, but the miners, who once controlled the event, have disappeared from the carnival groups, and their carnival is celebrated in the street on a totally different social level.