The history of the miners who once lived in this abandoned town still wanders among its ruins.
Despite the decay and the passing of time, the ruins of San Antonio del Nuevo Mundo stand guard to the houses, mills and mines and their history.
The ghost town is located very close to the community of San Antonio de Lípez, at an altitude of 4,876 metres.
San Antonio del Nuevo Mundo was founded in connection with the exploitation of the important local silver mines, which already existed here in pre-Hispanic times. The first information relating to the town date back to at least the beginning of the 17th century, which makes it one of the first mining centres in colonial times. After centuries of history and prosperity came the decline of the mining industry and the town was completely abandoned.
The inhabitants of San Antonio de Lípez say that, in colonial times, this town probably had a bigger population than the city of Potosí: today only the ruins of a splendid past remain. The place had become so wealthy that many interesting stories about it are still told. Some say that the bricks of the houses were not joined with mortar but with wheat flour, or that the buildings conceal silver treasure hidden by the last settlers before they abandoned the city. These are stories and legends that surround one of the most suggestive places in the area of Lípez, where the solemn magnificence of extraordinary landscapes meets the evocative and spectral ruins of a dead city.
The most popular legend about how and why San Antonio del Nuevo Mundo was abandoned has it that its inhabitants made a pact with the devil to grant them unlimited wealth through mining, but the inhabitants did not keep their end of the bargain and the devil exterminated almost all of them. The few survivors, soon after, started seeing ghosts roaming the town, and many other strange and unexplainable events, which triggered the final abandonment of San Antonio. This place combines the charm of the fantastic, the dark and the chilling, with the real story of the hard work of the inhabitants and the wealth of a mining town lost in the mountains.
The ghost town is visited in the company of a local guide a miner with an in-depth first-hand knowledge of the community’s history. This is an extraordinary way to learn about the techniques and secrets of working in the bowels of the earth, to listen to that stories and ancient legends that the local people jealously guard and pass down from one generation to the next.
Do you dare to visit one of the most chilling and thrilling places in Bolivia? Write to us and we will accompany you to visit the houses of the ghost town.
Additional Info
We recommend warm and windproof clothing, comfortable hiking shoes, cap, hat, sunglasses and a camera.
Where
Community of San Antonio de Lípez, municipality of San Pablo de Lípez, department of Potosí.
Transportation
By private transport
From Uyuni or from Tupiza you can reach the communities of San Cristobal by road; the duration of the trip is 2 hours. From there a road leads to San Antonio de Lípez; it takes 2 more hours to reach San Antonio.
You can reach the site by walking through the town of San Antonio de Nuevo Mundo in about 30 minutes.
By public transport
There is no public transportation available.
Visiting Rules
For your own health and that of the local population, remember to respect all biosecurity protocols and codes of conduct before and during your stay: bring a mask and hand sanitizer, as well as a first aid kit, with sunscreen and medication for altitude sickness.
During your visit, remember to protect the region's cultural and natural heritage.