The Cementerio General of Sucre is one of the most atmospheric cemeteries in South America, a five-block grid of marble mausoleums, tomb-houses, and angel statues shaded by tall cypresses and palms. The grandest tombs belong to families who made their fortunes in the silver of Potosí or in the late-19th-century tin boom and competed to put up the most elaborate monuments. There is a strong Italian influence — many of the carvers were imported from Carrara — and the result is part Père-Lachaise, part open-air sculpture garden.
Several of Bolivia's presidents and intellectuals are buried here, including the writer Jaime Mendoza and members of the Aniceto Arce family. The cemetery is open during the day with free entry; small groups of student guides hang around the gate offering walking tours for a few bolivianos. Touts and pickpockets are not really an issue, but bring water in summer — there is little shade once you leave the main avenues.