Many visitors arrive daily to Tarabuco, especially on Sundays to visit the market.

Getting to Tarabuco

Tarabuco is located 64 kilometers away from Sucre. Some bus companies ("micros") travel from Sucre to Tarabuco in one to two hours. One of the companies making this trip is Trans Real.

You can also get to Tarabuco with travel agencies´ organized tours, especially on Sundays for tourists to visit the market.

Tarabuco Market

Yampara families arrive each Sunday from their rural communities to the square of Tarabuco to sell their products in the market. On Sundays people exchange food, agricultural products, clothing, animals, etc. Many families arrive by bus, truck, or even walking. The market starts very early in the morning, it slows down after noon, and at 3 pm people start returning to their communities.

In the Tarabuco Indian Market highlight the colorful costumes of the Yampara inhabitants. Ponchos, hats, sandals, and blankets of different colors are part of the wardrobe of indigenous peasants. Many times the colors represent each of their communities. Today Tarabuco market is one of the most authentic of Bolivia.

The market you can also watch the weavers doing their pieces or spinning wool on the loom. There is an area for the sale of typical food. Sometimes indigenous groups display the Pujllay (one of the most representative dances of the area), accompanied by traditional instruments like the flute, the sikus and the charango.

Tarabuco tissues are considered among the best in Bolivia.

The famous Tarabuqueños Carnival is one of the most important cultural festivals in Bolivia, since it preserves the Quechua - Yampara traditions.

The Pujllay

Pujllay is the most important holiday in Tarabuco. It takes place every year on the third Sunday in March. It's one of the most local customary and folk festivals of Bolivia. It started as the warriors´ celebrations at the time of Bolivian emancipation.

At the closing families of all communities reach the area to gather around the main square of Tarabuco. Men and women wear their best costumes for the occasion. The costumes are extremely colorful and cute.
The music of "Pujllay" is played with instruments wind instruments called "Tokoro" and "Pinkillo", and its rhythm is marked with spurs made of iron sheets fixed to a sandal.