Indigenous Andean mining city where Carnival's devil dancers meet colonial architecture and earth-toned mountain passages.
Most people fly straight to La Paz or Uyuni and miss the whole point. Oruro sits at 12,150 feet, barely anyone speaks English, and the entire city revolves around Carnival—the UNESCO-recognized one where thousands of miners dress as demons and dance for 20 hours straight. If your group trip leans toward authentic cultural experiences over Instagram beaches, this is it. The city itself looks like Mars got a colonial makeover: rust-red buildings, dusty streets, and mountains so barren they feel extraterrestrial. But come during Carnival (February or early March), and 400,000 people flood in to watch La Diablada—a parade so intense you'll question whether you're witnessing folklore or a fever dream. Outside of Carnival, Oruro's empty enough that your friend group can explore mining museums, visit actual working mines, and eat salteñas without competing with tour buses. Fly into La Paz (El Alto airport, 2.5 hours by bus from Oruro), or take a direct bus from Uyuni if you're already chasing…