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Capitan Nicolas Rojas Airport

Potosí, Bolivia

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SLPO

ICAO

12922 ft

Elevation

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High-altitude gateway to Bolivia's historic silver city.

Location

Potosí, Bolivia

Capitan Nicolas Rojas Airport serves Potosí, Bolivia, one of the highest cities in the world at approximately 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) above sea level. The airport is named after Bolivian aviation pioneer Capitan Nicolas Rojas and operates domestic flights connecting Potosí to other Bolivian cities. The airport handles a modest volume of passenger traffic, primarily serving business and leisure travelers visiting the UNESCO World Heritage city of Potosí, historically famous for its silver mines. Its high altitude presents operational challenges for aircraft performance and requires experienced pilots familiar with thin-air conditions. Domestic carriers operate limited scheduled service from the airport, linking Potosí to La Paz and other Bolivian destinations. The facility is relatively small, reflecting the regional scale of air travel demand in this part of Bolivia.

Terminals

The airport features a single small terminal building handling both departures and arrivals for domestic traffic.

Getting to & from

Taxis and private vehicles are the primary means of ground transportation between the airport and the city center of Potosí.

Airlines here

Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) has historically operated domestic services connecting Potosí to La Paz and other Bolivian cities.

Notable facts

›Located at approximately 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest commercial airports in the world.
›Named after Bolivian aviation pioneer Capitan Nicolas Rojas.
›Serves the UNESCO World Heritage city of Potosí, known historically for its vast silver deposits.
›High altitude significantly reduces aircraft payload capacity and affects takeoff and landing performance.
›Primarily handles domestic Bolivian routes with limited scheduled service frequency.

Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (1 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Southern Winds Airlines

Amaszonas

Routes

POI → LPBA4 · SWM

POI → LPBZ8 · SWM

Aircraft operating here

SWM2 routes

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City & Place Guide

Silver city in the clouds, where colonial history runs deep.

Potosí sits at roughly 4,090 meters above sea level in the Bolivian Andes, making it one of the highest cities in the world. Once among the largest and wealthiest cities in the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, it owes its fortunes to Cerro Rico, the mountain that supplied Spain with vast quantities of silver.

Today Potosí is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserving an extraordinary collection of Spanish colonial architecture, baroque churches, and a historic mint. The city's mining legacy is both its pride and its somber reminder of the indigenous and enslaved African laborers who perished extracting its riches. Visitors come to absorb this layered history and experience the raw, dramatic landscape of the Bolivian altiplano.

•Cerro Rico — iconic mountain offering guided mine tours through active silver tunnels.
•Casa Nacional de la Moneda — colonial-era royal mint housing coins, art, and striking history exhibits.
•Cathedral of Potosí — grand baroque cathedral anchoring the main Plaza 10 de Noviembre.
•Convento y Museo de Santa Teresa — convent-turned-museum revealing cloistered colonial religious life.
•Iglesia de San Lorenzo — stunning portal of mestizo baroque stone carving, a must-photograph facade.
•Mercado Central — bustling indoor market ideal for local snacks, produce, and everyday city life.

Getting around: Potosí has no rail connections; the city is navigated mainly by shared minibuses called micros and trufi taxis that run fixed routes for a few bolivianos. Standard taxis are widely available and inexpensive for short hops around the compact historic center. Rideshare apps have limited presence here, so flagging a cab or walking the pedestrian-friendly colonial core is the most practical approach.

Best time: May through October, the dry season, offers the clearest skies and most comfortable daytime temperatures for sightseeing.

Local food: Try api morado (warm purple corn drink) with pasteles, hearty llajwa-spiced stews, and the local ch'uño-based soups that reflect authentic altiplano cooking.

This guide is provided for general information only. Verify details locally before making travel decisions.

Passport, Visa & Immigration

Flying internationally via POI? Check entry, transit and customs requirements for Bolivia from official government sources.

Bolivia visa & entry information →Embassy & consulate finder →

Encyclopaedia

Capitán Nicolas Rojas Airport is an extremely high elevation airport serving the city of Potosí, the capital of the Potosí Department in Bolivia.

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Entity data from open aviation datasets (OurAirports, OpenFlights) with AI-assisted editorial clearly marked. Always confirm time-sensitive details with the official airport website. Sources & verification