With only a handful of flights a day, Sucre's Alcantarí Airport isn't particularly well-connected to the rest of Bolivia…but well-timed, reliable minibusses do connect it with Sucre itself, some 20 miles away.

Introduction

In 2016, the Bolivian government inaugurated Alcantarí Airport as the new airport for Sucre, the nation’s constitutional capital and sixth-largest city. This new airport offered a longer runway and nighttime operations, improving on the previous airport at the tradeoff of being much farther outside the city. With only a few flights a day, none of them at night, this tradeoff is…questionable, but regardless travellers now find themselves with a 20-mile drive to get into Sucre. Minibusses are a cheap, safe, and reliable way to make this journey in about 40 minutes. Here’s everything you need to know:

Where is the stop at the airport?

Turn right immediately after exiting the terminal, and you will see a blue “Parada Minibuses” sign. There will be several vans waiting to pick up passengers. Alcantarí is a small airport, and the stop is hard to miss.

There will likely be multiple vans waiting after a flight arrives, head to the one at the front of the queue.

What about in the city?

On Avenida Gregorio Donoso Daza, about a 20-minute walk from the historic city centre. Search for Salida de Buses Aeropuerto Alcantarí on Google Maps. Taxis will be waiting to meet arriving vans, and you should expect to pay between 5-10 BOB depending on your Spanish negotiating skills to get anywhere in and around the old city.

A similar blue sign as you'll find at the airport marks the starting point of airport minibusses in Sucre.

What does it cost?

I paid 15 BOB both directions, cash only. This was with a nearly-full van: the cost goes up if you get the last van and there are only a handful of passengers.

What is the ride like?

Comfortable and safe. The “busses” are relatively modern King Long vans, with each seat having a seatbelt (rare in South America). Drivers don’t drive recklessly or blast music, and windows provide air circulation. Since all minibusses are operated by the same company drivers aren’t directly competing, and so vans won’t be over-filled to instead spread passengers out between available drivers.

Not worn, not crowded, not dangerous...probably the most comfortable public minibus service in Bolivia.

What happens to luggage?

Luggage is included in the ticket cost. Depending on the number of passengers and the size of your bags, they will either be secured to a roof rack or go inside the van.

What is the schedule?

Minibusses will meet every flight: drivers know when every flight lands and departs, and there will be vans waiting even if you’re the last person off the plane (though if you decide to stop for lunch at the airport you might be stuck waiting for the next planeload of passengers, or forced to take a taxi). From Sucre, aim to be at the stop two and a half hours before your flight leaves: to meet my 08:35 flight, I arrived at 06:00 exactly (you’ll have no problem flagging down a taxi in the old city at that time) and the van left at 06:20, with just one empty seat.

How long does it take?

About 40 minutes each way, along paved roads.