Located on 'Cerro San Pedro' on the east side of the city of Cochabamba, is the second largest Christ in the world with 40.44 meters (132 ft) (34.20 m -112 ft- from the image and 6.24 m -20 ft- from the pedestal), only behind the Cristo Rey de Swiebodzin in Poland. Located at 2842 masl (9324 ft) it rises almost 300 meters (985 ft) above the city and can be seen from practically the entire city.
Built in commemoration of the arrival of Pope John Paul II, it was inaugurated in 1994, after 7 years of construction by a private initiative of some citizens. The statue was conceived with open arms to ask the protection of Christ to the city and to remember the hospitality of the people of Cochabamba.
There are many ways to get to this place, the most challenging way being to walk up the 1,399 steps from the slopes of the hill. Another way is through the cable car, very crowded on weekends, which has been in operation for more than a decade and allows you to see the city from another angle as you go up in a journey of around 5 minutes from a park located in the East end of the city at a reasonable price that does not exceed Bs 15 (2.15 USD) for both sections. There is also a road that was used to transport the prefabricated pieces and other materials to the top in the construction and that is now enabled for the passage of vehicles, there are taxis in the same park that offer to make the route.
Due to the city's climate and its almost permanent blue sky, it is advisable to bring a cap or hat, sunscreen or clothing that covers arms and legs, a bottle of water (although there are kiosks in the upper part with somewhat higher prices) and optional some binoculars or a camera with a good optical zoom.
At the top there is a 360 ° viewpoint where you can see the city, the Alalay lagoon, the mountains and Sacaba, a small city on the other side of the hill. There are also kiosks offering soft drinks and snacks. There are bathrooms and a restaurant under Christ. On the pedestal they sell small statues, medallions and plates with the image of Christ as a souvenir of the visit to the place.
On weekends it is possible to climb inside the Christ at an extra cost of 5 Bs (0.70 USD) and reach the arms, an experience that is worth it since there are small windows distributed throughout the climb with various angles towards the entire Cochabamba valley.
