La Paz

La Paz: Bolivia’s Canyon City

La Paz sits in a canyon carved into the Bolivian Altiplano at around 3,600 metres, ringed by the satellite city of El Alto at 4,000 metres on the rim above. The combination of altitude, dramatic topography, and the mix of colonial and Aymara architecture makes the city immediately disorienting in a good way. The bowl shape means most of the city is visible from the rim, which is worth seeing on the cable car before descending.

The Teleférico (Mi Teleférico) cable car system is the most extensive urban aerial cable network in the world, connecting La Paz to El Alto in about 10 minutes and covering much of the city through 10 lines. A single trip costs around 3 bolivianos (less than $0.50 USD). Riding it is both practical and the best way to get a spatial sense of how the city fits into its canyon.

Witches’ Market

The Mercado de las Brujas (Witches’ Market) on Calle Linares is a section of shops selling ritual items used in Aymara spiritual practice: dried herbs, incense, amulets, and dried llama foetuses, which are used as offerings buried beneath the foundations of new buildings for Pachamama’s protection. The market is a genuine commercial operation rather than a tourist performance; the vendors sell to locals as well as visitors.

The immediately adjacent streets in this part of the city, near Calle Jaén, have the best concentration of colonial architecture in La Paz, including several small museums in restored colonial houses.

The Cholitas and El Alto Market

The Aymara women in traditional dress (pollera skirts, bowler hats, and elaborate shawls) are called Cholitas, and are part of the city’s visual identity. El Alto’s enormous Sunday market (Feria 16 de Julio) is one of the largest markets in South America by area, selling everything from car parts to produce to second-hand clothing. Getting there is a cable car ride from the city centre.

Cholita wrestling, a theatrical sport combining Lucha Libre moves with Cholita costume, takes place in El Alto on Sunday afternoons. The events are community entertainment rather than tourist shows, though visitors attend and are welcomed.

Food and Eating

Salteñas — baked pastries filled with meat, olive, and a slightly sweet sauce — are the morning street food of La Paz. They’re sold from around 09:00 to noon at dedicated stalls throughout the city; the queues indicate quality. Mercado Lanza in the city centre has a balcony restaurant level where set lunches (almuerzo) cost around 25-35 bolivianos and include soup, a main, and a drink.

For restaurants, the Sopocachi neighbourhood has the most independent options. Gustu, a restaurant operating on a social enterprise model that trains disadvantaged youth in Bolivian cuisine using native ingredients, has received international attention and is the most ambitious dining option in the city.

Practicalities

Altitude sickness at 3,600-4,000 metres affects most visitors in the first 24-48 hours. Take it easy on arrival, drink water, avoid alcohol, and give your body time to acclimatise. The airport is at 4,062 metres in El Alto, one of the highest commercial airports in the world; arriving by overnight bus from lower altitude is kinder to the body.