Set in a valley surrounded by massive, white capped mountains, La Paz, the highest capital city on the planet, has a gorgeous setting.
If large cosmopolitan cities that provide fantastic culinary options and chaos (in a good way) and energy around every turn, then La Paz is your place.
Some people may not like the tiny streets that only seem to go straight up, or the pollution, or the throngs of people on the tiny sidewalks, but if you can overlook a few inconveniences, La Paz is a great place to explore.
Getting There/Arriving
Plane
Bolivia is filled with lists of “highest…” and the airport is no different, being the highest commercial airport in the world. The airport sits high above the city at about 13,000 feet (4000 meters) above sea level. A taxi can get you into the city center in about 30 minutes for about $5US.
Bus
This is Bolivia, and the buses here are, shall we say, interesting. We came from Copacabana and were dropped off on the side of the street, which didn’t really look like a bus station to me. There are supposedly three bus terminals, and we were dropped off in the area where there was supposed to be one, but I guess my definition of a bus terminal is different than Bolivia’s. But hey, “It’s Bolivia” (our favorite mantra during our time in this beautiful yet frustrating at times country).
Getting Around
La Paz is pretty big with tons of steep hills, and at 13,000 feet with a bunch of luggage, tiny sidewalks, and crazy traffic, so it’s not exactly the ideal place to walk. Sure, you can walk around the area where you’re staying just fine, but if going to another part of the city or getting to your hostel from the airport or “bus station,” you probably just want to hop in a cab.
Taxis
Ah, taxis in La Paz. I’m going to save you the headache of trying to describe the different types of taxis in La Paz, some legit, and some not so much. Just get a radio taxi. They have signs and numbers of the roof, and you can order them by phone.
If arriving by bus or plane, ask a police officer or some type of official, and they’ll help you out. They can be a bit more expensive, but we’re talking less than a dollar here, so buck up, for your own safety. They charge a flat fee of $1US in the center and $2 outside of it.
Bus
There are small, older buses that are a bit slower and cheaper, and then there are the faster minibuses all throughout the city. Since taxis were so cheap traffic so crazy, and our love for wandering around cities, we never bothered with these. But they do have fixed prices that are cheaper than taxis, so feel free to jump on at your own risk.
Where to Stay
La Paz is pretty sprawling, so like in a city for example Lima, you have plenty of options when it comes to accommodations and areas to stay in.
First, a quick description of how La Paz is laid out because it’s not exactly your traditional grid system, streets change names often, and it’s just a confusing place. Having a map handy is advisable, and I’ll do my best to explain the main points of interest.
Layout
The main street is called the Prado (the actual names of the street are Av Mcal Santa Cruz, which changes to Av 16 de Julio), which runs from Plaza San Francisco to Plaza del Estudiante. The eastern end of the Prado, near Plaza San Francisco and Plaza Murillo, is where you will find most hostels, hotels, restaurants, and bars. If you continue west past Plaza del Estudiante, you’ll run into Sopacachi (the main restaurant, bar, and club district) and Zona Sur (the wealthy residential district).
Around Plaza Murillo
This plaza is three blocks north of the Prado and is the traditional center of the city. There are several options for sleeping here.
Around Plaza San Francisco
Though Plaza Murillo is the traditional center of the city, most of the activity seemed to surround this plaza. There’s a massive church near it, an outdoor market that seems to go on forever, and during Christmas time, they have what we dubbed Christmas Street. The main budget accommodations are in this area, along with a myriad of good, cheap restaurants and bars.
Sopocachi and Zona Sur
There are also plenty of accommodations around this area, but they tend to be on the more expensive side. If you’re a backpacker, chances are you won’t be able to afford to stay here. If you want to visit the famous clubs around this area, though, it’s just a short taxi ride away.
Best Hostels
We came through La Paz twice, the first time without a reservation, the second with one.
El Solario
Very close to Plaza San Francisco and in a great area with tons of restaurants all around, that’s the main thing this place had going for it. We walked around quite a bit after arriving, and we were a bit surprised by the high prices of hostels (as compared to Copacabana-they were still super cheap though).
We ended up in a private room here, with a shared bathroom (we didn’t shower the few days we were here). Cost was $8.50US/night, so it was cheap. No breakfast was included, but it did have a large kitchen for guest use.
Adventure Brew Hostel
After riding the World’s Most Dangerous Road, heading to Coroico, then the hellish bus ride to Rurranabaque, then spending 4 days in the jungle, we decided to splurge by staying here upon our return to La Paz. It books up quickly, and rightfully so.
We had a private room with bath/shower (HOT, too!!), and it included a breakfast of all you can eat pancakes (which were yummy!). Cost was $23/night, expensive for Bolivia, but crazy cheap for what we got. It also has a bar on the top floor, overlooking the city. AND it has good beers, bonus. Great place to stay, highly recommended.
Food and Drink
I’m not going to lie, overall we were pretty underwhelmed by the food in Bolivia. I wouldn’t say it was bad, just not great. Simple is a good way to describe it. It did the trick (most of the time-we did both get a case of the Bolivia’s, the dreaded cousin of Delhi Belly). However, La Paz is a whole different animal. We ate some fantastic food while visiting, and we didn’t have to break the bank to do it. Below is a sampling of some of our favorites:
Markets/Street Food
There is a sprawling market in and around Plaza San Francisco with plenty of tasty treats to buy, already prepared items like empanadas or fruits, veggies, and breads that can be bought to cook at your hostel. We may or may not have gone the super cheap route a few times by buying a huge avocado and a loaf of bread, and voila, lunch. Another plus of this market is that you may run across a live wrestling match. You read that right.
Ethnic Food
There was a surprisingly large number of quality ethnic restaurants in the maze of streets near Plaza San Francisco.
Star of India-near Sol and Luna
A little pricier than we were used to spending, this was well worth it. Good, authentic, spicy Indian food was served in a great environment. We spent about $19US on our meal, with a few beers, an appetizer, nan, rice, and two entrees. And yes, $19 constitutes expensive in Bolivia.
A Lo Cubano-on Sagarnaga, near 100% Natural Cafe
Fantastic Cuban food here with live music and tasty cocktails. A great bargain in a cool atmosphere. Highly recommended
Middle Eastern Restaurant-on Murillo in between Sagarnaga and Cochabamba
OK, Middle Eastern Restaurant is not the name (we forgot the name, but know exactly where it is), but I had to mention it as it was fantastic (we had falafel and shawarma), cheap, and had this adorable little girl running around playing with us (and a rabid street dog-Hey, it’s Bolivia!)
100% Natural Cafe- Sagarnaga 345
Good, healthy, natural foods, from burgers to alpaca to salads (that you can actually eat!). Great stuff and perfect for night before tackling the World’s Most Dangerous Road.
Pizza
The only negative of the food in La Paz was our few ventures to eat pizza. Just simply not very good. I’m not sure if it was the two places we went or if it’s city-wide, but I though it was worth a mention. I love pizzas of all shapes and sizes, so bad pizza to me is always a disappointment.
Things to Do
Plaza Murillo
The Presidential Palace, the Congress, and a huge Cathedral surround Plaza Murillo. A statue of former President Gualberto Villarroel is is front of the Presidential Palace, which has been destroyed by fire twice in its history dating back to the late 1800′s. The former president was drug out of the plaza by and an angry mob and hanged in 1946.
Museo Nacional de Arte
This museum is in the Palacio de los Condes de Arana, across from the Cathedral. It has a decent collection of paintings, many that are Andean colonial. Cost is about $1.25US.
Calle Jaen
This street is northwest of Plaza Murillo and has a restaurant, cafe, good views, and is also home to four different museums.
Plaza de San Francisco
The church and monastery of San Francisco were built in the mid-1500′s and are worth a look as they’re one of the best representations of colonial architecture not only in Bolivia but all of South America. There is a bustling market in and around the plaza, selling just about everything, from food to shampoo to handicrafts.
Mercado de Hechiceria (Witchcraft Market)
Nearby Plaza de San Francisco is what is known as the Witchcraft Market. Anything imaginable is sold here, even llama fetuses. What one would do with a llama fetus, I’ll never know, but if you want one, you can get it here. It’s worth it just for to see the bizarre things that are sold.
The Prado
The main street in La Paz, known as the Prado, has all types of stuff going on up and down it. Tons of internet cafes, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and even English language movi theaters can all be found on the Prado, mainly between Oruro and Plaza del Estudiante.
Book Exchanges
One of the more challenging parts of traveling in countries that don’t speak your native language is finding books to read. We usually have to rely on hostel book exchanges, which can be good, okay, or downright terrible.
For some odd reason, La Paz had the greatest collection of book exchanges we came across. There were several bars and even the company we booked our World’s Most Dangerous Road trip with had one. Not only were there several, they were really good, with a wide variety of books that were reasonable.
Oliver’s Travels
Murillo 1014: A sort of English pub that has a fantastic book exchange. It’s like a bookstore within the bar. Also a great place to have a few drinks and catch up on some English Premiere League.
Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking
Av 16 de Julio: In addition to being the place you want to book your bike ride with, they also have a fantastic book exchange that is very reasonable World’s Most Dangerous Road. You will see and hear all about this crazy bike ride an hour or so outside of La Paz, dubbed the World’s Most Dangerous Road, or the Death Road.
It is called that for a reason as many people die each year by driving or riding a bike down it. There are all types of outfitters who do this, and though you may be thinking, “Why in God’s name would I ever do something so stupid?” We thought the same thing, then we succombed to peer pressure and did it anyway.
Salt Flats Tour
You can book a tour to the Salar de Uyuni in La Paz, but I suggest waiting until you go to Uyuni, or better yet, doing it from Tupiza like we did.