Altitude:
3660 mt/a/s/l
Population: 794.061 (city of La Paz); 632.372
(city of El Alto); 2.350.466 (department).
La
Paz is the first city and site of the Bolivia's government.
It lies in a large -canyon at tile tool of the impressive
Nevado Illimani. It has notable museums and buildings of
colonial and republican architecture. Catedral Metropolitana,
Basílica de San Francisco, Museo Nal. de Arte, Museos
de la Calle Jaén, Museo Tambo Quirquincha, Museo
Nal. de Arqueología, etc. The most popular area with
tourists because of its handiworks and traditions is Calle
Sagárnaga and the Mercado de los Brujos. Another
interesting place with a high presence of native people
is the Mercado Rodríguez. Several "peñas"
open in the night to offer andean music and dances.
Fiestas
An attractive fiesta with artesanias
and beliefs is Alasitas (January 24). To enjoy of the colourful
andean dances, see Gran Poder (at the beginning of June)
and the Entrada Universitaria (between July and August).
Surroundings
The most frequented
place near the city is the odd eroded landscape of Valle
de la Luna on the south zone of the city. Visitors with
hiking preferences can choose Muela del Diablo, massive
rock that gives beautiful sights of the canyon of La Paz.
Another option is Cañón de Palca excursion
amid interesting formations madc by erosion.
Lake
Titikaka
Copacabana is a pleasant town
in a delightful scenery at shores of lake Titikaka, about
4 hours from La Paz (by bus). There you can visit its colonial
basílica, Calvario and some pre-Hispanic ruins. Not
very far, you'll find the Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna,
which are sacred places since ancient times with superb
landscapes and interesting ruins. Hikers can also choose
any nice trek option.
The
islands of Lake Huiñay Marka (south section of Lake
Titikaka) are a good choice for 1/2 or 1 day excursions
to the lake. You must go to Huatajata or Puerto Pérez
first and then to Isla Suriqui , famous by their constructors
of ancient totora ratts, and to Kala Uta, where you'll see
old stone ruins.
The ruins of Tiwanaku are
on the road La Paz - Desaguadero, at 1 1/2 hours from La
Paz (by bus). It was the ceremonial center of one of the
highest civilizations on the andean world. The visit includes
museums and fascinating ruins of temples and palaces.
Cordillera
Real & Apolobamba
The Cordillera Real (or Cordillera
de La Paz) is a beautiful chain of snow capped peaks with
interesting hiking and climbing opportunities to beautiful
peaks around 6000 mt of altitude. The most popular mountain
with easy access on a car is Chacaltaya, at 1 1/2 hrs from
La Paz. It has a ski field and refuge at 5390 mt.
The
pass Abra de Zongo, at 1 1/2 hrs from La Paz by car, gives
walks of medium mountain with pretty sights. There's a refuge.
But without doubt, the main interest for mountaineers is
to climb the snow mountain Huayna Potosí (6088 mt).
Condoriri (Laguna Chiar Kkota), at 2 hrs from La Paz by
car, is another popular spot of the Cordillera Real. It
has pretty lagoons and snowy peaks offering interesting
possibilities to walk and climb
Sorata lies at the north
western end or Cordillera Real, but actually is a valley
of mild climate. This lovely colonial village, at 4 hrs
from la Paz by bus, gives interesting alternatives for hikers
and mountaineers. One of these routes is the pre-Hispanic
trail Camino del Oro (6-7 days), which goes by goldfields
along the Río Tipuani from Sorata to Guanay (Yungas).
The Area Nal. de Manejo
Integrado Apolobamba is a protected area around Cordillera
de Apolobamba. The region is remote (9-10 hours from la
Paz by bus) but with an increasing flow of travellers. It
contains the Reserva Nacional de Ulla Ulla, which homes
vicuñas, condors and other Andean species. A great
hiking option is the Camino Apolobamba. This beautiful prehispanic
route starts in Charazani or Curva, villages of Kallawayas
(Andean healers or doctors), and finishes in the valley
of Pelechuco.
Yungas & North
of La Paz
The subtropical zone of Yungas
shows a wide vegetation and wildlife, with an impressive
access between abysmal walls. One of the most visited towns
in this region is Coroico, at 3 hrs from La Paz (by bus).
The place is pleasant for rest and offers interesting walking
routes. You can get there by car or biking. The option for
hikers is the paved pre-Hispanic route known as Camino del
Choro (or Chucura), which goes through the Parque Nacional
Cotapata getting Coroico in 3 or 4 days by foot.
Another
lovely town in Yungas is Chulumani, at 4 hrs from La Paz
by bus. It gives several opportunities to walk around. The
Camino de Yungas Cruz is a pre-Hispanic way to get Chulumani
from La Paz in 4 days hiking from Chuñawi or Lambate,
but is a harder and less frequented route.
One route also built by pre-Hispanic
cultures from La Paz to Yungas, is the Camino del Takesi.
This is the shortest and easiest way between others of the
same kind. It starts in Mina San Francisco and goes to Chojlla
or Yanacachi in 2 or 3 days by foot.
The town of Rurrenabaque (department
of Beni) is at the shores of Río Beni. This is a
beautiful region on the tropical flats, which you can get
by bus (18 hrs from La Paz) or by air. Rurrenabaque is the
start point for tours to the Jungle and Pampas, where you'll
have opportunities to see some amazonian species like caimans,
anacondas, etc.
At the same time, Rurrenabaque
is an access point to the Parque Nacional Madidi, a protected
area with a wide range of ecological floors, which are home
of a wonderful diversity of flora and fauna, so it's considered
like one of the most important parks in the world, preserves
the indigenous territories of the Chimane and Tacanas. Usually,
you will arrive to San José de Uchupiamonas or Laguna
Chalalán by the Río Tuichi.
From Rurrenabaque you can
also get the Reserva Biosférica Pilón Lajas.
This reserve lies between the departments of La Paz and
Beni and it also preserves the wildlife and indigenous territories
of that area.
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