Matthew Barker

Bolivia Travel - La Paz – The city in the sky

La Paz is the highest city in the world and capital of Bolivia. Read about the city in this short guide with a travel expert from Peru For Less.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to go shopping at 3660 meters above sea level? La Paz is the place to come, being nestled in the Bolivian Andean mountain range La Paz in the highest city in world.

While most first time visitors take a few hours to adjust to the height, La Paz’s residents have adjusted and can perform their daily life routines with no problems. The city is not a favorite for international football tournaments as it takes international players some time to adjust, but makes for an interesting game of football.

Bolivia is one of the most indigenous nations in South America, with a big Aymara influence in the form of clothes, music, food and of course festivals.

La Paz was founded in 1548 by the Spanish as a stop off between the surrounding mining towns and Lima where products would be exported to Spain. However, it did not become the Capital of Bolivia until 1898, which further fuelled the cities development.

Bolivia, like most Latin American countries had an export led economy and so it developed infrastructure to stimulate export use. The construction of the railway system, linking city with the Pacific and Atlantic coast cemented the cities position as a regional trade hub, bringing further prosperity to the City of La Paz. This is still the case today with the nation holding high levels of oil and mineral reserves. One of the country’s biggest export is tin.

As the city grows, it gets higher climbing up the surrounding mountains to expand. Interestingly higher land is cheaper than lower land, with the upper classes living lower than the higher.

La Paz is a key stop for tourists while exploring the Andean mountain range. Being close to Lake Titicaca, La Paz attracted visitors that have travelled to Puno and onward to Cusco for the Inca trail. La Paz though has a number of tourist attractions of its own that wows its visitors.

Fantastic views can be found over the city from the many vistas around the city, seeing the urban sprawl with mountains dotting the landscape is a unique sight.

Religion was a large part of colonial life in Bolivia, like many nations in the region and so the grand San Francisco Cathedral was constructed. The Cathedral dates back to 1549 and is one of the finest examples of colonial religious architecture in South America. Visitors can also go to the Mercado de Hechiceria (Witches Market), where you can see items that locals use to protect themselves against evil spirits.

One of the most well known sites in La Paz is visible from the Killi Killi watch tower, which is in the southern part of the city. From here you can see the interesting geological shapes and illusions of the Moon Valley.

La Paz is truly a city that has it all. Its unique location along with warm and friendly people makes it a city that is pleasant to visit. Be sure to take advantage of all the traditionally knitted clothes, they can keep you very warm in the winter and during the cold nights.

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