Experiences and local guides in La Paz

Nature

La Paz spills down a canyon between 3,200 and 4,100 m, with Illimani (6,438 m) as backdrop and El Alto on the rim of the altiplano. In an hour you go from Moon Valley, a maze of eroded clay, to the glaciers of the Cordillera Real: Huayna Potosí, Condoriri, Chacaltaya. To the north, the Death Road drops 3,500 m over 64 km from La Cumbre to the Yungas, high jungle with hummingbirds and waterfalls.

Activities

• Death Road by mountain bike (Yungas Road), the most famous descent in South America
• Huayna Potosí ascent (6,088 m) in 2 or 3 days, one of the most accessible 6,000 m peaks; Condoriri and the Takesi and El Choro treks
• Mi Teleférico cable cars, Witches' Market, El Alto and its Thursday and Sunday fair, cholita wrestling
• Moon Valley, Muela del Diablo and Valle de las Ánimas on foot or by bike
• Tiwanaku, pre-Inca capital and World Heritage site, 70 km away

When to go

May to October is dry and clear, ideal for mountains and biking, with freezing nights. November to March is rainy and the Death Road gets slippery, but the Yungas are green. Take one or two easy days on arrival because of the altitude.

How to get there

El Alto international airport (LPB), at 4,060 m, is 30 minutes from the centre, with flights from Santa Cruz, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo. Buses from Copacabana (4 hours), Puno (6 to 8 hours), Uyuni (10 hours overnight) and Cusco (12 hours). In town, the cable car links El Alto with the centre and the Zona Sur in minutes.