The city of La Paz

La Paz is considered by many to be the capital of Bolivia. De facto it is, because most government offices are located there. But according to all official documents, the capital is still the city of Sucre.

La Paz is located at an altitude of 3869 meters above sea level, which makes it one of the highest altitude cities in the world. Most tourists even need a day or two to adapt to this altitude.

City of Potosí

Founded in 1545, Potosí is the highest altitude city in the world. Its average elevation is 4,070 meters above sea level, with some neighborhoods reaching 4,200 meters above sea level. The city extends to the foothills of the legendary Cerro Rico Mountain, which was home to the world's largest silver mine from the mid-16th to the mid-17th century. After 500 years of exploitation of the mountain's subsoil, the silver reserves have dried up and today it is predominantly mined for tin.

Besides the old mines, one of the most interesting places to visit in Potos is the Royal Mint, where the Spanish printed most of their silver coins before shipping them to Spain. Today, the Mint is a very interesting museum to visit.

Madidi National Park

The main "trick" of Madidi, invariably attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists here every year, is the fantastic diversity of landscapes, from the rainforests in the upper reaches of the Amazon to the icy peaks of the Andes. As a consequence, there are over 5,000 species of plants and 1,400 species of vertebrates, with at least 600 more species "awaiting" discovery.

There are many eco-lodges located within the park and the tourist infrastructure is quite well developed.

Moon Valley

10 km from La Paz lies the Moon Valley, whose landscapes transport travelers from Earth to outer space. The fantastic landscape of windswept, sun-bleached and time-worn cliffs stretching as far as the horizon really makes you believe that you are outside the globe.

Valle de la Luna is a very popular destination for a La Paz day trip and one of the country's most colorful photo shoot locations.

Uyuni salt marsh

The Moon Valley near La Paz isn't the only place in Bolivia that boasts ethereal views. You can transport yourself from Earth to another planet by visiting the Uyuni salt marsh.

Bolivia's Uyuni is called the largest salt marsh in the world. The dried lake is located at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters and has an area of about 10 thousand square meters. meters. In fact, the lake is a salt desert, the depth of salt in some areas reaches 8 meters. This place is most picturesque during the rainy season. Then the surface of the salt lake covers a small layer of water, and the whole several thousand square meters area turns into one big mirror surface.

Tiwanaku City

Fans of solving historical mysteries will be interested in visiting the ancient city of Tiwanaku. Scientists have long fought over the unraveling of the mysteries of this city, founded in the II century AD.

The civilization, which was able to build these huge structures, is called by the name of its capital - Tiwanaku. It is said to have been very advanced, it owns a complex system of irrigation of fields.

The main attraction of Tiwanaku is the palace of Kalalasaya, the ruins of which are surrounded by walls of such huge blocks of stone. The monolithic walls of the palace were decorated with copper plates held on gold nails. Only columns remained of the huge halls with portals and windows.

Island of the Sun

According to Andean mythology, the Sun God, Veracocha, sent his children Manco Capac and Mama Oyo to earth to found the Empire of Incaico. They accomplished the task by forming an empire on the Isle of the Sun.

People believe that if you taste the water from the Holy Spring, you can find youth and happiness. At the top of the Isle of the Sun is the Inca Lodge ecolodge for those who wish to enjoy the peace of the night. There is also a restaurant on the island that offers spectacular views of the lake and the Andes mountain range.

You can book a hotel in Bolivia with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

House of Liberty

The House of Liberty is one of the most popular buildings in the Bolivian city of Sucre, built in 1630 by the Jesuit order near the University of St. Francis.

From 1825 to 1899 this building served as the seat of the Congress of Senators. Currently, it houses a historical museum dedicated to Bolivia's colonial past. It was here that the country's independence from Spain was proclaimed, which gave the building its current name.

The original 1825 Declaration is one of the most popular exhibits of the museum. In the museum you can see personal belongings of the Bolivian independence fighters - plans and maps. The museum building itself deserves special attention - it combines baroque and neoclassical features.

San Jose de Chiquitos Church

The Church of San José de Chiquitos is a unique place. The building is made in the late Baroque style and today it is almost the only representative of this type of architecture that has survived in the country. There are other similar churches in Paraguay and Argentina, but they are more like ruins.

The construction of the temple took place in four stages. More than 5000 people participated in the erection of the complex. Unfortunately, as of early 2013, the buildings of the shrine are in a deplorable condition. The complex is in dire need of restoration work. The bell tower and the crypt are already closed for visits. However, it is possible to see the interior of the church: carved details, gold jewelry and stone facades are amazingly beautiful.

Eduardo Avaroa National Park

The landscapes of Eduardo Avaroa National Park are beautiful and fascinating. One place is even called "Salvador Dali's Desert" - because the views are as surreal as the paintings of this artist. There are so many colors: colorful fields of quinoa, red, yellow and green lagoons with pink flamingos, white mountain tops and dark volcano tops.

Herds of wild vicuñas, domestic llamas and alpacas with colored pompoms and tassels in their ears graze in the vast desert fields, wild foxes and - surprisingly - wild ostriches run around.

Death Road

The narrow, rocky road in the mountains between La Paz and Coroico has been officially recognized as "the most dangerous road in the world," with an average of 26 buses and cars falling into the abyss each year, killing dozens of people.

Since 2007, the road has become a tourist attraction. Every day, dozens of tourists get an adrenaline rush by biking down the Death Road from 4,700 meters at the starting point to 1,200 meters at the end of the road.

The jungles of Bolivia

Bolivians distinguish between two types of jungle: selva and pampa. Selva is the rainforest as we think of it: impenetrable thickets of giant trees and other plants wrapped in vines. Pampa looks different. It is a plain with low trees and shrubs. During the rainy season, rivers overflow and flood the entire savannah, making it a huge lake.

In Las Pampas you can find caimans, anacondas, capybaras, various species of monkeys and birds, and you can fish for piranhas. Where tributaries flow into the river, pink amazon dolphins can be seen.

Lake Titicaca

This is the most freshwater lake in South America. It is located in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia, at an altitude of 3,812 meters, which makes it unique.

The lake has an area of 8,300 kilometers. The maximum depth of the former is 284 meters and the latter is 40m. There are many islands on Titicaca, some of them are inhabited by people. The Indians considered Titicaca the birthplace of the sun, so it was sacred to the Bolivians.

Zongo Valley

It's hard to say at once what Bolivian wonders are not in the Zongo Valley, located 50 kilometers north of La Paz.

Ice caves? Please, some of the most scenic on the planet. Turquoise lakes? There are some with crystal water and surrounded by amazing scenery. Mountains? Of course, Waina Potosi Peak, which has several bike trails along its slope. Tropical forests? Lush emerald thickets in the damp haze, of course. Historical landmarks? Not without them, either - the ethereal Tiwanaku is just around the corner. In short, the Zongo Valley is a motley kaleidoscope of a thousand fragments of Bolivia, carefully adjoined to you by nature itself within walking distance from the capital of the country.

The ancient city of Iskanwaya

On the territory of La Paz County there are the remains of the ancient city of Iskanwaya. Even before the spread of the Inca civilization, the Mollo tribe lived here. To date, the settlement is poorly preserved, there is not a single whole building - just walls. But walking through the ruins, you constantly come across everyday objects.

Most of the houses have preserved ancient millstones, you can still find fragments of dishes scattered around the city. The road to Iskanvay passes through the village of Okapata, where a small museum dedicated to the ruined city was opened.