Things to Do in Bolivia

A bustling Andean metropolis of thousands of cars, dozens of high-rise buildings and nearly two-million people, visitors to Bolivia’s Valle de la Luna are shocked to find a massively-eroded desert moonscape located only six miles from the urban city center of La Paz.

Wind and rain have taken their toll on the soft clay formations outside the south end of the city, and the result is a canyon full of hoodoos and stalagmite-shaped formations that crawl up the canyon walls and create an otherworldly scene just minutes from the bustle of downtown. The road to Valle de La Luna follows the canyon carved by the Rio Choqueyapu, and passes natural cactus clusters which are home to over 30 different species of cacti. Arid, windswept and dramatically eroded, the entrance to Valle de La Luna is a surreal landscape set silently on the outskirts of chaos.

Many private tours in La Paz run day trips out to Valle de La Luna, although since wandering the trail among the eroded formations takes only an hour, it’s best to combine Valle de La Luna with another day-trip heading further afield. Or, given the weird combination of South Dakota’s Badlands meeting the red rock pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, a foray down to Valle de La Luna is a unique way to simply kill a couple of hours in the highest capital city in the world.

High on the Altiplano of Bolivia at over 13,000 feet, the ancient city of Tiwanaku sits like a frozen time capsule of Andean history. Not as famous and totally different than the neighboring ruins at Machu Picchu, Tiwanaku is a mysterious city lying windswept and haggard which has mystified scholars for multiple centuries.

The ruins are believed to be the ancient capital city of a Tiwanaku Empire which once stretched across Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and held over 100,000 inhabitants inside of its towering walls. Now this UNESCO World Heritage site is located about a 1.5-hour drive from the modern day capital city of La Paz and is reached by crossing the arid, frigid plains of the Bolivian highlands. Doable as a day trip from La Paz, the modern town of Tiwanaku also boasts modest accommodations for those wanting some extended exploration of the ruins. The reward for journeying to this remote part of the plains, however, is being able to wander among one of the most fascinating and mind-boggling sites in Latin America.

To the untrained eye, the ruins at Tiwanaku might be nothing more than some old stones set out in the dirt. To those who have been educated on the theories and history of the ancient Tiwanaku Empire, however, every turn in the ancient city unveils a new mystery for which scholars fail to find any answers. Given the high degree of knowledge needed to properly enjoy Tiwanaku, it’s recommended to visit either as part of a tour or hire a local and knowledgeable guide.

For example, many of the large stone slabs which are used in buildings such as the 50-foot-tall Akapana Pyramid, are not found anywhere else in the indigenous area. Furthermore, subterranean studies have shown that in areas such as Puma Punku there is evidence of underground, man-made structures which exist over six feet below the current surface of the Earth, a geological conundrum which confounds scholars as to how they could have gotten down there.

Undoubtedly one of the more magical - if not cold - spots in the surrounding La Paz area, traveling to Tiwanaku is a journey into a forgotten society for which more questions than answers tend to remain.

Rising from a blindingly white sea of salt, Tunupa volcano is a multi-hued cone that pokes from an alpine wonderland. Here in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, everything you think you know about landscapes is completely turned upside down, as the massive salt plane plays tricks on your eyes, and pink flamingos hang by lakes that burst in deep shades of red. Above it all stands Tunupa Volcano, a dormant and often snow-covered peak that rises up to 17,457 feet. Though ascending up to the frigid summit requires some mountaineering, a viewpoint at 15,500 feet offers visitors a sweeping, panoramic view of the Salar de Uyuni beneath you. Like gazing out on a blanket of clouds from the slopes of a colorful mountain, the white down below is actually formed as part of the world’s largest salt flat. Many tours to Salar de Uyuni incorporate scaling the volcano, and while the air is cold, thin, wind-whipped, and it’s noticeably harder to breathe, the view from the slopes of Tunupa volcano is one you won’t ever forget.

Plaza Murillo is not only the main meeting square of modern day, downtown La Paz, but it’s also a public space steeped in history, conquest, conflict and tragedy. Surrounded by imposing buildings such as the Presidential Palace, the La Paz Cathedral and the National Congress of Bolivia, many of the country’s most notable political events have taken place on the open square.

Unlike many other central squares in South America, Plaza Murillo is not named “Plaza de Armas” or “Plaza Mayor”. Though it has held both of those names since its founding in 1558 by Spanish settlers, Plaza Murillo is now named for Don Pedro Domingo Murillo, a leader of the 1809 revolution against Spanish occupation who was eventually hung in the plaza now bearing his name.

Revered to this day as a great leader in the independence movement, Plaza Murillo now features a large monument to the man who helped release Bolivia from its colonial shackles. Murillo, however, was not the only political figure to meet an unfortunate end in this square. In 1946, President Gualberto Villaroel was assassinated when an angry mob stormed the Presidential Palace, took up arms against him and tossed his body out into the open square where it was eventually hung from a lamppost.

Today, the scene around Plaza Murillo is far less violent, and the pigeon-filled open space is considered to be one of the finer places in the city for people-watching and socializing. While there are few places in congested La Paz to sit and enjoy a peaceful moment, ironically, Plaza Murillo is now considered the place to be.

There is no doubt that Bolivia has a cultural authenticity much stronger than that of its surrounding neighbors. While Bolivia was subjected to conquest by the Spanish in the same way as the rest of Latin America was, the indigenous undertones in Bolivia are seemingly closer to the surface and more evident in everyday life. Perhaps it’s the fact that you still encounter merchants on the street for whom Spanish is a second language or those traditionally dressed women wearing bowler hats who have ceased to relinquish their cultural roots.

This cultural heritage is something to be treasured before it’s lost, and one of the first people to realize this was an Archbishop by the name of Jose Manuel Indaburo, the man credited as being responsible for founding the Bolivian National Museum of Archeology in 1846, with a small private collection. With so many artifacts of Bolivia’s various cultures - Tiwanaku, Mollo, Chiripa and Inca - being lost to Spanish conquest and European museums, Indaburo mandated that as many of these treasures as possible should remain at home in Bolivia.

The result of his efforts over 150 years ago have now yielded a Bolivian National Museum of Archeology which is located in the capital of La Paz and serves as an insightful look into the mystifying relics of Bolivia’s past. Wander the halls, gaze at artifacts dating back as far as 1,500 BC and trace the history of the indigenous peoples from eras long forgotten through the art which is still being produced today. A cultural sanctuary steeped in anthropological import and intrigue, there are few places better to gain an understanding of the various tribes and cultures which once sprawled across Bolivia than at the National Museum of Archeology.

There is no road in Bolivia with the official name of Death Road. It’s simply a nickname, and nicknames cannot just be given, they need to be earned. In the case of the Yungas Road leading from the capital city of La Paz to the rainforest outpost of Coroico, the road just happens to earn its grisly name an astounding 200 to 300 times per year.

One of the few roads to connect the Bolivian capital with the Yungas region of the country, this 43-mile stretch of open cliff has been deemed by many international organizations as the most dangerous road in the world. At many points along the journey the road is only 10 feet wide, and at virtually no point is there anything resembling a guardrail to protect against precipitous falls measured in the thousands of feet.

Given these inherent dangerous and obvious risks, what’s the only natural thing to do when visiting La Paz finding yourself only 35 miles from the Death Road? Strap on a helmet and go mountain biking of course!

Believe it or not, mountain biking on Death Road is one of the most popular tourist activities in all of Bolivia and one which takes riders from an oxygen-pinching height of 15,900 feet to the 5,000-foot rainforests of the town of Coroico. Despite the propensity for busloads of passengers to go headlong over the side of the road, biking down Death Road is actually one of the safer activities with regards to how many people actually do it. Tour operators working out of La Paz ensure that riders have fully-functioning safety equipment and professionally inspected bikes which can transport riders down Death Road safely and offer an unforgettable ride like any other.

While much of the hype surrounding Death Road is simply to say that you’ve done it, the views afforded from the mountain passes and the ability to ride behind towering waterfalls is an experience which ranks as one of the most extreme on the planet. If you know of anyone heading to La Paz, there’s a good chance you’ll find them out riding Death Road, with views of the Bolivian Altiplano stretched out like a canvas before them.

More than just a mountainous outpost, there is a certain allure about Lake Titicaca which has given the area nearly mythical status among travelers. In addition to being known as the highest navigable lake in the world (it does, after all, sit at an elevation of 12,500 feet), arguments could be made that Lake Titicaca is also among the world's most scenic. Rung by the snow-capped peaks of the Andes for most parts of the year, standing and watching the sun set from Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is an experience akin to standing on top of the world.

When exploring Isla del Sol, a rocky island which sits just offshore of the port town of Copacabana, the hardest part of the journey is climbing the stone stairways in the thin and brisk mountain air. There are no motorized vehicles or roadways on Isla del Sol. It's the type of place where you could easily see a traditionally dressed Aymara woman driving home her two llamas while you're stopped on the side of the trail catching your breath.

Other Bolivian islands within the lake include Isla de La Luna (Island of the Moon) and the island of Suriqui. Though these are lesser visited than the postcard-perfect Isla del Sol, it isn't to say that they aren't equally worth a visit. Like the neighboring Islas de Uros in Peru (better known as "The Floating Islands"), the people of Suriqui still practice the ancient craft of constructing boats made out of reeds in order to navigate the cool, 53-degree lake waters.

The scenery, altitude and islands aside, what gives Lake Titicaca its undeniable magic is the strong sense of indigenous culture so firmly rooted around this lake in the sky. It's a part of South America where Spanish is still a second language for Quechua or Aymara speaking villagers, technology is less prominent than in other parts of the country and the soaring vistas stretching to the Altiplano make it easy to imagine Lake Titicaca existing now as it always has been.

Rising stoically from the center of Plaza Murillo, the neo-classical La Paz Cathedral brings a historic, colonial flare to the bustle of modern day La Paz. When the old cathedral which once stood in its place was commissioned to be torn down in 1831, grand plans were made for erecting a cathedral which would soar to heights unsurpassed by the previous. The only problem, however, was that this ended up taking a little longer than most had planned.

With the first stones laid in 1835, the Cathedral - officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz - was never fully completed until 1989 when a mad scramble was set in place to finish the edifice for the impending visit of Pope John Paul II.

Nevertheless, under the designs set forth by the original architect, Manuel Sanahuja, the now-completed La Paz Cathedral features soaring blue domes, five naves and vaulted ceilings inside the building which still house scores of devout Catholic worshipers.

Those wishing to visit La Paz Cathedral can do so on weekday afternoons from 3:30pm-7pm, or at any time during the weekend when hours stretch from dawn until dusk. While inside, be sure to check out the Museum of Religious Art located downstairs in a small crypt, which is also accessible from a side street, should the main entrance to the cathedral be closed.

There is a certain amount of irony surrounding the Bolivian street of Calle Jaen. Considered to be the best example of a colonial street in the capital city of La Paz, Calle Jaen two centuries ago served as a home to many of the revolutionaries who would help lead Bolivia out from the shackles of colonialism and onward towards Bolivian independence.

When strolling the narrow, cobble-stoned alley of modern day Calle Jaen, it’s humbling to think that some of the most influential figures in Bolivia’s tortured history once walked the same street and went to bed at night in the same colorful houses which stand here today.

One such revolutionary who once called Calle Jaen home, was Don Pedro Domingo Murillo, the renegade rabble-rouser who was ultimately hung in the square, now bearing his name. His former home is one of the Calle Jaen museums today and visitors are able to walk inside and explore period pieces left over from his days in the capital. Another revolutionary was Apollinar Jaen, the man for whom the street was ultimately named.

Though Jaen doesn’t have his own museum, three other Calle Jaen museums complement the Casa de Don Pedro Domingo Murillo to provide a unique view of Bolivian history and culture. At the Museo de Metales Preciosos Precolombinos (Museum of Precious Precolumbian Metals), various artifacts which date back to the days of the Inca and Aymara show the technology exhibited by peoples occupying these mountains for millennia. Also on Calle Jaen, the Museo de Litoral showcases a wide assortment of artifacts from the Spanish conquest which range from rifles, to maps to paintings of war scenes.

Finally, at the corner of Calle Jaen is the Museo Costumbrista which, as the largest of the four museums, displays a number of paintings and artwork which depict notable events in Bolivia’s history, such as the hanging of Murillo who lived just down the street. Access to all four Calle Jaen museums is available under the same ticket if purchased at Museo Costumbrista, and even though the street is short, there’s a lot to be learned in this narrow La Paz alleyway.