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It is just about impossible to get lost in La Paz. There's only one major thoroughfare and it follows the Río Choqueyapu canyon. The main thoroughfare changes names several times from the top to the bottom and quite often the section is simply referred to as 'El Prado'.
The business districts and the wealthier neighborhoods - with their skyscrapers, colonial houses and modern glass constructions - occupy the city's more tranquil lower altitudes (which is the reverse of many US and European cities). The best preserved colonial section of town is near the intersection of Calles Jaén and Sucre, where narrow cobbled streets and colonial churches offer a glimpse of early La Paz. The most prestigious neighborhoods are found further down in the canyon in the Zona Sur (Southern Zone), which includes the neighborhoods of Calacoto, Cotacota, San Miguel, La Florida and Obrajes, as well as a growing throng of other barrios. Numbered streets run perpendicular to the main road in Zona Sur, making navigation easier; the numbers increase from west to east.
Above the city center and the Zona Sur, and still very much part of La Paz, are the cascades of cuboid, mud dwellings and evergrowing neighborhoods, which literally spill over the canyon rim and down the slopes on three sides. This is where most of the daily hustle and bustle takes place, with all sorts of sights, sounds and smells. Above this, stretching for miles away from the canyon's rim across the Altiplano is the Aymará capital of the world, the city of El Alto. Having once been a melting pot for campesinos (subsistence farmers) and people from all around the country, and with a population of 648,400, El Alto is now a city in its own right. If you find yourself becoming disoriented up here and want to return to the center, just head downhill.
Getting There
El Alto International Airport is 10km (6mi) via the toll road from the city center on the Altiplano. At 4050m (13,284ft), it's the world's highest international airport; larger planes need 5km (3mi) of runway to lift off and must land at twice their sea-level velocity to compensate for the lower atmospheric density. Stopping distance is much greater too, and planes are equipped with special tyres to withstand the extreme forces involved.
The main bus terminal is a 15min uphill walk north of the city center. Fares are relatively uniform between companies, but competition on most routes is such that discounts are available for the asking. This full-service terminal serves all destinations south and east of La Paz, as well as international destinations. Other destinations are served mainly by micros (small buses) and minibuses departing from the cemetery district and Villa Fátima.
La Paz's old train station is now defunct (although rumors of restarting a La Paz-Arica or La Paz-Tiahuanaco ferrobus - passenger rail bus - linger). Trains for Chile and the Argentine border, via Uyuni and/or Tupiza, all leave from Oruro. For information and bookings, contact the Empresa Ferroviaria Andina (www.fca.com.bo; Guachalla 494).
Getting Around
La Paz is well served by public transport. Basically you can choose between micros , which charge around US$0.15 ; trufis (shared vehicles that ply set routes), which charge US$0.20 around town, US$0.80 to the airport and US$0.40 to Zona Sur. Taxis cost about US$0.40 per person for journeys around the center (a bit more for long uphill routes). Radio taxis charge US$0.80 around the center. Radio taxi charges are for up to four passengers and include pickup, while other taxis charge a per person rate. Any of these vehicles can be waved down, except near intersections or in areas cordoned off by the police. Most regular taxis are also collective taxis and charge a per-person rate. This means that the driver may pick up additional passengers, and that you can flag down a taxi already carrying passengers. If you're traveling beyond the city center, or your journey involves a long uphill climb, arrange a fare with the driver before getting in, and try to carry small change at all times.
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