Hostels in LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

Administrative Capital: La Paz City in Bolivia

The administrative capital of Bolivia, and also, departmental capital of La Paz department, it is located at an elevation of 3660 meters. It is also world’s highest capital, with elevation mostly varying between 3000 and 4100 meters.

History
The original full name of the city was Nuestra Señora de La Paz, meaning Our Lady of Peace, it was found in 1548 by Spanish Conquistadors, at Laja, the site of Native American settlement. It was found on October 20th in 1548.  Sites for public areas, plazas, official buildings, and a cathedral were asked to be included in a plan, which was commanded of Juan Gutierrez Paniagua in 1549.

Spain controlled firm grip on the city, and Spanish king had the last word, which started sieges and uprisings in 1781. In 1825, city’s full name was changed to La Paz de Ayacucho (meaning peace of Ayacucho, when the republicans of Ayacucho won over Spanish fighters convincingly. In 1898, it was made de facto seat of the government, with Sucre managing historical as well as judiciary capital nomenclature.

Currently, La Paz is world’s highest capital, has world’s highest golf course, football stadium, and velodrome and landing strip.

Popular Places and Monuments
Calle Jaen has preserved colonial buildings and several museums, which provide historic view to the place. Plaza Murillo contains a cathedral and few government buildings. The Valle de La Luna or the Moon Valley consist of surreal, weathered rock, and can be visited, being just outside the city premises.

Getting Around
There are three basic ways of getting around, buses, taxis, and by foot. Regular buses or micros, shared vans or mini-buses, and shared taxis come under buses overall. They ply on fixed routes. Outside fixed routes, one may take a taxi, shared or unshared. And if the distance is lesser, a walk around the place is very healthy, and one can enjoy the beauty for some time longer.

Places for Entertainment
Sagarnaga Street, the Witches’ Market, and the Mercado Negro are popular market areas, Sagarnaga being main tourist spot, the Witches’ Market providing materials for Aymara rituals, and Bolivian musical instruments, and the Mercado Negro selling almost everything, popularly known as the Black Market. There are lots of museums in the city. Also, there are special hang-out places, for dining, or drinking. There are cinemas and internet cafes, as also handicraft shops.

Accommodation
There are plenty of bed & breakfast, guesthouse, youth hostels and budget hotels. Also, mid-range or semi-luxury hotels, and luxury hotels or splurges are there.

Currency
Boliviano is the national currency, though, US dollars are fairly common. In case an exchange is needed, it’s better to check latest news on exchange rates.

Group accommodation in La Paz | Cheap hostels & budget hotels