Copacabana is generally pretty safe for tourists, with a calm vibe and a low rate of severe violent incidents. The biggest exposure people mention is usually small-time theft, like pickpocketing or a quick grab of a bag, especially in busy places such as the ferry docks or the central market. Safety tips: Keep your valuables…
Yes, doing a day trip from La Paz to Lake Titicaca is possible, but it turns into this long, exhausting stretch of travel time. Most tours leave way early, and it takes about four hours to get over to Copacabana each way. In practice, the usual plan is a quick lunch in Copacabana, then a…
To manage the harsh 3,640-metre (11,942-foot) altitude around La Paz, travellers should climb up slowly, drink water in a serious way, and skip heavy meals or alcohol during the first 48 hours. Taking it easy right after arrival is the single most useful move to ward off altitude sickness, called soroche. Yes, it really helps….
The Apolobamba Trek is an intense, multi-day, high-altitude hiking route through the remote Cordillera Apolobamba, close to the Peruvian border. People talk about it as an amazing mix of extreme isolation, traditional Kallawaya villages (indigenous healer communities), and rugged, glaciated ground that feels very unforgiving. In contrast with the busier treks near La Paz, Apolobamba…
Yes, ziplining is a well-liked adventure thing you can find close to Coroico. The Zipline Trust (also sold as the Flying Fox) is located in the village of Yolosa. It sits at the very bottom of the well-known Death Road biking route. A lot of mountain biking tour operators include ziplining as a small extra…
Yes, you can easily set up a coffee tour in the Yungas area near Coroico, and this place is one of Bolivia’s top coffee-producing zones. A bunch of local fincas opens up to visitors, so you can watch the whole flow from bean to cup. It feels pretty immersive, because you are not only looking…
If you want to go to Coroico from La Paz, you can jump on a shared minibus, actually a small minivan, from the Villa Fátima terminal. The trip usually takes around two or three hours, and it follows the new paved highway. Another option is for people to reach Coroico by mountain biking, meaning you…
Yes, tourists can visit the San Francisco Church (Basílica de San Francisco). It sits very centrally in Plaza San Francisco. The place is open to everyone for general viewing, and if you want more, guided tours are offered for access to the roof, bell tower, and the nearby convent spaces. Built during the 18th century,…
The Takesi Trek, also called the Inca Trail of Bolivia, is a historic 40-kilometre walking route that goes down from the high and freezing Altiplano and then into the green, subtropical Yungas. Along the way, you walk on exceptionally well-preserved pre-Columbian stone paving, which just feels surprising. This two-to-three-day outing is highly prized for its…
No, you cannot ski anymore at Chacaltaya mountain. Back then, it was quite famous for having the world’s highest ski resort, but the 18,000-year-old glacier had completely melted away by 2009 because of severe climate change. Nowadays, that unused ski lodge is like a cold warning sign about global warming, and it mostly works as…