Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tarapari La Paz $
(
7154-3918;
www.lapazonfoot.com
;
r per person US$22)
Fourteen kilometers from
Zona Sur, in the very authentic village of Chicani, is this tranquil escape: an ecofriendly
apartment in a secure location. It's made of adobe and its kitchen and bathroom is oper-
ated by solar water. It's the perfect place to base yourself for day and overnight hikes into
the Cordillera Real - the owner (of La Paz on Foot (
Click here
)
tours fame) says you can
be at the base of a glacier within eight hours. Access is by an unsealed road, 45 minutes
by minibus from central La Paz (B$4).
HOTEL
Casa Grande $$$
(
279-5511;
www.casa-grande.com.bo
; cnr Ballivián and Calle 17, Calacoto; s/apt/f
incl breakfast B$1255/1395/1675;
) This business hotel is in need of a serious
rehab - especially the lumpy oatmeal pillows - but with living rooms and kitchens in all
the rooms, long-stay visitors may still want to give it a try.
BUSINESS HOTEL
Eating
For local fare, your cheapest (and sometimes tastiest) bets are the
almuerzos
(set lunches)
in the countless hole-in-the-wall restaurants; look for the chalkboard menus out front. As
a general rule, the higher you climb from the Prado, the cheaper the meals will be. Mar-
kets and street stalls offer good prices and interesting experiences, but can be challenging
for your stomach. Sopocachi and the Zona Sur have most of the city's high-end eateries.
Chifas
(Chinese restaurants) are ubiquitous and cheap.
Vegetarians are increasingly well catered for these days, and there are some excellent
vegetarian restaurants.
WEST OF EL PRADO
There are plenty of eateries around Sagárnaga. Upscale and international bites are found
in Sopocachi.
ITALIAN
Pronto $$$
(
244-1369; Jauregui 2248, Sopocachi; mains B$55-80; 6:30am-11pm Mon-Sat)
We don't know where (or how) it gets its fresh ingredients, but this candlelit underground
restaurant has figured it out, offering up dish after dish of thoughtfully prepared, well
