Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fare of about Bs2 in the city centre. In common with micros, they also charge extra if your
luggage fills a space that might otherwise be occupied by another passenger.
INFORMATION AND TOURS
TOURIST INFORMATION
Plaza Estudiante at the end of the Prado (Mon-Fri 8.30am-noon & 2.30-7pm; 02
2371044). This is a small tourist information office that has plenty of information on La
Paz and the surrounding area, but not much on destinations further afield. The staff are very
friendly and helpful and there's usually someone who speaks a little English, plus they offer
a free map of the city and have flyers for most of the main tour agencies. There is also a very
helpful kiosk in the
bus terminal
-
especially handy at weekends.
SERNAP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas)
Francisco Bedregal 2904, Sopocachi
02 2426268,
www.sernap.gob.bo
;
map
.
Though primarily an administrative nerve centre
for Bolivia's numerous protected areas, this office can also provide information and maps.
TOURS FROM LA PAZ
La Paz is home to an ever expanding plethora of
tour operators
offering everything from
half- or one-day tours in and around the city, to expeditions to remote parts of the country
lasting several weeks; the sheer number and variety - especially on calles
Sagárnaga
,
Il-
lampu
and around - is literally mind boggling, and a fair number of them are not officially
registered with the authorities. While this doesn't matter quite so much with the standard
day-trips offered by almost every company (including a
city tour
, usually combined with a
visit to either the Valle de la Luna and Muela del Diablo, plus Tiwanaku or Chacaltaya, and
costing from Bs70-350/person, you should take greater care when considering a
moun-
tain biking
trip down the “world's most dangerous road” to Coroico, or any of the longer
mountaineering expeditions
and treks in the Cordillera Real.
GUIDES AND PRICES
With an average-sized group of four to six people, prices start at around Bs280/person/day,
usually including food and accommodation, though be sure to check this. Whatever you
do, don't buy tours from pirate operators approaching you in the street and if you do buy
a more expensive climbing tour, make sure the name of the guide is on your receipt; you
companies may send a couple of
aspirantes
(part-qualified guides) alongside a fully quali-
fied one, while the worst operators might send you out with a young, inexperienced guide
in their late teens; avoid the latter at all costs; people can and do die.
