Copacabana (Bolivia)
The city of Copacabana was founded in 1574 on the southwestern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, it is located at an altitude of 3812 m, its area is 8446 square meters. km. The lake was formed in a tectonic basin. Its name is translated from the Indian dialect as “stone cougar”, and in fact its shape bears some resemblance to the outline of this animal. The Incas considered Lake Titicaca sacred. According to legend, it was near the islands of Isla del Sol and Isla del Luna that the ancestors of the Incas appeared.
- Barblejewelry: Overview of Bolivia, including popular places to visit, UNESCO World Heritage List, climate, geography and travel advice.
This is a great place to relax. Are there hotels in Copacabana ?, restaurants, a beautiful promenade where you can take a walk, colorful festivals are held here every year. Among the sights of the city, one can single out the Convento de Santa Teresa Cathedral, the statue of the Black Virgin, which is the patron saint of these places, and the Museum of Archeology with collections of objects from the time of ancient Inca civilizations. From the Chero Calvario hill at the northern end of the coastline, there is a beautiful view of the lake. in Capacabana you can rent a boat and take a tour of the lake. You can go to the islands of Isla Suriki, where reed boats are made “totora”, Uros, which moves within the lake, Isla Kalahuta, where the graves of the pre-Columbian era are located, and Isla Incas, which, according to legend, is connected with the Inca capital of Cusco by a network of underground tunnels.
In Copacabana there are opportunities for fishing, because trout is found here.
La Paz (Bolivia)
According to sciencedict, La Paz is the de facto capital of Bolivia, despite Sucre being the country’s official capital since the 19th century. The seat of government and the main government buildings are located here. La Paz is the highest “capital” in the world. The city center lies at an altitude of 3650 meters above sea level, and not far away you can see the top of Mount Ilyimani with a height of 6402 m. La Paz was founded in the middle of the 16th century by the Spanish conquistadors.
The center of the old city of La Paz is Murillo Square, where the Presidential Palace, the Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Justice are located.. Murillo Square is surrounded by old colonial-style mansions and numerous churches with carved facades. In this area, you should definitely visit the main city Cathedral, which was built in 1831 in the neoclassical style, the church of Santo Domingo (1609), the church of San Pedro and the palaces of the 18th century Dies de Medinaand Villaverde.
The wide avenue Prado is considered to be the center of the modern city. On both sides of it are high-rise buildings, cinemas, shops, hotels and restaurants. San Francisco Square is located at the northern end of Prado Avenue., from where ethnic quarters inhabited by Indians climb up the slopes. On the square stands Cathedral Iglesia de San Franciscoadjacent to the “Witch Market”, where you can buy a variety of amulets and silver jewelry. South of San Francisco Square is Sagarnaga Street, where souvenir shops, cafes and tourist offices are located.
Of the city’s museums, it is worth noting the Costumbrista Juan de Vargas Museum, which exhibits a collection of ceramic dolls in traditional costumes, the National Museum of Archeology with exhibits of ancient Indian cultures, the Museo del Oro with a collection of pre-Columbian items, the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of National Art.
10 km from La Paz is the Valley of the Moon, which is a labyrinth of rock towers and miniature canyons.
50 km west of the city is the Zongo Valley, famous for ice caves, at the bottom of which you can see lakes. In the valley, the Zongo Pass base camp was equipped, from where climbers go to Mount Huayana Potosi. The height of the mountain is 6088 m, and its flora and fauna are protected by the National Park of the same name. Also from La Paz, climbs to Mount Ilyimani (6402 m) and excursions along the routes to the city of Coroico, which pass through the mountainous region of Yungas, are arranged.
72 km from La Paz is a popular archaeological site – the ruins of the ancient city of Tiahuanaco. This city-state was the most advanced civilization in the period from the 3rd to the 10th century AD. Today, in this place, archaeologists have unearthed the Gate of the Sun, which stands at the entrance to the city, the Akapana pyramid, in the Kalasasaya excavation area – two huge monoliths, as well as an underground temple, the walls of which are decorated with megalithic masonry.
30 km northeast of La Paz at an altitude of more than 5000 m is the highest ski resort in the world – Chacaltaya .
Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia)
The full name of the city of Santa Cruz is Santa Cruz de La Sierra. It was founded in 1560 in eastern Bolivia, but was later moved 200 km west to the foothills of the Andes. The city is known for its mild climate.
The main attractions of Santa Cruz are September 24 Squarelocated on it Cathedral, where a museum with a collection of religious art is now open, Museum of Natural History and Zoo, which is considered one of the best in South America.
Not far from Santa Cruz is the city of Samaipata.. In its vicinity, on a small reddish mountain, is the archaeological site of El Fuerte. It is believed that an Inca city flourished here in the 14th-16th centuries. The ruins that have survived to this day were part of the sacred ceremonial complex. Here you can see rock paintings depicting animals. El Fuerte has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Very interesting trips to numerous Jesuit missions of the mid-17th-18th centuries. Among them stand out San Javier, San Ramon, San Miguel, San Ignacio de Velasco, Concepción, San Rafael, Santa Ana and San José de Chiictos. It is also worth going to the village of La Hiquera, where Ernesto Che Guevara was killed.
Northwest of Santa Cruz Amboro National Park is located. Its area is 63 thousand hectares. This includes three ecosystems – the foothills of the Andes, the Amazon basin and the eastern plains. Amboro is home to many birds, as well as capybaras, peccaries, tapirs, howler and capuchin monkeys, jaguars, ocelots and small margs. Tours are organized
from Santa Cruz to the Noel Camp Mercado National Park on the border with Brazil. This is the only natural place that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The area of the park is 15 thousand square meters. km. Noel Kemp Mercado protects five types of ecosystems – jungle, dry forest, savannas and wet forests. About 4,000 species of plants grow here, 150 species of mammals and 620 species of birds live here.
Chacaltaya (Bolivia)
30 km northeast of La Paz is the highest ski resort in the world – Chacaltaya. Here tourists are offered more than 10 slopes, located between the heights of 4700 and 5400 m, and 8 lifts, among which is the oldest lift in the world. Lack of oxygen and elevation changes make this place one of the most extreme in the world, so skiing in Chacaltaya is only suitable for trained skiers. The ski season lasts here from April to June. The infrastructure of the resort is poorly developed due to the difficult economic situation in Bolivia.
