Discovering La Paz by cable car

A ride by cable car can be an adventure, but in La Paz City, it is part of daily life. Instead of subway connections, the neighborhoods of La Paz are linked across the sky, with cable car lines!

With hills and mountains surrounding it, La Paz is everything but a flat city. That is the reason why the city grew unusually, with curvy streets going up and down. Therefore, ground transportation can take quite a long time. But La Paz has proven that there is a solution for every problem: a network of cable car lines has taken advantage of the altitude differences of the city, becoming the fastest and easiest way to move from one point to another.

This cable car system is so effective that it does not only link La Paz City but also connects it with its neighbor city, called El Alto, located at an even higher altitude.

While cable cars in La Paz transport kids to school and people to work, for the visitors, it is an ideal way to have a panoramic city view.

You can start, for example, in the city center, by taking the Light Blue Line, followed by the Green Line. This last one will take you from the central to the south zone of La Paz. A contrast between humble and luxurious houses will show itself along the way. From the last stop of the Green Line, you can go to San Miguel Neighborhood (ideal for the ones interested in shopping) and have a nice and relaxing meal, while escaping from the chaotic city center.

To see another completely different face of the city, take the Yellow Line after the Light Blue one. Along the Yellow Line, you will have a beautiful view of Illimani Mountain, which is a beloved landmark for the inhabitants of La Paz.* This imponent mountain has an altitude of 6438 meters above the sea level that makes it look like it is right next to the city when it actually is almost 80 kilometers away. Then this line will take you all the way up to El Alto**, ending in Qhana Pata Station*, which functions as a viewpoint where you will be able to appreciate the hollow shape of La Paz City.

Right after, the Silver Line will give you a ride across El Alto City. The following Red Line will bring you back to La Paz, and you will end your journey in the Old Train Station, a National Historic Monument full of memories of the La Paz from the XX century. There you will find plenty of coffee shops and restaurants located inside the train wagons that, in the past, were used to transport people from one city of Bolivia to another. From that point, you can take the Orange Line and continue with the White Line- the only one that runs in parallel to the main avenue.

The cable car transportation is one of the peculiarities due to which La Paz owns the denomination of one of the 'Seven Wonder Cities of the World', according to the New7Wonders Foundation. Keep in mind that there were 1200 nominees of 220 countries. Are you ready to enjoy a ride above it?