La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, nestles in a canyon beneath snow-capped Andean peaks, 4,000m above sea level. A fascinating cocktail of indigenous, Spanish and modern influences, you’ll come across coca-chewing, traditionally-dressed local women with bowler hats and tightly-woven black plaits wandering through colonial squares peered down upon by skyscrapers. At the Witches' Market, expect to find mysterious potions and toad talismans among the more typical alpaca jumpers, hammocks and tourist trinkets and, if you have something weighing on your mind, you can ask a sorcerer to cast a spell for you!
Visit the coca museum for an insight into the cultural, spiritual and medicinal significance of the controversial coca leaf, or head to the nearby mountains and volcanoes to hike, go mountain biking or visit ancient ruins.
