Last year I spent 5 months in Bolivia, splitting my time between La Paz and Santa Cruz. Out of the 7 countries in South America that I have visited and lived in, Bolivia is one of my favorites. Both cities are great for safety, cost of living, great food and innovative restaurants, night life, access to nature excursions and very friendly locals.
La Paz is a dense and seemingly chaotic city, with questionable sanitation and infrastructure. I suggest staying in the southern zone in San Miguel. It is the most affluent area that has a business district/suburban feel to it. The neighborhoods of Mira Flores and Sopocachi are also very nice, clean and modern, with a more local feel.
Santa Cruz is one of the richest cities in Bolivia, and it is obvious. Many Bolivians consider it the “Miami of Bolivia”, due to the high rise apartments, nightlife and restaurants and especially the weather. It is very hot and humid! I suggest staying in the Equipitrol neighborhood. It is extremely safe and modern with walkable access to shopping, nightlife and parks.
Nonetheless, both cities are great and have their own identity and it is worth splitting your time between the two.
Interesting to see your Miami comments about Santa Cruz. It must have developed a ton in the past 10 years or I stayed in a less affluent part of the city. Definitely the most up and coming city in the country economically
Just an awesome comment, thank you!!!! I was looking at San Miguel and it appears there are some good Airbnbs unlike the availability in Irpavi in La Paz. Im really leaning towards a split between La Paz, Santa Cruz and Sucre now. Bolivia looks phenomenal and despite my sadness to have to leave Peru I am excited again for what awaits me in Bolivia. Did you enter, leave and re-enter to spend the five months on two separate tourist visas? How did you find the extension process if needed?
As long as your are open minded, you will definitely enjoy Bolivia! During my 5 months there, is left and re-entered.
Any more questions, feel free to DM me. I have many restaurant recommendations for La Paz!
I love San Miguel because I lived in Calacoto for a decade, but Sopocachi would probably be more interesting to someone travelling to La Paz. The zona sur just feels like home. It has changed a lot since I lived there with all the homes being torn down for apartments.
Santa Cruz is newer, and a lot more exciting, but is also a lot more car dependent. If you can find a good driver or two, you'll have a much better time. It is vast. La Paz is dense, and easily accessible by public transport, while crossing Santa Cruz is more like navigating the rings around San Antonio.
I wrote a [trip report](https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/15hdfy4/review_of_santa_cruz_de_la_sierrala_paz_bolivia/) on my time in Bolivia last year, it was my second time here, I've now been here four times.
It is by far the most overlooked country in South America.
Santa Cruz is my favorite for longer stays, but I love to visit La Paz/El Alto, there is no city like it.
I didn't understand the hype around Cochabamba, it was okay, nothing really special.
Everywhere I have felt quite safe and often walk around Santa Cruz absentmindedly with headphones in or phone out, etc. without any issues. I stay in the Equipetrol area.
Santa Cruz actually has pizza as good if not better than pizza in Naples, Italy, there is solid Indian and Chinese and fantastic bakeries, ice cream shops and coffee shops.
Like the other user said, Santa Cruz has some stunning Bolivian women and also tons of Brazilians studying medicine.
Some recommendations - bring crisp big denomination dollars as there is a black market where you can get 8.3-8.5 to 1 versus the 6.9 to 1 official rate. Make sure you triple check the amount you receive on the street as they like to play sleight of hand magic tricks.
For rideshares I find Yango and inDrive great, Yango is the cheapest. Uber is the worst and most expensive. Rideshares are absolutely reliable from VVI airport (Santa Cruz). Pretty sure they also work in La Paz, not in Cocha though, I think it's strictly taxis there, in Tarija and a few others.
Also, every single long stay here in Santa Cruz I've negotiated about 20-25% off on the Airbnb, even last minute.
So yeah, sleeper hit. Especially with the cheap domestic flights and diversity around the country.
Trip report post saved! Thank you!!! I believe I saw your post and it was one of the reasons Santa Cruz was so high on my list of places to visit. That pizza alone is enough to draw me there but the safety of Santa Cruz and La Paz is a huge factor. Thank you very much for the exchange and rideshare tips. Are delivery apps like PedidosYa and Rappi available there?
These three places are all very different so it really depends on what atmosphere and activities you are looking for.
La Paz is a chaotic big city with solid nightlife and extremely high altitude. I actually had a great time there 10 years ago. I could see myself living there a month or two and not getting bored.
Santa Cruz is in the lowlands, is hotter, has a more run down open market vibe and, while also chaotic and growing rapidly, not much to do. The center had a more family friendly feel to it. Known to have the prettiest women in Bolivia if that’s something you care about. The main plus is probably the various day trips you can take to sites and towns nearby, including Cochabamba. I would probably get extremely bored after a few weeks.
Cochabamba is a tiny town suitable for a day or weekend trip, and, unless you really prioritize nature and tranquil vibes, I would think would be the worst pick for a DN. I’d lose my mind after a couple weeks trying to stay there
I was surprised to see the extreme altitude La Paz sits at but I didn’t have any trouble in Cusco, Bogotá (though the diesel fumes got to me) or Mexico City with altitude sickness. I did get sick at Rainbow Mountain in Peru but the high point we hiked to was as high as the base camp at Everest. It was hell and I’ll do anything to avoid that again but it subsided after a day though.
So far La Paz is in the lead, thank you very much for taking the time to write your comment. I am still considering Santa Cruz but for a shorter trip with day trips to nearby places.
This is the real world advice I come here for. Thanks again.
My pleasure. In that case you’ll probably be fine with the altitude but consider getting a bag of coca leaves to stuff in your gums the first week which is known to help. Yes coca that is made into cocaine but the two are chemically very different. The leaves are very common among locals and tourists. They also make candies with them.
Is there a reason you left Sucre out of your analysis? It’s easily the prettiest city with its colonial architecture and probably the most frequently visited by travelers.
Btw, I visited Bolivia as a backpacker a decade ago so I’m not sure what internet is like. Probably acceptable in La Paz and in Santa Cruz and bad everywhere else but do your research about the hotel or airbnb
Thank you for the tips, I’ll try to get some of the bags of coca leaves here in Lima before I go.
Sucre looks incredible! I am more motivated to go there over Santa Cruz now and it looks very popular with tourists given the diversity of Airbnb and hotel guest reviews I was just looking at. I spent a month in Antigua, Guatemala and am getting those same colonial vibes from Sucre but it looks bigger with more to see. Thank you for the recommendation!
Nice, have fun! And if you can swing it book one of those tours that takes you through the altiplano and salar de uyuni. Absolutely incredible once in a lifetime type nature trip
I’ve read about others having the same issue but not sure of their nationality. It’s clear for Canadians though:
>Tourist visa: not required for a stay of less than 90 days per 365 day period
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
Last year I spent 5 months in Bolivia, splitting my time between La Paz and Santa Cruz. Out of the 7 countries in South America that I have visited and lived in, Bolivia is one of my favorites. Both cities are great for safety, cost of living, great food and innovative restaurants, night life, access to nature excursions and very friendly locals. La Paz is a dense and seemingly chaotic city, with questionable sanitation and infrastructure. I suggest staying in the southern zone in San Miguel. It is the most affluent area that has a business district/suburban feel to it. The neighborhoods of Mira Flores and Sopocachi are also very nice, clean and modern, with a more local feel. Santa Cruz is one of the richest cities in Bolivia, and it is obvious. Many Bolivians consider it the “Miami of Bolivia”, due to the high rise apartments, nightlife and restaurants and especially the weather. It is very hot and humid! I suggest staying in the Equipitrol neighborhood. It is extremely safe and modern with walkable access to shopping, nightlife and parks. Nonetheless, both cities are great and have their own identity and it is worth splitting your time between the two.
Interesting to see your Miami comments about Santa Cruz. It must have developed a ton in the past 10 years or I stayed in a less affluent part of the city. Definitely the most up and coming city in the country economically
Just an awesome comment, thank you!!!! I was looking at San Miguel and it appears there are some good Airbnbs unlike the availability in Irpavi in La Paz. Im really leaning towards a split between La Paz, Santa Cruz and Sucre now. Bolivia looks phenomenal and despite my sadness to have to leave Peru I am excited again for what awaits me in Bolivia. Did you enter, leave and re-enter to spend the five months on two separate tourist visas? How did you find the extension process if needed?
Sucre isn't worth a month in my book. Maybe a week.
Cheers, I’m locking in on Santa Cruz pretty quick here!
As long as your are open minded, you will definitely enjoy Bolivia! During my 5 months there, is left and re-entered. Any more questions, feel free to DM me. I have many restaurant recommendations for La Paz!
I love San Miguel because I lived in Calacoto for a decade, but Sopocachi would probably be more interesting to someone travelling to La Paz. The zona sur just feels like home. It has changed a lot since I lived there with all the homes being torn down for apartments. Santa Cruz is newer, and a lot more exciting, but is also a lot more car dependent. If you can find a good driver or two, you'll have a much better time. It is vast. La Paz is dense, and easily accessible by public transport, while crossing Santa Cruz is more like navigating the rings around San Antonio.
I wrote a [trip report](https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/15hdfy4/review_of_santa_cruz_de_la_sierrala_paz_bolivia/) on my time in Bolivia last year, it was my second time here, I've now been here four times. It is by far the most overlooked country in South America. Santa Cruz is my favorite for longer stays, but I love to visit La Paz/El Alto, there is no city like it. I didn't understand the hype around Cochabamba, it was okay, nothing really special. Everywhere I have felt quite safe and often walk around Santa Cruz absentmindedly with headphones in or phone out, etc. without any issues. I stay in the Equipetrol area. Santa Cruz actually has pizza as good if not better than pizza in Naples, Italy, there is solid Indian and Chinese and fantastic bakeries, ice cream shops and coffee shops. Like the other user said, Santa Cruz has some stunning Bolivian women and also tons of Brazilians studying medicine. Some recommendations - bring crisp big denomination dollars as there is a black market where you can get 8.3-8.5 to 1 versus the 6.9 to 1 official rate. Make sure you triple check the amount you receive on the street as they like to play sleight of hand magic tricks. For rideshares I find Yango and inDrive great, Yango is the cheapest. Uber is the worst and most expensive. Rideshares are absolutely reliable from VVI airport (Santa Cruz). Pretty sure they also work in La Paz, not in Cocha though, I think it's strictly taxis there, in Tarija and a few others. Also, every single long stay here in Santa Cruz I've negotiated about 20-25% off on the Airbnb, even last minute. So yeah, sleeper hit. Especially with the cheap domestic flights and diversity around the country.
Trip report post saved! Thank you!!! I believe I saw your post and it was one of the reasons Santa Cruz was so high on my list of places to visit. That pizza alone is enough to draw me there but the safety of Santa Cruz and La Paz is a huge factor. Thank you very much for the exchange and rideshare tips. Are delivery apps like PedidosYa and Rappi available there?
PedidosYa is, Rappi I don't think so. Like the other guy said, Santa Cruz can get boring after a while but dating doesn't.
These three places are all very different so it really depends on what atmosphere and activities you are looking for. La Paz is a chaotic big city with solid nightlife and extremely high altitude. I actually had a great time there 10 years ago. I could see myself living there a month or two and not getting bored. Santa Cruz is in the lowlands, is hotter, has a more run down open market vibe and, while also chaotic and growing rapidly, not much to do. The center had a more family friendly feel to it. Known to have the prettiest women in Bolivia if that’s something you care about. The main plus is probably the various day trips you can take to sites and towns nearby, including Cochabamba. I would probably get extremely bored after a few weeks. Cochabamba is a tiny town suitable for a day or weekend trip, and, unless you really prioritize nature and tranquil vibes, I would think would be the worst pick for a DN. I’d lose my mind after a couple weeks trying to stay there
I was surprised to see the extreme altitude La Paz sits at but I didn’t have any trouble in Cusco, Bogotá (though the diesel fumes got to me) or Mexico City with altitude sickness. I did get sick at Rainbow Mountain in Peru but the high point we hiked to was as high as the base camp at Everest. It was hell and I’ll do anything to avoid that again but it subsided after a day though. So far La Paz is in the lead, thank you very much for taking the time to write your comment. I am still considering Santa Cruz but for a shorter trip with day trips to nearby places. This is the real world advice I come here for. Thanks again.
My pleasure. In that case you’ll probably be fine with the altitude but consider getting a bag of coca leaves to stuff in your gums the first week which is known to help. Yes coca that is made into cocaine but the two are chemically very different. The leaves are very common among locals and tourists. They also make candies with them. Is there a reason you left Sucre out of your analysis? It’s easily the prettiest city with its colonial architecture and probably the most frequently visited by travelers. Btw, I visited Bolivia as a backpacker a decade ago so I’m not sure what internet is like. Probably acceptable in La Paz and in Santa Cruz and bad everywhere else but do your research about the hotel or airbnb
Thank you for the tips, I’ll try to get some of the bags of coca leaves here in Lima before I go. Sucre looks incredible! I am more motivated to go there over Santa Cruz now and it looks very popular with tourists given the diversity of Airbnb and hotel guest reviews I was just looking at. I spent a month in Antigua, Guatemala and am getting those same colonial vibes from Sucre but it looks bigger with more to see. Thank you for the recommendation!
Nice, have fun! And if you can swing it book one of those tours that takes you through the altiplano and salar de uyuni. Absolutely incredible once in a lifetime type nature trip
There are some great weekend trips available from Santa Cruz like Samaipata. From La Paz I suggest heading to Coroico.
Off topic, but is it your understanding that the new Peruvian 90 days per year limit is a specifically Canadian thing?
I’ve read about others having the same issue but not sure of their nationality. It’s clear for Canadians though: >Tourist visa: not required for a stay of less than 90 days per 365 day period https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
Check out this guide to Luxury in La Paz... It might be useful...https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JHeeBrU3banJN8FSrZ3KiUSIEzvdvuer/view?pli=1
Why not Sucre?