La Paz also stands out for being an important cultural center at the Latin American level due to its cultural diversity; it houses monuments and important sites, such as the Basilica of San Francisco, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Plaza Murillo and Calle Jaén. The city is also known for its markets, particularly the Witches Market, and for its nightlife.

The area that this desert occupies today was covered 40,000 years ago by Lake Minchin and later, 11,000 years ago, by Lake Tauca. ... The first has been a predecessor of Lake Titicaca; the second covered from Uyuni to the north and Lake Tauca by evaporation gave rise to the Uyuni salt flats.