CEMENTERIO GENERAL

Inaugurated in 1831 under the presidency of Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz, this unusual burial site prompts travellers to reconsider their sometimes melancholy ideas of cemeteries. Indeed, in this place, funerary conventions have nothing to do with those found in Europe. Here, there's no such thing as coming to mourn in silence. Instead, people come to dance, sing and drink in honor of the departed. Tombstones welcome "tenants" in structures over four storeys high, sometimes covered with colourful murals. Altars and ceremonial tables ( apxatas) strewn with flowers, bread, Singani, cigarettes, incense, coca leaves and other ritual plants blessed by the masters of ceremony ( yatiris), decorate the aisles. According to tradition, the souls arrive every November¹ at midday, and leave the next day at the same time. If you're in La Paz that day, the famous "Day of the Dead" is a commemoration not to be missed!

The site stretches over 1.5 km, covering 92,000 square metres, and is easy to get lost in. What's more, the cemetery is so full that the crypts are only reserved for a maximum of 10 years. The urns must then be returned to the families, who can no longer continue to pay the rental fees. Sometimes, they even get lost for lack of funds. The price of a burial in this notorious cemetery varies between US$214 and US$12,500, depending on the location and the ceremony.

Last but not least, the site is home to major players in Bolivian history. These include the military mausoleum housing the remains of the heroes of the 1879 Pacific War against Chile, and the tomb of the Spanish Jesuit priest Luis Espinal, assassinated in 1981, which bears the inscription "Martyr of Democracy".

Getting there. Located between the historic center of La Paz and the town of El Alto, the best way to get to the General Cemetery is by cable car, taking the red line to the Ajayuni (Cementerio) station. This is also where buses and vans leave for Copacabana, Tiwanaku and Coroico. The stops are behind the flower stores. Be careful with your belongings during your visit: the area is not very welcoming, and tourists are sometimes stopped by bogus police officers who extort money from them. We recommend using the services of a guide.