Nightlife

A night in La Paz logically begins in a cafe along the malecón as the sun sinks into the sea -- have your camera ready.

A favorite ringside seat at dusk is a table at La Terraza, next to the Hotel Perla (tel. 612/122-0777). La Terraza makes good, schooner-size margaritas. Opened in 2008, Papas & Beer (tel. 612/128-5145; www.lapaz.papasandbeer.com) is the star attraction for the late night set at the trendy Vista Coral entertainment center, located at the very start of the malecón at Marquez de Leon. Expect a raucous atmosphere with plenty of dance music. La Cabaña nightclub (tel. 612/122-0777; www.hotelperlabaja.com/nigthclub.html) in the Hotel Perla features Latin rhythms. It opens at 9pm daily, and there's a $4 cover on weekends.

For dancing, two of the hottest clubs are Casa de Villa (tel. 612/128-5799), where current pop music commingles with young paceños (La Paz locals) till late on the second-floor terrace above La Paz-Lapa on the malecón, and Las Varitas (tel. 612/125-2025; www.lasvaritas.com), Independencia and Dominguez, which plays Latin rock, ranchera, and salsa. Both are open from 9pm to 3 or 4am Thursday through Saturday (occasionally open earlier in the week as well), with cover charges around $5 (the charge may be waived or increased, depending on the crowd).