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El Alto International Airport

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SeenThat
SeenThat
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5 out of 5
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El Alto International Airport

  • June 15, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by SeenThat from Tel Aviv, Israel
El Alto International Airport

Despite its humble size, the El Alto International Airport is the Andean Plateau main airport and serves mainly the people arriving to or departing from La Paz. It is located above La Paz, on the plateau itself. Neighborhoods popped out around it and in 1985 became a new city, called El Alto; even today downtown El Alto is split in two by the runway. Another peculiarity of this airport is its altitude: the runway is at 4019 meters above the sea level (above 12000 feet).

Reaching the Airport

Reaching the airport is easy. From downtown La Paz there are minivans marked "Aeropuerto" which cover the short distance through Bolivia's only highway (it is ten miles long) and cost less than half a dollar. From La Ceja - the commercial area connecting La Paz with El Alto it is a five minutes walk to the airport's main gate.

The Tax

The airport is almost inactive due to the taxes issue; most Bolivians prefer to cross overland to Peru and take a flight from there. There are two taxes to be paid by departing passengers and they are not included in the tickets, so that paying in cash is the only open option. The airport tax is a sweeping twenty-four American dollars - double of the usual at the biggest airports in the world. If that wasn't enough, there is a second tax called "Impuesto de Salida Aerea" or "Air-exit Tax" which amounts to 176BOB or almost twenty-three American dollars. The result is that a passenger pays almost fifty dollars before he gets his first coffee. Most people decide to skip the opportunity.

The Passengers Terminal

The tiny terminal offers few opportunities of entertainment; thus, it is recommended to arrive as late as possible to the flight. In the basement are located the free public toilets, an oddity in Bolivia. There is a small coffee shop called "Dolce Café Espresso" that offers rudimentary coffee and basic snacks. The other option for a coffee is the stall of the popular Alexander Coffee (see picture); its coffee is good but it must be take away to one of the few coaches available for the passengers use. Burger King has one of its few branches in Bolivia here, at the second floor; their biggest meal costs four dollars. In front of it is the Restaurante Mirador, in direct sight of the runway; however, in the many times I crossed this airport, it was never open. The lucky customers of Athina Tours (a leading travel agency in La Paz, which I do recommend) can enjoy the only VIP room in the terminal, which is placed in front of the Burger King.

The View

El Alto offers spectacular views. Seconds after the take off, the grounds drops sharply when the Andean Plateau breaks down and the city of La Paz appears on the almost vertical slopes leading to the Amazonian Basin. Keep the camera prepared.

From journal El Alto Heights

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