Arriving by air, the view of La Paz, the altiplano above it and the river valley where the city grows up and out, is an unforgettable sight. The valley stretches almost five km from canyon wall to canyon wall.
The river, now mostly built over, runs in northwest to southeast direction. Following the course, the city's main street changes name as it goes from one end to the other, but in the center of twon, the tree-lined section is called the Prado.