alasitas 2025, ready to dream?
January 2025
Happy to have you here again!
Welcome to a fresh travel blog straight from La Paz, Bolivia. My goal is to inspire you and share the best travel tips to make your trip as smooth and joyful as possible. Let’s dive into this week’s highlights!
A Quick Update from Café del Mundo
January is usually a quieter month for travel in La Paz, so we thought it was the perfect time for a kitchen renovation at Café del Mundo.
Well, we were wrong! Amazing travelers from all over the world came pouring in, ready to explore La Paz and Bolivia. With a smaller kitchen than usual, things got a bit chaotic behind the scenes. But thanks to your patience and our team's incredible spirit, we’re now back on track with a better kitchen and fresh energy!
Thank you for being part of our journey!
The Magic of Alasitas: A Unique Bolivian Tradition
So, what are your dreams this year? Traveling more? Finding love? Buying a house or starting a new adventure?
At the Alasitas fair, starting this 24th of January here in La Paz, you can bring your dreams to life in miniature form. This fair is all about buying tiny replicas of what you wish for houses, money, passports, diplomas, and even food packets.
These miniatures symbolize your dreams, and once you have them, you take them to a yatiri (an Andean priest) for a special blessing. The blessing, performed through traditional rituals, is said to help your dreams come true. Sounds like a fairytale? In La Paz, it’s tradition!
Alasitas is also a celebration of Ekeko, the Andean god of abundance, and a time to honor hope, creativity, and gratitude.
It’s such a meaningful event that it’s been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world’s cultural heritage. This is where Bolivians, and visitors, come to dream big and trust in a little extra help from Ekeko. Do I join this tradition as a Swede living in Bolivia? Absolutely! Who would want to stay out of something so special? Every year, I buy mini health certificates for my family, passports for new adventures, symbols of abundance for work, and tiny food packages, because why not? For me, it’s also about being a part the culture and letting a little Andean magic into my life. And if it actually works? Even better!
What to Expect at Alasitas
Starting today, the 24th the fair is set up all over the city, including near San Francisco Church. From tomorrow, it will move to Parque Urbano Central (put Google Maps for the exact location) and it will stay there until the Carnaval!
At the fair:
At the fair, you’ll find colorful stalls filled with tiny cars, houses, diplomas, and passports, symbols of dreams waiting to come true. The air is filled with the scent of delicious mini street foods like anticuchos, mini hot dogs, and sweet pastries, while lively music plays and yatiris perform rituals to bless your miniatures. The vibrant energy and hopeful atmosphere make Alasitas a truly magical place where Bolivian traditions and dreams come together.
How to Enjoy the Fair
Pro Tip:
The best time to visit is in the afternoon or evening when more stalls are open, and it’s easier to find yatiris.
Visit on Your Own or Join a Tour
You can explore Alasitas on your own anytime, but if you want a deeper experience, join our Travel del Mundo tour. We’ll guide you through the fair’s history, traditions, and food, making it even more special.
Ask us at Café del Mundo for more info or message us on WhatsApp.
Share Your Dreams with Café del Mundo
After your visit, don’t forget to stop by Café del Mundo! We’ve got special Alasitas offers waiting for you. Plus, if you take a picture of your 2025 dream and tag us on Instagram @cafedelmundobolivia, we’ll treat you to a mini Alasitas cappuccino.
Dream Big, Start Small
So, if you’re ready to dream big this year, start small with a visit to the magical Alasitas fair. It’s a celebration of spirit, tradition, and wishes coming true all here in La Paz, Bolivia.
