Shopping in La Paz means markets above almost everything else. The steep streets climbing from Plaza San Francisco are lined with vendors selling fruit, vegetables, wool goods, and cold-weather essentials — the kind of alpaca hats with earflaps that look absurd at sea level and become completely sensible at 3,600 metres. Alpaca and wool items are good value; check the label, as some cheaper versions are synthetic blends. Street food stalls are woven through the market streets — fresh-squeezed juice for a few bolivianos, popcorn, nuts, and handmade potato chips.
The Mercado de Hechicería (Witches' Market) on Calles Linares and Jiménez is the most distinctive shopping experience in the city. The herbs, charms, incense, and ritual objects sold here are genuinely used — not produced for tourists. The dried llama foetuses are the most-photographed items; ask before pointing a camera.
For modern supermarkets, try Ketal on Avenida Sánchez Lima 2362. If you need a mall, Hipermaxi in the Miraflores suburb is the most convenient option.