The World's Largest Urban Cable Car Transit System Is In This Unique South American City

Mi Teleférico is the largest urban cable car system and it links two of the highest cities in the world.

Urban mass transit systems in most cities are composed mostly of buses, subway trains, and trams. But there are some cities with unique mass transit systems. Istanbul in Turkey has a particularly well-developed ferry system while the Bolivian capital of La Paz has an extraordinary new cable car system.

The cable car system in La Paz is called Mi Teleférico (meaning 'my cable car' in Spanish). La Paz is famous for being the highest capital city in the world, and it is one of the most remarkable cities to visit in South America. It is for unusual attractions like the Mi Teleférico that travelers should visit every country in South America.

La Paz is set at an altitude of around 3,650 meters (11,975 ft) above sea level, and it is surrounded by mountains. This makes it suitable for a cable car mass transit system. Whereas subway systems around the world run unimpeded below the congested streets of the surface, the Mi Teleférico goes above the congested streets.

The cable car network has been built to counter the older, stressed public transit system that just couldn't cope with the growing demands of the city. It has been built to facilitate movement between La Paz and El Alto. La Paz is located in a canyon on the Choqueyapu River, while its sister city, El Alto, is set up on the Altiplano plateau. El Alto is the highest major city in the world and is located at an altitude of around 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above sea level.

Those cities were previously only connected by congested and winding roads making their way over a steep 400-meter or 1,300-foot slope. It was often tedious driving those roads, with the buses often getting stuck in traffic jams. The cable car network has done much to relieve those pressures. The twin cities of La Paz and El Alto are the 2nd and 3rd largest cities in Bolivia.

The system has been applauded for being sustainable and for having only low levels of emissions.

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The Mi Teleférico is an aerial cable car urban transit system made up of 26 stations (or 36 if the transfer stations are included). It has ten lines, with each line being color-coded and named (the Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, White, Sky Blue, Purple, Brown, and Silver lines).

The Mi Teleférico system is not just meant to complement the mass transit system of the city; it is the backbone of the network.

The Mi Teleférico has been considered the largest urban cable car system in the world since 2014, when only 6 miles were completed. Since then, the network has grown and is now 30.6 kilometers or 19 miles long. One more line is to be completed, and then it will be 33.8 kilometers or 21 miles long.

Most of the lines can handle 4,000 passengers an hour, and each car has seating for 10 passengers. The cars depart every 12 seconds, and the network operates 17 hours daily. The network has quickly proven itself a resounding success for the twin cities.

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La Paz is now a city where it is normal to take a cable car to work at an office block. By 2018 over 230,000 people were taking the cable transportation system (likely much more now). La Paz is a unique capital city that everyone should visit (although be aware that some visitors are likely to get altitude sickness if they are not properly acclimatized).

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It is cheap and easy for visitors to ride the Mi Teleférico system while in La Paz. For more information about using the Mi Teleférico refer to the official website (only in Spanish).

Mi Teleférico is the largest cable car mass transit system of its kind in the world - but it is not the only one in South America. The Colombian city of Medellín has also been operating its Metrocable system since 2004.

Bolivia may not be as popular a destination as other countries like Peru, but it is full of places to explore. Examples of things to see and do include the Isla del Sol (an island of mythical significance to the Inca on Lake Titicaca) and the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Aaron is a first-hand traveler who has visited more than 80 countries around the world. He is passionate about traveling and opening up the world for other intrepid explorers. He can be reached on Instagram at aaronspray