Saying Goodbye to the Souls
Once a year, families in La Paz prepare food, bread, flowers, drinks and memories for loved ones who have died.
On 2 November, it is time to say goodbye.
November 2 · 11:30 AM · $20
Todos Santos is about memory, family and the relationship people continue to have with those who have died.
On 2 November, families prepare to say goodbye to the souls after the period of welcoming and remembering them.
During this Special Edition, we travel through La Paz to see how that farewell takes different forms — from religious spaces and cemeteries to a real family gathering.
We begin with the Catholic side of Todos Santos and introduce an important idea for the rest of the experience: Catholic and Andean practices do not necessarily exist separately. For many families, they coexist.
As we travel towards the cemeteries, we talk about what families prepare for Todos Santos and how food, bread, flowers and memory become part of the farewell.
A cemetery built by its neighbourhood La Llamita grew from the surrounding community rather than as a planned municipal cemetery. During Todos Santos, thousands of people come here to visit relatives, bring flowers and food, pray and take part in the farewell of the souls.
The General Cemetery is one of the most important places to experience 2 November in La Paz. It is much larger and busier than La Llamita, with families visiting graves, bringing flowers, sharing food, praying and preparing to say goodbye.
The final part of the experience is the most personal. We join a local family during their despedida, the moment when relatives and those around them accompany the souls as Todos Santos comes to an end. This is not a staged activity created for tourists. It is a real family tradition that we are invited to witness and, when appropriate, participate in respectfully.
Photography is only allowed with the family's permission. Their gathering comes first. Our visit comes second.
Todos Santos exists for the families who practise it — not for our tour.
We do not ask people to repeat prayers, rituals or actions for photographs.
We do not treat cemeteries as attractions.
We do not turn grief or belief into entertainment.
Your guide will tell you when photography is appropriate and when it is better to simply observe.
Our role is to help you understand what is happening while allowing the celebration to remain what it already is.
