Lake Titicaca...
A name that evokes our childhood dreams, a true symbol of South America. Crossroads of the most ancient of AmerIndian civilizations, site of enormous historical significance, Lake Titicaca has fascinated explorers and conquerors alike through the ages.
Situated in a truly privileged position, between the mysterious Peru and the dizzying heights of the Royal Cordillera, it takes in the magnificent panorama of these mountain ranges. Observed from the tranquil water of Lake Titicaca, the peaks are genuinely like magnets. Aligned to each other, they form an extraordinary wall, an uninterrupted continuation of snowy heights reaching more than 6000 metres in altitude.

Let yourself be taken to the Island of the Sun, cradle of Inca mythology. It was there that Viracocha created his children: Manko Capac, the first Inca, and his sister, Mama Ollko, who went on to found the capital of the Cuzco empire.

Discover traces of ancient times on the islands: the Temple of Chinkana, the famous Temple of the Sun or the Virgin Temple on the Island of the Moon. Local beliefs here mix with the legends and it is not uncommon to hear of them from a wise person in one of the villages of Kalahuta or Tiquira. In all simplicity, around a fire, in the evening hours, under a star studded sky of crystal purity......

 

Access

Copacabana can be reach from Peru just as well as from Bolivia. From La Paz, plan 4-hour drive with the local bus. The road skirts the Cordillera Real and after an hour or so we reach the lake shores. We the cross a few coastal villages, before crossing Tiquina Strait, separating the major part of the lake from its minor counterpart. Once on the peninsula, plan an other hour drive to reach Copacabana.

 

Trek Isla del sol / Yampupata / Copacabana

Length: 2 days from Copacabana. Difficulty: 4 to 5-hour hike a day, accessible by all.

Day 1: In the morning, a motorboat takes us to the Northern side of Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). We are dropped of in the village of Challa Pampa. Visit of the Inca site of Chincana and of the Sacred Rock of the Incas, from where God Viracocha gave birth to his son Manco Capac, the first Inca.
We begin the trek that follows the crests and takes us to the south side of the Island and to the village of Yumani (3 to 4-hour walk) where are located la Fuente del Inca and the Pilkokaina ruins.
Cold lunch (included). All included. Lodging in the home of local inhabitants (basic comfort).

Day 2: Cruise by motorboat (20 mn) or rowing (1h30) to the village of Yampupata, at the end of the peninsula of Copacabana. Scenic trek through the pretty villages of Zampaya and Santa Ana, Aymara hamlets seaming to be completely cut from the rest of the world. Arrival in Copacabana in the afternoon.

 

Other trek: Yupanqui - Copacabana

Length: one day from Yupanqui. Difficulty: 5 to 6-hour walk.

We trek from one village to the next, traveling through fertile fields of quinoa, soya, chuño. Prime view over the Cordillera Real and discovery of the daily life of the warmhearted inhabitants of Lake Titicaca. Afternoon arrival in Copacabana, sacred town of the lake (A pilgrimage place for the Incas first and then the Spanish and today the Aymaras).

 

Climate

The lake enjoys a permanent micro-climate thanks to the important evaporation of it water pushing the clouds to its shores and further over
Beautiful weather year-round (be aware of sunburns!) over the deep blue waters during the day, and under the splendid star filled skies at night.

 

Geographic characteristics

At an altitude of 3800 meters, the lake is divided in two equal parts between Peru and Bolivia. 112.5 miles in length and an average of 38 miles in width, it is made of two basins (major and minor) separated by a thin land strip. To the East (Bolivian side) the Cordillera Real and its summits rising over 6000 meters (Illampu, Ancohuma, Condoriri, Huayna Potosi...). To the West, Peru which lights we can see at night.

 

Tips

Hotel La Cúpula in Copacabana. Charming setting, lake view, clean and well taken care, vegetarian restaurant. Average prices (about $ 12 US per person).
La Orilla restaurant in Copacabana. There we can eat everything or close to it, without a doubt the best restaurant in town. Do not miss the lake’s fish specialties: steelhead trout, pejerrey, ispies.... Average price.
Café Sol y Luna in Copacabana. Groovy atmosphere, almost hippy... Very pleasant and convivial.

 

Highlights

The Incas vestiges, numerous around the lake and on the islands. Warning, not all of them are spectacular or interesting, take the stories and legends told by some of the local guides with a grain of salt. They are often completely made up to make visits more interesting...
In Copacabana, the baroque cathedral and its famous black virgin. Do not miss out on the sunset over the lake from the Calvario.