Two to three days is the ideal amount of time to stay around Copacabana, so you can really absorb the town and Lake Titicaca without feeling hurried. This window also makes room for an overnight trip to Isla del Sol, plus time to wander the local highlights at a calmer pace.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana is a well-known Spanish colonial shrine from the 1500s, sitting in Copacabana, Bolivia. Inside it, there is the admired statue of the Virgen de Copacabana, who is considered the patron of the country, so it ends up being one of South America’s biggest Catholic pilgrimage places, you could…
Going across from Copacabana toward Peru usually means about a 15-minute drive to the Kasani border checkpoint. At the checkpoint, you first have to leave Bolivia by getting a passport stamp, then you walk over the border a short distance to reach the Peruvian immigration office where your entry stamp is issued. For an easier…
Yes, Lake Titicaca can be exceptionally cold for swimming in any season, with average surface water temperatures landing roughly between 10°C and 14°C, which is about 50°F to 57°F. Without a thick wetsuit, staying in those frigid waters for any length of time becomes a serious hazard, because hypothermia can set in. The chill is…
Lake Titicaca sits up at about 3,812 metres, 12,507 feet above sea level. For many people, it can feel unreal, and the odd part is that this is also why it becomes the highest lake on Earth that large commercial ships can actually navigate on. Since it is placed so high, when visitors come in…
Boat tours on Lake Titicaca can be booked pretty easily, directly at the main ports in Copacabana (Bolivia) or Puno (Peru). You can go through local travel agencies, or you can try the dock kiosks. If you are travelling alone, you can just arrive in the morning and then grab tickets for shared passenger ferries….
The straight distance across Lake Titicaca, from Puno, Peru, to Copacabana, Bolivia, is about 140 km (87 miles), give or take. If you go by road, the trip between these two big tourist hubs usually takes around three to four hours by bus, plus the border formalities at Kasani. Lake Titicaca is huge, spanning 8,372…
Isla de la Luna is fully worth visiting, especially if you are into ancient history and like seeing well-preserved remains. It feels way quieter, less commercialised, than Isla del Sol, and that alone makes the trip feel calmer, more personal. The main focus is the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun, also called Iñak…
Yes, you can sleep on Isla del Sol, and there are a bunch of stays available, from basic, locally run hostel-style spots to more pleasant eco-lodges. Most of the places to stay seem to gather around the southern village of Yumani, so you can catch some really striking sunset views over Lake Titicaca. It stands…
To go to Isla del Sol, travellers really have to use a public ferry or hire a private motorboat leaving from the port area in Copacabana, which is on Lake Titicaca. The ride usually is around 90 minutes, and it ends at either the northern harbour, called Challapampa, or the southern one, Yumani. Most days,…