Lake Titicaca Area Travel Guide

The feature that makes Lake Titicaca most memorable is its altitude. At 12,500 feet, the lake sits at an elevation higher than many mountains, and it is the highest navigable lake in the world. The lake is 50 miles wide and 118 miles long. It contains the most fresh water of any lake in South America and has a median depth of 351 feet. At its deepest point, the lake floor is under 921 feet of water. The huge blue expanse of the lake coupled with the high Andean scenery make it a spectacular natural wonder.

The lake from Copacabana

Lake Titicaca is divided by an international border, with part of the lake and its attractions sitting inside Bolivia, the other part in Peru. The best town to use as a base for Bolivian Titicaca is Copacabana, which is about four hours from La Paz by bus.The town itself is a major pilgrimage destination, so visiting its 16th century church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, is worthwhile in its own right. The Bolivian side of the lake is home to to islands that were of great importance to the Incan religion. Isla del la Luna was where the god Viracocha dictated moonrise and moonfall, and Isla del Sol was the mythical birthplace of the Incan sun god. Both are home to some modest Incan ruins. A third island is Suriqi, the only place where boats are still fashioned from reeds. Americans need a tourist visa to visit Bolivia, and it is advisable for those entering Bolivia by crossing the lake from Peru to get one in advance. This can be done through the Bolivian Embassy.

Embassy of Bolivia
Consular Affairs
4420 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite No. 2
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-232-4827
http://www.bolivia-USA.org

A pair of inhabitated reed islands.

The best base for visitors to Peruvian Lake Titicaca is Puno, and unlike Bolivia, Americans do not need a visa to enter the country. Puno is an eight-hour overnight bus ride from Cuzco. The train takes almost as long and costs a couple of hundred of dollars, but the Andean scenery makes it one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world. Peru's Titicaca islands consist of the rugged Amantaní and Taquile. Both feature the ruins of a pre-Incan civilization, as well as small, quaint Indian farming communities. Technically, the Uros also count as Peruvian islands. These are a group of man-made islands fashioned from local reeds that float in the Titicaca shallows. Some are quite substantial and are home to full-time residents. There are usually more than 40 of these reed islands at any time.