Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca at 3,812 Metres

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 metres elevation and sits on the border of Peru and Bolivia. The Peruvian side has Puno as the main access city; the Bolivian side has Copacabana. Most visitors enter from Cusco in Peru (about 6 hours by bus or a morning train on the tourist rail), do the islands on the Peruvian side, then cross to Bolivia by ferry from Copacabana.

Give the altitude its due respect. Puno sits at the same elevation as the lake. Flying directly from sea level to Cusco (already at 3,400m) and then bussing up to Puno can produce altitude sickness in people who are otherwise fit. Spend two days in Cusco first, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcohol in the first 24 hours at high altitude. Coca leaf tea genuinely helps.

The Uros floating islands

The Uros are a Peruvian population who built floating islands from totora reeds on the shallow western end of the lake. Around 2,000 people live on roughly 70 artificial islands. The standard boat tour from Puno (PEN 15-30 for the launch from the port, plus a small island entry fee) takes you to one or more of the larger islands where residents demonstrate how the reed islands are constructed and maintained, and sell handicrafts.

The experience is honest about being a tourist attraction - the Uros essentially run the interaction for visitors and have done so for decades. If this bothers you, skip it; if you approach it on its own terms, it is interesting. The older island communities that are further from the tourist circuit are less frequently visited but require a more expensive private boat hire.

Isla Taquile

Taquile is a genuine Quechua-speaking community 45km from Puno that has managed its own tourism for decades. The island has no cars, no hotels from outside chains, and the weaving cooperatives produce textile work of exceptional quality - the men’s weavings are UNESCO-inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The hike from the dock to the main square is steep (300m of elevation gain at altitude) but the views across the lake are remarkable. Buy a belt or a chullo (knitted hat) here if you are going to buy anything - the prices are fixed and the quality is the real thing.

Copacabana and Isla del Sol (Bolivia)

The Bolivian town of Copacabana is small and pleasant: whitewashed buildings, fresh trout on every menu, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana rising above the main square. The ferry to Isla del Sol takes about 1.5 hours; several operators run daily services for around BOB 40-60 (roughly USD 6-8) each way.

Isla del Sol is the largest island on the lake and contains Inca ruins including the Pilko Kaina palace on the southern end and the Sacred Rock on the northern end. The classic approach is to take the boat to the north, walk the length of the island in 3-4 hours (downhill most of the way), and return from the south. The path is mostly clear; basic guesthouses in both the north and south communities offer overnight stays for around BOB 50-100 per person.

Eating in Puno and Copacabana

In Puno, Mojsa Restaurant on the main Plaza de Armas does a reliable three-course menu turístico for PEN 25-35 and is the best value for a sit-down meal. The fresh trout prepared in any of the standard Peruvian styles (fried, steamed, a la macho) is the obvious order.

In Copacabana, the restaurants along Avenida 6 de Agosto are all broadly similar; the truchas (trout) at La Orilla is reliably good and costs BOB 50-70 per plate. The sunset over the lake from the terrace is worth lingering for.