Peace at the top of the world
High in the Bolivian Andes, where the air is thinner and the light turns everything to gold, is Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable body of water.
I have hopped on a bus from Puno on the Peruvian side of the lake, towards its Bolivian shores. Along the way, the bus stops at a money exchange, quaintly named Your Small Bank, so I can get some bolivianos. Cash still rules in these parts.
My first glimpse of Lake Titicaca from the Bolivian side. Even a border town looks pretty with that view.
Border formalities are easy enough, if a bit time-consuming. It’s a popular crossing.
I am here to hike on Isla del Sol, so let’s head out in the lake, to the first ever place the sun appeared. So say the Incas. And why not? It is no less plausible than claims by any other religion.
But first, the gateway.
Copacabana
On this side of Lake Titicaca, is cute and colourful Copacabana. The original one, that gave name to the beach in Rio, centuries later. Copacabana – or kata kahuana – means view of the lake.
This chill little town is more than just a stepping stone to the mystical island, though. It’s a place I would have liked to linger for a while.
Life on the lakeshore
In the heart of Copacabana is the so-white-it-hurts-your-eyes Basilica of Our Lady, a striking blend of Moorish arches and Andean devotion. Pilgrims come from across Bolivia and Peru to honour the Virgin. She performs miracles, yo. Just like the one in Medugorje.
Outside, locals bring their cars to be blessed! They drape them in flowers, ribbons, and tiny bottles of champagne.
Next stop is the market, where fresh fruit abounds. I’m curious about the red bananas. Turns out, they taste of raspberry, and brim with betakaroten, iron, potassium and Vitamin C.
Moving right along, we find Paseo de las Pasancallas, where you can buy… why, pasancallas, of course. This popcorn-like local snack is so popular, an entire street is dedicated to the trade.
Look up, and you’ll see a cross high up on a hill. This is Cerro Calvario, named after Calvary Hill, just outside Jerusalem, where a world-famous execution is said to have taken place, some 2,000 years ago.
My guide for the day, Rudi, tells me the path up to Calvario winds past small shrines, marked by offerings and flickering candles. From the summit, Copacabana spreads out below like a painting: whitewashed walls, terracotta roofs, the shimmering lake. That little trek would have been a perfect prelude to what awaits across the water. I wish I were staying in town overnight.
The Road to Calvary
But my time is limited, so a stroll to the lake front will have to do. That, and lunch. A 3-hour bus journey makes you hungry.
Along Avenida 6 de Agosto, Copacabana’s main street, hostels, cafés, and craft stalls line the road, selling handmade textiles, steaming bowls of quinoa soup and everything in between.
Lunch is at Juyra, this cheerful little restaurant along the avenida. I can recommend Lake Titicaca trout.
Crossing to the home of the sun
It’s 13.30 and time to catch the boat.
Down in the harbour, the air is crisp, and the blue lake looks like glass, surrounded by rolling hills and faraway snow peaks. It’s silent out here; all I hear is the gentle putter of the engine. On the horizon, the water merges with the sky. I can see why the Incas believed this place was sacred.
After 1.5 hours, we dock at the southern end of the island, where the only way onward is a steep hill with stone steps carved out.
‘Ready to climb to the top?’ asks Rudi, reminding me to take it slow, as we’re at 3,800-metre altitude.
‘It will only take 1 hour,’ he says. ‘Maybe a little more. Although,’ he continues, ‘I hiked with a man a few days ago. It took 3 hours to the top. But then he was almost 60.’
Hm, maybe I should have mentioned…
Up we go!
That’s our boat down there
Templo del Sol
A ways up, is the Temple of the Sun, on a western ridge above the lake.
Rough stone walls aligned with the sun’s path, overlook the endless blue below. The structure is simple yet oddly powerful, despite the missing top floor. It collapsed, possibly due to looting in the era of the Spanish conquistadores.
Standing there in the wind, I imagine an Inca priestess lighting fires at dawn, greeting the day, as the first rays of sunlight rise over Lake Titicaca.
View from the temple – and food for the imagination
Along the path are stone terraces and patches of greenery. The air smells of eucalyptus. And earth.
On top is Yumani, one of two villages on the island. It looks like a relaxing place to hang out and just take in the views. Terraces curl around the hillsides, herders guide donkeys…
Did the climb in 40 minutes!! Altitude sickness, you’ve got nothing on me. (Never mind, my legs feel wobbly like jello.)
The Sacred Spring and the Escalera del Inca
We wander along, and soon reach an ancient stairway with uneven steps, each one polished smooth by centuries of feet.
About halfway down, is the Fuente del Inca, an old Inca fountain built into a mossy stone wall.
Cool water pours from three carved spouts, each representing one of the Inca’s guiding principles: ama sua, ama llulla, ama quella. Do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy, in Quechua.
I’m a bit surprised the last one isn’t ‘do not kill’. Being lazy is a worse sin?
Locals say the water has healing powers. Drinking it can bring good fortune or even eternal youth. I’ll settle for listening to the sound of the steady trickle of the spring. It’s an inviting little nook here. I could easily lose track of time.
But I have a boat to catch. Last one of the day. Before I walk down the Inca Stairway, I stop for a final look at the landscape below: terraced fields, adobe houses, and a sweeping view of the lake that glimmers all the way to the Andes.
Back in the day, the Inca Stairway was used for ceremonial processions. It connected the sacred waters below with the temples in the hills above.
Along the escalera, stand the mythical Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, children of the sun good Inti, siblings (and spouses), who, according to Inca legend, emerged from Lake Titicaca to bring order and civilisation to humankind. And thus the Inca kingdom was born.
Down at the dock, the lake spreads out before me, still and shining. There are no cars on the island. No engines, no noise, just the wind and the sound of footsteps.
Returning to Copacabana
Between the sacred stories, the mirror-blue lake, and the quiet rhythm of the island, well, it certainly feels like there is something ancient and enduring here, a quiet reminder to slow down enough to notice it.
The boat journey back to Copacabana is also quiet. For the whole trip, I am all alone on the roof of the boat.
The sun slips lower, painting the water in gold and violet. From the deck, I look back at the silhouette of the island, think of the Inca legend about the sun. And suddenly it does not seem so far-fetched that it could have been born here. Or is it the altitude talking…?
Back in Copa, I wish I had time to stop by the middle terrace there. Doesn’t it look cosy?
But the bus to Puno waits for no one. Onwards to the border!
The border gate between Bolivia and Peru
Copacabana and Isla del Sol practicals
Getting to Copacabana: Busses run from La Paz (about 4.5 hrs) and Puno in Peru (3 hrs with a stop at the Peruvian-Bolivian border).
Isla del Sol: boats depart Copacabana twice daily, at 08.30 and 13.30. The trip takes 1.5 hours each way. You can buy tickets at the dock for 40 Bolivianos return – ca 5EUR/6USD. (Price as at September 2025)
Where to Stay: In Copacabana, there are guesthouses and comfortable hotels. On the island, you can stay in simple hostels in Yumani on the south side or Challapampa on the north side.
Best Season: April – October (dry season) for clear skies and calm water.
Bring: Water, sun cream, layers, solid shoes, and cash (no cash points/ATMs on the island).
Altitude: 3,800 – 4,000 metres. Walk slowly and stay hydrated.
Hiking the sacred Island of the Sun is a post from Sophie’s World