Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and where the Inca dynasty was born.
Scattered with enigmatic ancient ruins
and populated by traditional Aymara
communities, Isla del Sol is an excellent
place to spend some time hiking and
contemplating the magnificent scenery.
Measuring 9.5km long and 6.5km across
at its widest point, the Isla del Sol is the
largest of the forty or so islands in Lake
Titicaca, with three main settlements
- Yumani, Ch'alla and Ch'allapampa.
You can visit the island, along with
nearby Isla de la Luna (see opposite),
on a day- or even half-day trip from
Copacabana, but it's really worth
spending at least one night on the island
to appreciate fully its serene beauty.
a forty-minute walk northwest along an
easy-to-follow path to the Santuario
(8am-6pm; small fee), a ruined Inca site
built around the sacred rock where the
creator god Viracocha is believed to have
created the sun and moon. Nearby is
the Chincana (daily 8am-6pm; small fee),
an Inca complex of rambling interlinked
rooms, plazas and passageways. Broadly,
expect to be asked to pay B$10 for
exploration of the island's northern sites,
and B$5 each for the southern sights
and centre.
There's a smaller but evocative
multi-roomed Inca site called Pilko Kaina
(sometimes Pilcocaina) a thirty-minute
walk from Yumani. Overlooking the lake,
one room, whose small window is aligned
with Isla de la Luna, floods with light at
sunrise. If you want to experience this,
a good option is to lodge with the Pusari
family (call Gonzalo on T 71281710),
who live next door to the complex.
2
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The best way to see the Isla del Sol is to
walk the length of the island from
Yumani in the south to Ch'allapampa in
the north (or the other way round) - a
two- to three-hour hike. When you land,
you may be asked to pay a charge of B$5
to the island community. From the
lakeshore at Yumani , where most boats
dock, an Inca stairway, the Escalera del
Inca , runs steeply up to the village
through a natural amphitheatre covered
by some of the finest Inca agricultural
terracing on the island, irrigated by
bubbling stone canals fed by a natural
spring believed to have magic powers.
About an hour and a half north of
Yumani lies the quiet village of Ch'alla,
which sits above a calm bay, and from
where the path drops to Playa Ch'alla ,
a picturesque stretch of sand. About an
hour's walk from Ch'alla is the island's
northernmost settlement, Ch'allapampa ,
a pleasant and peaceful village founded
by the Incas as a centre for the nearby
ceremonial complexes. From here it's
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By boat Full- and half-day boat tours to the Isla del Sol
leave every morning from the beach at the end of Av 6 de
Agosto in Copacabana - boats usually depart at around
8am for a full day (B$35 return), returning around 5.30pm.
Half-day tours to the south (B$25) will only give you a few
hours on the island and are hardly worth the effort.
ACCOMMODAT ION
Yumani is home to the majority of the island's accommo-
dation, most of which offers sporadic (and usually cold)
water, and basic conditions. There are also a couple of
simple but friendly places to stay in Ch'allapampa. Most
places charge B$40-60 per night for private double rooms.
CH'ALLAPAMPA
Alojamiento Nelly Head left from the dock for around a
minute and look for the blue door on the right-hand side
of the main tr ack. Basic, but well run by a sweet family.
Doubles B$50
TOURS
There are numerous private boats and tour companies making the trip to the islands.
TOUR OPERATORS
Crillon Tours Av Camacho 1223, La Paz T 02
2337533, W titicaca.com. La Paz agency that runs a
variety of pricey one-, two- and three-day tours, with
accommodation at their ecolodge on the Isla del Sol.
Transturin Av Arce 2678, La Paz T 02 2422222,
W transturin.com. One- and two-day catamaran
cruises to the Isla del Sol, with a night on board at the
north side of the island and a tour of their fascinating
Inti Wata “cultural complex”.
 
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