Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lago Titicaca
An immense, sapphire-blue lake sitting astride the border with Peru at the northern end of the
Altiplano,
LAGO TITICACA
is one of the classic images of Bolivia, and few scenes are
more evocative of the country than the sight of a poncho-clad fisherman paddling across its
azure waters against the backdrop ofsnowcapped mountains. Set at an altitude of3810m, and
measuring 190km by 80km, it's by far the biggest high-altitude body of water in the world -
the remnant of an ancient inland sea formed as the Andes were thrust up from the ocean floor.
The surrounding area is the heartland of the
Aymara
, whose language and culture have sur-
vived centuries of domination. The lake itself is rich in fish, and the water it contains stores
the heat of the sun and then releases it overnight, raising average temperatures around its
shores, making the region one of the most productive in the high Andes. Lago Titicaca is fed
by a number of rivers that carry rainfall down from the Cordillera Real and across the Alti-
plano, though none of its waters ever reaches the sea, and almost ninety percent of the lake's
water loss is through evaporation (the rest is drained by its only outlet, the Río Desaguadero).
The water level in the lake fluctuates sharply with slight variations in rainfall; since 2000
levels have fallen to historic lows.
Titicaca has always played a major role in Andean religious conceptions. As the biggest
body of water in this arid region, it's considered a powerful female deity that controls climate
and rainfall, and the Incas believed the creator god Viracocha rose from its waters, calling
forth the sun and moon to light up the world. The Incas also claimed their own ancestors
came into being here, and the remains of their shrines and temples can be seen on
Isla del Sol
and nearby
Isla de la Luna
, whose serene beauty and tranquillity is a highlight of any visit to
the lake. Nor did Lago Titicaca lose its religious importance with the advent of Christianity:
Bolivia's most important Catholic shrine is in
Copacabana
, the lakeside town closest to Isla
del Sol.
