Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kusijata
is a small network of well-made Inca agricultural terraces and stone irrigation
canals,oneofwhichfeedsapoolknownasthe
Baño del Inca
-possiblyaritualbath.There's
also a rather dilapidated museum with a small collection of local Inca ceramics. Even if you
can't get into the museum, the pleasant walk out along the lakeside makes the trip worth-
while.
Santiago de Okola
Northeast of Copacabana • 02 2118442 or 7154 3918,
santiagodeokola.com
• 1hr 30min by motorboat
from Isla del Sol or a 2hr 30min drive from La Paz
The traditional fishing and farming village of
SANTIAGO DE OKOLA
, on the shore of
Lake Titicaca, is home to a successful community tourism project, which gives travellers
the opportunity to experience local life. There is a range of activities on offer including
homestays, community tours, mountain biking, weaving workshops, guided walks to discov-
er the area's medicinal plants, star-gazing trips and hikes up Lurisani (Sleeping Dragon), the
rocky outcrop overlooking the village.
Isla del Sol
Just off the northern tip of the Copacabana peninsula, about 12km northwest of Copacabana,
ISLA DEL SOL
(Island of the Sun) has been attracting visitors for hundreds of years. In
the sixteenth century the island, 9km long by 6km wide at its broadest point, was one of the
most important religious sites in the Andean world, revered as the place where the sun and
moon were created and the Inca dynasty was born, and covered with shrines and temples that
attracted thousands of pilgrims. After the Spanish conquest the island was looted, and the cut
stones from its temples plundered to build churches on the mainland. But five centuries later
it's still easy to see why it was (and is) considered sacred. Surrounded by the azure Lago Tit-
icaca, with the imperious peaks of the Cordillera Real rising above the shore on the mainland
to the east, it's a place of great natural beauty and tranquillity.
IsladelSolisthelargestofthefortyorsoislandsinLagoTiticaca andhometoseveralthou-
sand Aymara campesinos. The three main settlements,
Yumani
,
Challa
and
Challapampa
,
are all on the east coast. Scattered with enigmatic ancient ruins and populated by traditional
Aymara communities, it's an excellent place to spend some time hiking and contemplating
the magnificent scenery.
