Away from the city noise of La Paz, right on the coast of the Lake Titicaca, lies the city of Copacabana, also known by many as the more touristy version of Puno. Similarly to Puno, the city is the weekend gateway for nationals but also a brief destination for the passing-by travellers.
Apart from a beautiful mirador, tasty fish gourmet food and lots of fancy bars, the top highlight of Copacabana is visiting the Isla del Sol. The island is not just any island but its the place where it is believed the Incan Empire was born and from which started to spread all over the americas.
Unfortunately, in the last couple of years there has been a huge dispute between people living in the north and south of the island and the result is that tourist are currently allowed to visit only the South. This has cut off many of the beautiful inca sites (e.g. sacrificial sites, temples, ruins and more) located in the north which were known to be the highlight of Isla del Sol.
Nowadays, visiting Isla del Sol might not be as amazing as it used to be in the past but its still a cheap nice full-day tour to enjoy a bit of tranquility.
GETTING THERE
Each and every last tour company in town offer tours (some including a guide, most just the transport) to Isla del Sol with three daily departures at 8.30am, 9.00am and 1.30pm.
In the past, getting the return ticket would mean that you could visit both the North and South part of the island and the boat connection in-between them was included. Nowadays, after parts of the island have been shut down, boats are only allowed to get to the South and therefore the typical “Isla del Sol tour” has changed a lot.
Currently, instead of visiting the North part of the island tour operators have decided to extend their reach and include a brief visit to Isla de la Luna instead. Whether you decide to spend 5h on Isla del Sol or split your trip into 2h at Isla del Sol + 1h at Isla de la Luna, the price for the boat will be the same. NOTE: If you decide to visit both islands, be aware that you’ll be spending most of your time on the boat instead of exploring on foot.
Moon Island in the background
The price of the boat ride can vary from a minimum of 30 bolivianos to 45 bolivianos, depending on which company and what the services are. The last two boats to leave Isla del Sol, after which you’ll have to overnight on the island, are at 3pm and 4pm.
HIKING ON THE ISLAND
Once again, in the past hiking the North-to-South trail was a nice walk featuring some amazing views over the island but due to the current dispute, tourist are only allowed to walk part of it (which also happen to be the least beautiful).
**IMPORTANT: Be aware that once you’ll be stepping on the pier you’ll be asked to pay 10 bolivianos to gain access to the island. This is a fee that local communities charge to visiting tourists and is applied only once per stay.**
That said, in the south there are some hiking trails that can keep you busy for a couple of hours. You can visit the ruins of Pikocaina, see the Escalinadas de Yumani and relax by the Jardin del Inca; to get some nice views over the island you can also hike up to the top of a mirador, located just after the village of Yumani.
WHERE WE STAYED
If you’re searching for accommodations in Copacabana through booking.com then you’ll find only double rooms, with shared or private bathroom, for at least 12$/night. While that can be cheap, we found out that not booking anything but going to ask door to door at all those hostels not listed on any websites can result in much cheaper rates.
Hostal Andino – This simple hostal offer clean basic rooms of all sorts, warm water and very competitive rates. Double rooms with private bathroom cost 60 bolivianos (8.5$) but what really stands out here are the double rooms with shared bathroom which only cost 40 bolivianos (5.5$). This place is a great spot for all those looking to be right in the heart of Copacabana for the cheap.
Hostal Puerto Alegre – This is where we stayed the first night (booked on booking.com) and it was a complete disaster. Even though the room was big, with a small terrace and with a private bathroom both the wifi and the breakfast here were pretty poor. And should that not be enough to keep you away from here, the hostel is located away from the centre in a pretty dodgy neighbourhood and costs 85 bolivianos (12$) per night. Avoid this place at all costs.
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