Bolivia – Maldo Travels

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 4

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 20:14:00 +0000

On this final day, it’s a very early morning 5 AM start to leave in time to catch the sunrise. Our sunrise spot is at Isla Incahuasi and it takes about 30 minutes to get there. The entrance fee costs 30 BOB¹ and we got there at around 6.10 AM. The sun was already rising by this time so we quickly headed up to a viewpoint to catch the rest of the sunrise. We spent about 40 minutes watching the sunrise and exploring the island. The island is mainly made of rocks and has many cactus plants scattered around. Once we were done walking around the island, we went back down where our guide was waiting for us with breakfast. There are several tables and chairs outside the island entrance where we had breakfast. During breakfast the guide gave us some more info on the salt flats, telling us that it used to be a lake that dried out approximately 10,000 years ago. He also said that the white salt we see on top is just one layer resulting from the last lake that dried out. There are a total of 11 layers which means 11 lakes have gone extinct here. After breakfast, the guide said we could walk around the island whilst he put everything away.

We then left at around 8.40 AM to go deeper into the salt flats for a photo session. We stopped at around 9.30 AM in the middle of the salt flats. Other than the odd mountain in the distant horizon, all you could see was the white salt terrain. The view was truly incredible and great for pictures. The guide took out a toy dinosaur for some pictures, playing around with perspective. We spent about 30 minutes taking pictures before continuing to the first salt hotel. The salt hotel is no longer operational since it was closed down due to being built illegally in a protected site. So now you can just wander around inside to see what it was like. At this site, there is also the Plaza de las Banderas where you’ll find flags from all over the world. There’s also a Dakar Monument nearby a short walk away. Once we were done walking around and taking pictures, we continue across the salt flats to our lunch stop in Colchani.

On the way, we first pass by the Ojos del Salar which is where water from underground rivers below the salt flats surface. The guide stops quickly for us to take pictures but we don’t get out. Continuing a little further down, we come across the Montones de Sal. These are piles of salt which are extracted and taken to the nearby town of Colchani to be processed. Again it’s just a quick pause for pictures and then continuing to Colchani. We arrive in Colchani at around 11.30 AM. It’s a small town and the guide says we can walk around the arts and crafts market while we wait for lunch. He mentioned that the souvenirs here were cheaper than in Uyuni so we bought a couple here. We were done with lunch by around 12.30 PM and continued to the last site – the Train Cemetery. It was a quick 30-minute drive there and we pass Uyuni to get there. We spend about 20 minutes here walking around, taking pictures of the abandoned train skeletons. Some have pretty cool graffiti designs on them. Once we’re done with this, the guide takes us to the Uyuni city center to drop us off near the bus terminal. He shows us where we can get bus tickets to our next destination – Calama, Chile. We just missed the last bus as we saw it pull away, so we had to look for accommodation and booked the first bus out the next day.

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 3

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 21:21:00 +0000

It’s another early 6.30 AM start for breakfast at our lodge in Laguna Colorada. We then load our bags onto the Jeep and leave around 7.30 AM. It’s a short drive to our first stop – Árbol de Piedra (Rock Tree) – arriving at around 8.15 AM. Located in the Siloli Desert, the iconic rock in the form of a tree sits among a field of large rocks. Our guide said these were volcanic rocks that had been shaped by winds reaching 200 Km/h over hundreds of years. We were given around 25 minutes to walk around and managed to get some great pictures. We then get back on the Jeep and drive through the Siloli Desert towards a stretch of lakes.

We arrive at the first stop at Lake Honda at around 9.15 AM. We first stopped at a viewpoint for a panoramic view of the lake and then headed down to the lake. From the bottom, you can see the lake has a mirror effect reflecting the mountain landscape. Next, we continue for another 30 minutes to Lake Hedionda. We saw a couple of birds at this lake and walked about for about 10 minutes before getting back on the Jeep to head to the next lake. While driving we passed Lake Charcota and then reached Lake Cañapa. There were some more birds at this lake so we spent around 10 minutes walking around.

Then it was back to the Jeep and off to the viewpoint of the active Volcano Ollagüe. We reached the viewpoint at around 11.45 AM. There was a rock that you can climb up to take some pictures. We spent about 15 minutes here before continuing to another lake. I believe this lake was Laguna Negra (Black Lake) due to its dark color. Opposite the lake, there some more rocks dispersed in the desert. This was a quick 10 minute stop before heading to the last destination before lunch – Valle de Rocas (Rock Valley). It was only a 10-15 minute drive to get to this valley. Many rocks are laying all over the place in this valley, but the most iconic one was named the headless condor. This rock formation looked like a condor taking flight with only its head missing. We’re only here for 5 minutes to step out and take a picture since everyone was getting hungry by 1.30 PM. So it was onwards to the small village of Villa Alota where we had lunch in what seemed to normally be a restaurant. There are restroom facilities here which cost 2 BOB¹ per person.

Once we finished lunch, we continued towards the Uyuni Salt Flats. On our way, we passed through a scenic valley where we stopped to take pictures at the bottom of the valley and then when we reached the top. Shortly after, we also came across some plains where we saw llamas grazing in the field so we stopped there for some pictures. What was particularly interesting was how it looked like the wall of the mountains had been cut to make way for the road. Next, we arrived at the small town of Julaca which has railway tracks running through the middle of the town. There is a bar/restaurant in the town we visited where you can buy drinks and snacks. There was also an abandoned decaying train by the railway tracks which we climbed to take a picture. From here, we were now in the final leg of our journey to the Uyuni Salt Flats.

We were a little ahead of schedule so the guide suggested visiting some caverns before the sunset at the salt flats. The group agreed so it was a quick visit to Hell’s Cavern. The entrance tickets were 15 BOB each. As you step in, the cavern is dark until the site’s guide turns on the lights. He then hands out helmets before going deeper into the cavern. Some crouching and squeezing through gaps are involved but it’s a small cavern and takes about 15 minutes to complete. We then drove into the salt flats for about 30 minutes arriving at our sunset spot at around 5.45 PM. We stayed here to watch the sun fall behind some mountains. Following the sunset, it’s back on the Jeep to head to the hotel around 6.25 PM. Our hotel was made of salt and here we were allocated rooms between 2 people. There were shower facilities here as well which cost 10 BOB each. The dining area is on the first floor and dinner is served around 8 PM. There are sockets in the dining area if you need to charge any electronic devices. The rooms are basic but comfortable for a good night’s sleep.

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 2

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 21:43:00 +0000

Our day starts at around 7.30 AM to have breakfast at our lodge in Quetena Chico. We then load our bags onto the Jeep and set out by 8.30 AM. When passing by Quetena Grande, we saw a herd of llamas and alpacas walking through the town and grazing in the fields. Our guide pointed out how the animals are marked on their ears to know who they belong to. He also explained how in these small villages, the local indigenous law applies which has serious repercussions for stealing livestock which includes death. As we continue deeper into the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, we reach Lake Hedionda at around 9.30 AM. This lake has a mirror effect because there is no wind. It was formed by glacial waters and minerals from a volcano about 100 years ago. The volcano minerals make the lake toxic which means there’s no life in this lake. You can see the minerals washing up on the shores which form white foam-like deposits. It’s a short 10-minute stop here before heading to Lake Kollpa arriving there around 9.50 AM. At this lake, we found flamingos resting at the lake. Our guide gave us some information on the species and then said when going to the lake, to walk slowly towards them as they startle easily. Surely enough he was right and we couldn’t get close enough for a good close up shot of the flamingos. It’s best to have a camera with a telephoto lens for close-ups. We had about 30 minutes at this lake to walk around before getting back on the Jeep.

Our next destination was the Chalviri Salt Flats. We arrived around 10.45 AM and first stopped higher up for a panoramic view before continuing further down for a closer view of the salt flats. Next, we head to the Dali’s Desert getting there at around 11.15 AM. This desert has been named that way due to it looking like the painter’s Dali’s paintings even though the artist had never visited the site. It’s a great spot for some screensaver worthy pictures. It’s a quick stop here as well before making our way to the The Green Lake and The White Lake reaching around 12.10 PM. These two lakes sit side by side with Volcano Licancabur in the background. Again this is a great spot for pictures and we were lucky to have had such clear blue skies.

We then head back on the road we came from to the thermal hot springs of Polques near the Chalviri Salt Flats. We reach around 1.25 PM and immediately head to the pools. The entrance tickets cost 6 BOB¹ each and the site provides changing room facilities and showers. There are two pools; the water is hotter in the higher pool and the water has a slightly pungent smell from the minerals. The minerals are supposed to detox your skin and it’s a nice relaxing way to chill overlooking the lagoon while waiting for lunch. We’re called in for lunch at around 2.10 PM in the site’s dining area. Once we’re done eating and getting changed, we leave for our next destination at around 2.50 PM. Our next site is the Tomorrow’s Sun Geysers arriving around 3.25 PM. Several geysers are spewing hot mud with the largest one throwing a cloud of hot gasses into the air. There are strong pungent smells at the site, especially as you walk through the cloud of gasses to get to the other geysers. Our guide said temperatures are around 96 degrees Celsius. He also told us to be careful and not get too close to the edges since the ground there can be unstable. After exploring the area and taking pictures, we left for our lodge in Lake Colorada at around 3.45 PM.

En route to our lodge, we passed some frozen shards which our guide said were formed by the strong winds. We reached Lake Colorada by 4.30 PM. This lake stands at almost 4300 meters and is mostly a reddish color with blue and white patches. We quickly unload our bags and then set out to hike up to the viewpoint at 4.50 PM. The trail is easy to follow but the terrain gets muddy at one point so take appropriate footwear. We got to the top of the viewpoint by 5.15 PM. You get great views of the lake from up here as sunset approaches. We had to leave before the sun sets, however, there’s a hill behind the lodge where you can catch the sunset between 6 and 7 PM. Temperatures are freezing so make sure you take very warm clothing. The lodge is quite rudimentary but has hot shower facilities for 5 BOB. We had a shared room between our group of 5 and there was a dining area where dinner was served around 8 PM. Following dinner, we stayed in the dining area playing card games with the group before heading to bed. This was probably the coldest place we stayed at in the 4-day tour, with temperatures falling well below zero to around -8 degrees Celsius. Several blankets are provided but the sleeping bag helped here.

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 1

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 22 Sep 2018 21:18:00 +0000

When we were in La Paz, we went to the main terminal to buy our tickets for Tupiza which cost 160 BOB¹ each plus 2.50 BOB for the terminal fee which is paid at departure. It was an overnight 10-hour 30-minute journey to Tupiza. The seats were the most comfortable I’ve ever been on since they turned into a bed by reclining 180 degrees and the footrest came up so you could lay completely flat. The Tupiza terminal is close to the Independence Plaza which is where you can find several shops, restaurants, and tour agencies. Once we got there, we immediately went looking for a 4 days and 3 nights tour to the Salar de Uyuni. After asking at several places, we decided to go with Valle Hermoso Tours since they seemed to have good reviews. The tour which included meals, shared accommodation, a guide, and transportation dropping us off at Uyuni came to 1300 BOB. All agencies charge a service fee if you pay by credit card so it’s better to pay cash due to the large payment. Note that if you have to withdraw money, the highest ATM limit I found in Tupzia was 2000 BOB. So if you’re paying for multiple people, keep that in mind.

Setting out from Tupiza

The meeting point was at the Valle Hermoso Hostel at 7 AM for breakfast with the rest of the group we would be going with. Our group was a total of 5 people plus the driver/guide. There was also another Jeep with a group of 4 who also left with us. As soon as everyone was done with breakfast, we set out at around 7.30 AM. The first stop is El Sillar which is a short 30-minute drive from Tupiza. At this viewpoint, we get to see some interesting red rock formations. We’re only here for about 10-15 minutes to take some pictures before continuing. The next stop is at the Awana Pampa plains. We pull up by the road and have some time to wander around. There’s a small hill you can climb to get some panoramic shots of the landscape. We make a couple of stops to rest and take pictures of the different landscapes along the journey. For lunch, we arrive at the small town of San Pablo de Lipez. We go inside what looks like a communal house which has some tables and chairs. The driver then preps some food with help from the locals.

Following lunch, we head to the Ghost Town. Once at the site, the guide drops us off at the top of the hill and tells us to walk down where we’ll find a site official to pay the entrance fee. Our guide then said that he’ll pick us up from the bottom in the town. You get some great views from the top of the hill and the trail down is easy to follow. The site official collects the 15 BOB entrance fee from everyone and gives some history of the site. He then points us in the direction of where to go and meet our guide/driver. We continue down and through the ghost town, walking past abandoned decaying buildings. You can make out the remains of what looks to have been a church. At the bottom, there are toilet facilities which you can use before continuing. The next main stop is Lake Morejón. This lake stands at 4855 meters above sea level with a beautiful mountain landscape sitting behind it. At this altitude the weather is cold and windy, so we stayed just long enough to take a couple of pictures before running back to the warmth in the Jeep. Our journey then continues towards the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve. There’s a checkpoint just before reaching Quetena Chico. Everyone has to register here with their passport and pay the 150 BOB ticket. There’s also a stamp here which you can put on your passport.

We then arrive at our lodging for the night just as the sun finishes setting. We unload our bags and settle down in our room while dinner is being prepared. The room is shared between the 5 people in our room. Dinner is served in the dining area around 7 PM. The lights are kept on until around 9 PM so we spent some time playing cards with the other travelers until then. Once it’s lights out, you have to use a torch or the flashlight from your phone to get around as there are no lights in the rooms or outside. The bathrooms are also in another building so you have to step outside to get to the other building if you need the toilet or want to have a shower. It’s quite cold in the room but there are several blankets and our tour provided us with sleeping bags as well. This was enough to keep us warm throughout the night. Facilities are rudimentary but comfortable enough a place to get a good night’s sleep.

Valle de la Luna – Quad Biking

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 18:48:00 +0000

When looking for tours, most required you to make your way to Valle de la Luna so we decided to just head there and rent quad bikes there. Valle de la Luna is in Mallasa, and we were told we would need to take 2 buses to get there from the Witches Market area where we were staying. So instead, we decided to take a taxi there for 40 BOB¹ which was interestingly cheaper than an Uber². The drive there took about 30 minutes and we got to Mallasa at around 10.30 AM. We asked the driver where we could rent quad bikes and he dropped us off near there. We found 2 places and they both quoted the same price of 200 BOB for a 2-hour 30-minute guided tour. There is also a 1-hour option and a 5-hour option and they show you on a map what routes you’d be able to complete. You need to have a valid driver’s license plus your passport to be able to rent the quad bikes. One of the staff travels with you to take you to the different stops on the route. Before setting out, your given some time to ride laps around the block to get used to the quad bike. They show you the controls and it’s similar to a motorbike if you’ve ever ridden one. If you haven’t, it’s pretty simple to pick up. Also, the quad bikes are semi-automatic so you put the gears up and down, but don’t have to worry about clutch control to prevent stalling the bike.

The 2-hour 30-minute Route

On this route, there were 4 destinations. To get to the first one, it’s about a 5-10 minute ride to a control point where an official checks your license. The guide takes your license and talks to the police officer to tell him he’s taking you on a tour. Once past that checkpoint, we ride for another 10 minutes on paved roads to the first stop which is a viewpoint. From here, you get a view of the small surrounding villages and the landscape with the outskirts of La Paz in the distance. We stop here for about 5 minutes and then continue for another 20 minutes to the next destination. In this leg we move off the paved road to dirt roads so it gets quite dusty. The second destination is a plain with mountains that have interesting moon-like formations in the background.

We then ride another 5 minutes towards the mountains. This is when the quad biking gets a little thrilling as there some steep climbs and winding roads to climb the mountain. Once we reach the mountain, you get a great view of the plain and the mountain landscape in the background. You can also climb to the top of the mountain for some great pictures of the other side. From the top, you get to see rolling hills with these moon-like rock formations. We spent about 15-20 minutes here before continuing to the final stop. It takes about 15 minutes to reach this last stop going through steep climbs and winding roads, passing by a town. This final viewpoint was one of my favorites. It has a narrow path stretching out of the mountain and makes for great pictures. The landscape is of surrounding towns and mountain landscape with La Paz in the distance. We spent about 15 minutes here before riding 30 minutes back to Mallasa to return the quad bikes. Once back at the town, we asked how to get back to La Paz and they showed us where the bus stops. We waited for about 15 minutes for the bus which took us to the Universidad area dropping us off at Las Torres Mall. The bus ride took about 30 minutes and cost 2 BOB each.

Death Road – Mountain Bike Tour

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 22:07:00 +0000

We booked our tour the day before for 380 BOB¹ each. The pick up was from our hotel at around 6 AM but they ended up coming at 7 AM due to heavy traffic. It was a small tour group with only 4 people plus the guide and the minivan driver. From La Paz, it was about an hour and a half to the starting point of the bike ride which is at a magnificent viewpoint. We stopped at a toll station on the way where there were stalls to buy drinks and snacks. If you didn’t buy any snacks beforehand, I’d recommend picking some up here. Once at the starting point, we’re given full gear to put on and get some time to try out the bikes. Then when everyone is ready, we follow the guide down the road which is initially a tarmac road.

The minivan follows behind us which makes us feel safer when cars overtake. It’s a tarmac road for the first 30 minutes before reaching the start of the Yungas Road. At the entrance, everyone has to pay the 50 BOB entrance fee. Before the new highway was built, all vehicles traveled via the Yungas Road which has narrow winding roads with many blind corners. This is why it was so dangerous but now nearly all vehicles use the new safer highway and you’ll mainly just see bikes on the Yungas Road. The Yungas entrance has a viewpoint and seating area to rest/get ready before setting out. The guide handed out breakfast which was a sandwich, a banana, and a drink which was included with the tour.

After finishing breakfast and taking some pictures, we set out with the guide. Once again, the guide went first and the minivan followed behind. It’s a bumpy ride down on the dirt road and there are several U-turns. The guide doesn’t go too fast and if you feel you can go faster, he lets you go ahead and tells you where to stop to wait for the group. We made several stops at some viewpoints to rest and take pictures. One of the main stops was at a U-turn to take a picture sitting over the edge. There are always tour groups here taking turns for the picture. There is also a section where you go under a small waterfall so you’ll be getting wet. Weather-wise, the first part of the descent is a little chilly, but it quickly starts to get hotter and more humid.

There are several rest stops along the way and also signs. The best sign though is quite far down the trail where we stopped for about 20 minutes. There is also a zip lining place which we stopped at and the guide said we could do it, but we preferred to get down sooner. Overall, it was about 5 hours of downhill biking to reach the final rest stop at La Senda Verde. Here, we are allowed to use the shower facilities to get changed. There is also a pool to relax in while waiting for the buffet lunch to be served. There’s also a bar if to buy beers and drinks. After about an hour, we get back in the minivan to drive back up to La Paz. On the drive up, you’ll be able to appreciate the views more since riding down you’re only really looking at the road ahead. The drive back takes about 2-hours 30-minutes arriving in La Paz around 8 PM.

La Paz – Highest Capital in the World

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 21:05:00 +0000

We booked our tickets from Copacabana to the Bolivian capital La Paz for 25 BOB¹ each from a tour agency in Copacabana. The bus left at 6.30 PM and the seats on the bus were comfortable enough for the 4-hour journey. We saw that it’s also possible to buy a ticket directly from the bus driver when boarding, which is probably a little cheaper. It took about an hour to reach Tiquina where everyone has to get off the bus and get on a boat to cross the Strait of Tiquina. It was dark and a little chilly so make sure you wear warm clothing. The bus crosses on a ‘ferry’ which looks like a large makeshift wooden boat. It’s amazing and scary to see how they carry the buses across the strait. It takes some time for the bus to cross over and there’s no indoor seating area to wait in. Some street vendors were selling hot drinks and snacks which you can get while you wait. The whole process isn’t very well organized. We asked where to wait for the bus and we were just told to wait at the corner of the street. There doesn’t seem to be any signposted area of where the bus picks us up so we just joined the group of people we saw who got off the bus with us. Once the bus came, it was another 2-hours 30-minutes to La Paz. We arrived at around 10.15 PM and the bus stopped at the terminal by the cemetery rather than the main terminal. It was dark and deserted, so we quickly ordered an Uber² to take us to our hotel in the the Witches Market. Once we checked in, we just went to bed to get up early to explore the city the next day.

The City and Finding Tours

Our hotel was located in the Witches Market area. We went for a walk around and other than arts and crafts shops, we found several restaurants and tour agencies. There is also the general market in the area to buy fresh produce and also market restaurants if you’re looking for cheaper and more authentic dishes. As you walk around the city you’ll notice most of the locals are indigenous. You’ll especially see several ‘Cholitas’ who are known to be hard-working indigenous women. They are the ones selling produce in the markets and you’ll see them carrying their merchandise and kids everywhere. One of the tourist attractions is ‘Cholita’ wrestling in El Alto where most of the indigenous people live. We had 2 more days in La Paz so after some breakfast, we went to look for tours. We chose to go on a Death Road bike tour (380 BOB each) the following day and then on our last day, we decided to visit the Moon Valley without a tour. It’s worth noting that all the tour agencies we went to charge a credit card fee, so it’s worth taking cash out if you don’t want to pay an extra 3-5 percent for the fee. With those two days sorted, we went back to our hotel since we saw they had a city walking tour at 2 pm for 65 BOB.

Walking Tour

The meeting point for the tour was at Plaza Murillo which is close to the Witches Market. It was a small group of around 7 people and the guide took us to several tourist sites in La Paz. The highlight was the journey she took us on to El Alto. This was particularly interesting since she took us via public transport. So it’s a great way to learn how to take the combis³, which are like minivans that the locals take to move around the city. Also, to get to El Alto, she showed us how to take the cable cars and told us the prices and what would be most convenient for us. Overall it’s a great way to learn about and get around the city like a local. She also gave us a great recommendation for a Harry Potter themed restaurant called Avada Kedavra which we checked out in the evening.

Copacabana – Bolivian Lake Titicaca

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 18:07:00 +0000

From Puno, we took an early morning bus departing at 7 AM. The bus agency provided pick up from our hotel picking us up at around 6.40 AM. It’s only a 5-minute drive to the terminal, but before boarding the bus you have to go to the terminal stall to pay the terminal fee of 1.50 PEN⁴. We were the last people that boarded and the bus left promptly. En-route to the border, the bus operator announced that there’s a 2 PEN toll charge per person and there’ll be a stop at a currency exchange place. We were annoyed by this since we weren’t told about this when we bought our tickets and had spent all our PEN the day before. We spoke with the bus operator and he said we can pay in BOB⁵ as well. It took about an hour and a half to get to the currency exchange place before the border where we changed some USD⁶ for BOB. It’s then another 15 minutes to the border where everyone has to get off and queue up for customs. It took about an hour to get through customs, walk across the border, and board the bus again. From the border, it’s then about another hour to Copacabana.

The Town and Finding Tours

We reached the town at around 11 AM and there is no proper terminal in Copacabana, so the bus dropped us off near the town center. Copacabana is smaller than Puno and we walked to our hotel which was about a 5-10 minute walk away. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we dropped off our bags and walked to the town center. At the central plaza, there are several stalls and a market in the area. On the main road leading to the lake, there are several tour agencies and restaurants. We started looking for island tours and we chose a tour for transportation to The Moon Island and The Sun Island. Since there is no terminal, we also asked the tour agencies about transportation to our next destination – La Paz. We found one for a bus leaving the next day at 6.30 PM after our tour, so we opted for this to save on spending another night in accommodation at Copacabana. Our final task was then to find out where we could get a SIM card to get data on our phones. This proved challenging but we managed to find an office for the national Telecomms company – Entel. Being a national company, this was the cheapest option with the SIM card costing 10 BOB and a top-up of 50 BOB for 2 GB of data. Once we had everything sorted, we went back to the hotel to rest for a bit. Then in the afternoon, we decided to hike up to a viewpoint at Cerro El Calvario just north of the town. It’s quite a tiring hike but the views of Copacabana and Lake Titicaca are amazing. We headed back down at around 5.30 PM and went to a lakeside restaurant to catch the beautiful sunset over the lake.

Isla De La Luna

The meeting point for the tour is at the docks and the departure was at 8.30 AM. We handed the tour ticket to the boat operator and boarded the boat. It took about 1-hour 20-minutes to get to the island and we were given about an hour to roam around. After getting off the boat, you’ll find the locals charging the entrance fee for the island. It costs 20 BOB and you’re given a receipt. We walked up for about 10 minutes to the temple of Iñaq Uyu and there was a guide there offering his services for tips. Once a group gathered around, he gave a history of the site and explained the temples. Once he’d finished giving out the info and taking questions, he went around the group gathering tips. It’s a small site and can be completed in under 20 minutes. Since we still had some time, we headed back via a detour to a viewpoint of the lake. It took about 20 minutes to walk there and then 10 minutes to head back to the pier via the beach.

Isla Del Sol

It takes about an hour to cross over to Isla del Sol. On the way, a guide offers his services and explains what he’s going to take us to see. This island is much bigger and it’s always best to go with a guide, so when he went around to collect the money we opted in for 25 BOB each. Once we reached the island, once again the locals are there to collect the entrance fee which is another 20 BOB. The guide then first takes you up to the ruins of the Templo del Sol. At the ruins, he points out a tunnel and explains that it’s believed to connect to the Isla de la Luna, but is closed off and hasn’t been fully excavated. He then takes us around the island for about 1-hour 30-minutes, stopping at some viewpoints until we arrive at a small village. In the village, he gives some history on a holy water fountain at the foot of the Inca Stairs. The village pier is where we take our boat back and we have about 40 minutes here to wait for the boat. The guide recommended a restaurant overlooking the lake to have some lunch while we wait. The boat arrived at around 2 PM to take us back to Copacabana, reaching the town at around 3.30 PM.