Town – Maldo Travels

Otavalo & Peguche – Culture & Nature

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 21:09:00 +0000

The popular tourist town of Otavalo is only a 2-hour drive away from Quito. There is also regular public transport since it is a well-traveled route with buses leaving from the North Terminal of Carcelén. It’s a nice scenic drive along the winding Andean mountains; especially when passing the lake at San Pablo which lies next to the great volcano Imbabura.

We arrived at the Parque Simon Bolivar which is a small central square. There are several paid parking lots in the area and after parking our car, we walked to the crafts market. The people of Otavalo are primarily indigenous and have integrated with modern society. You’ll see lots of people walking around in their traditional clothes, and the main attraction in the town is the crafts market. The crafts market is only a couple of blocks from the park where we left our car, and there are many crafts stalls on the sidewalks on the way. Some roads are also closed to vehicle traffic so it’s safer to walk to the market. The busiest days are the weekends when the majority of the vendors open their stalls. The market is still open on weekdays though so it’s still worth a visit. You’ll find many different products for sale and Otavalo is well known for its high-quality textiles; especially the ponchos. There are also many restaurants in the area to get a taste of some of the region’s cuisine.

After going for a stroll around the market, you can head to a nearby waterfall at Peguche. It’s only a 10-minute drive from the market and there’s a car park on-site. Public transport is also available and departs from the park. Another option is to hail a taxi from anywhere in town which will cost around 2 USD¹ each way. The final option is the 40-minute walk since it’s not too far and also a nice walk through the town. Between the car park and the entrance, there are a couple of shops and stalls selling snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. There is also an Incan solar calendar structure which is accessible for free.

The entry ticket for the waterfall costs only 0.50 USD for access to the trails and spaces along the way. It’s then a short 10-15 minute walk along the trail which is very well maintained. The surrounding area is very green like a rainforest which has lots of different paths. There are toilet facilities and we also passed a camping area. Further down the trail, there was a path that headed toward a natural pool. There were also small bridges that crossed the river to an area with some huts. It looked like these huts were restaurants since they were playing music, but they also looked like lodging. The trail splits at one point, with one path going to the lower part of the waterfall and the other path going up to a viewpoint. We first went to the lower part of the waterfall and crossed a wooden bridge to get there. The waterfall isn’t very high, but the water comes crashing down with enough force to create a gust of mist. You can get very close to the waterfall, but be prepared to get very wet. I managed to climb up on one of the large boulders to get a picture. The water is a little cold, but bearable with the hot weather that we had when we went. We then went back across the bridge and up the other trail to the viewpoint of the waterfall. There is a small hut there that looks out towards the waterfall.

On the way back along the trail, we noticed another path that went up the other side of the hill. We followed the trail up and this one goes higher than the one at the viewpoint. We got to a point where there was a warning sign and continued past it to the top. The trail past this point gets very narrow and can be scary if you’re afraid of heights. This trail goes over the waterfall and you get an amazing view of the town with a mountainous background. We took some rest here before heading back down and back to the car park.

Portugal – Towns, Mountains and Lakes

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:26:00 +0000

On our trip to Portugal, we stayed at a friend’s family’s place in Canas de Senhorim which is about a 1-hour 45-minute drive from Porto where we landed. There are several car rental companies within walking distance from the airport and our friend normally rents from Drive & Go. The drive to Canas de Senhorim is beautiful as we pass by mountain landscapes along winding roads. We were staying here for about a week and we did some grocery shopping in the bigger town of Nelas which is a short 10-minute drive away. For eating out in restaurants, we headed to the city of Viseu which was a 30-minute drive away. For activities, the Serra da Estrela national park is close by as well as several small towns.

Praia da Lagoa Comprida

It took us about a 1-hour drive to get to this lake in Serra da Estrela and the route is very scenic as we climb the mountains along winding roads. There are a couple of small mountainside towns on the way before reaching the car park which is next to the dam at the lake. There’s a small shop/cafe here and you can walk along the dam for some great pictures. The lake is huge and there were a couple of groups of people sunbathing by the lake. We found a spot on one of the large boulders by the lake and went for a swim. The weather was great when we went with 30-degree temperatures but the lake was still quite cold which made for a refreshing swim. After doing some swimming, we went for a walk around the lake and there are many large boulders that would be great for bouldering. Overall, it was a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Viseu

One of the main attractions in this city is Sé Catedral de Viseu which dates back to the 12th century. Entrance to the cathedral and adjacent square which has some iconic tile artwork is free, but you can also pay to visit the museum which goes through very old buildings. The architecture and stonework of the cathedral appear to be untouched which allows you to appreciate the history in this place. Across the main plaza, you can find the newer Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu. Next to this church, you can find a viewpoint that looks over the city. We walked around the stone-tiled city which has several shops in its high streets and ended up at Jardim da Ribeira. There is a funicular here which goes up to Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu, but the highlight at this time of year was the Feira de São Mateus. This yearly event takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September. There were many funfair games, food stalls, and a stage with live music. One of the iconic foods was the farturas which were being sold everywhere. These were very tasty and are similar to churros but much larger.

Mangualde

This was one of the bigger towns close to Canas de Senhorim. The highlight here is the Live Beach which is an artificial beach. It’s a great place to relax with beach chairs and parasols available for hire. There is also a bar/restaurant, a kids area, and a football pitch in the sand. After going for a swim, you can head to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo which is at the top of a hill and makes for a great viewpoint. You can either drive up to the parking area or walk up some steps. There’s also a restaurant there which is famous for serving a snail dish.

Douro Valley – Famous Wine Country

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:01:48 +0000

There are many tours available online and one of the most popular ones are the river cruises with wine tours. We mainly wanted to go for a wine tasting and having been before in Argentina, I remember a visit to a single winery being enough and that it was cheaper buying directly with the winery. After some online research, we decided to go to a winery in Peso da Régua which was a popular spot. We were staying at Canas de Senhorim and it was only a 1-hour 10-minute drive. From Porto, it’s a slightly longer 1-hour 20-minute drive. Although Porto has several agencies offering a range of Douro Valley tours which may be more convenient.

After looking up wineries in Peso da Régua, we decided to go with Quinta da Pacheca. They had reasonable prices for the wine tasting tours with an English speaking guide. Our wine tour was scheduled for 3 PM so we set out at around 12.30 PM. The drive itself is very scenic as it crosses mountains and valleys along winding roads. There are several parking options available in the town although the ones by the river tend to fill up quickly. We managed to find a spot by the river and then went for a walk along the riverside. The landscape views here are incredible as you get to see the terraced vineyards on the slopes of the banks on the other side of the river. The river cruises stop/depart from the banks of this river. The large cruises had already set out but there was a small boat that offered a 50-minute river tour for 10 EUR². We walked around the hilly town for a bit before getting back in the car to cross the river to get to our wine tour.

Quinta de Pacheca has a large complex with vineyards, buildings for winemaking, and a hotel with unique barrel rooms. When we got there, we went sure where the tour began so we went to the hotel reception to ask and they directed us to a building further down the road. The wine tour started promptly and to start with, everyone had to walk through a disinfection barrel that sprays a mist as you walk through. The guide then first took us to the vineyards and gave us some information on how the grapes are grown and the different types of grapes used. Next, we headed into a building where they prepare the harvested grapes. There are large stone deposits where the grapes are kept in and stirred to get the juice from the grapes. The guide told us that during the harvest season, they offer an experience for visitors to collect grapes and then step on them barefoot which was the traditional method. We then continue down some steps to the storage room where the barrels are kept. The guide explains how the wine is stored and aged in this room. After this, we then head outside for the wine tasting. We got to try 5 wines in total; 2 Reds, 1 White, and 2 Ports. The guide explains how each wine was made as he pours them out. We’re also given a menu with a list of the wines and prices for anyone wanting to buy. I enjoyed the Ports and ended up getting 2 bottles to take home. After the tasting, we’re free to roam around the area to take pictures.

We were done at around 5 PM and we decided to cross the river back to Peso da Régua to see if we could get on the river tour we saw earlier. The last one was scheduled to leave at 6 PM so we went into a cafe to wait until then. We were pretty tired so ended up staying at the cafe for a bit longer rather than going on the river tour. At around 6.30 we then went back to the car to head back to Canas de Senhorim.

San Jacinto – Relaxing Beaches

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 23:25:00 +0000

From the capital city Quito, it’s about a 6-hour 30-minute drive down the winding roads that descend the Andes. We left at around 6 AM and stopped in Santo Domingo de Los Tsachilas for some breakfast at around 8.30 AM. We then continued for another 2 hours and 30 minutes to Chone where we took a small break at around noon. We then drove 1 hour 15 minutes to San Jacinto getting there at around 1.30 PM. It’s a very small town and joins with San Clemente. We stayed in a villa just off the highway which was 2 blocks from the beach. After settling in, we headed to a restaurant in San Clemente. The tide was high in the late afternoon with violent waves crashing onto the rocky shores. It wasn’t possible to get in the sea but there was a beautiful sunset on the horizon.

The following day, we headed to San Jacinto beach where there’s a colorful sign with the town’s name. The tide was low now with gentle waves so it was possible to get in. A family friend was from the area and he met us there and took us to a beach a little further south towards Crucita. This beach was on the mouth of a river so you could bathe in the river as well. There was also a protected mangrove swamp where you can go for a walk. A site official takes you around and provides info on the flora and fauna. It’s free but they sell bracelets to help with the maintenance of the site. There are several birds at the beach, especially cranes. You can also look for small crabs popping out from their burrows.

At around 4 PM, we went to get some food at Hotel San Jacinto. They have a seaside restaurant serving fresh seafood and outdoor seating. They have a viewpoint looking out to the sea that you can climb. The waves break on the banks so you’ll get wet when a large wave comes in. After eating, we headed to Bahia de Caráquez which was about a 40-minute drive away. There’s a small town in this bay which has a large bridge that crosses over to San Vicente. We drove over the bridge and walked out to a pier at San Vicente Malecon which has great panoramic views of the city. After the sun had set, we headed back to our villa.

On the final day, we headed to the beach at Crucita in the morning which was a 20-minute drive south of San Jacinto. This beach is more touristic and we had breakfast at one of the beachside restaurants. After breakfast, we went for a short stroll along the beach before making our way back to Quito.

Conwy Castle and Aber Falls

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 18:28:35 +0000

From London, we rented a car and left at around 8.15 AM. The drive took about 5 hours with a quick stop for breakfast on a service stop off the motorway. When we reached the walled town of Conwy, it was around 1.15 PM and there were no more spaces at the main castle car park. We drove a little further in and found another car park which was about a 5-minute walk from Conwy Castle. The ticket office is next to the main car park and entrance tickets cost 10.40 GBP³ each. You then cross a small bridge to get to the main castle gate. The castle ruins have been well preserved, especially the 8 towers. You can climb the towers and walk around the castle walls. From the tall towers, you’ll get views of the town, river, and Snowdonia National Park which surrounds the fortress. There are several information panels around describing the original purpose of specific areas of the castle. It took us about an hour to explore the castle before heading to the town for some lunch.

After lunch, we headed to Aber Falls and it’s a 20-minute drive to the car park. There is then a trail leading to Aber Falls which is fairly straightforward to follow. It took us about 45-minutes to get there and we took some rest at some rocks near the falls. We then crossed the stream to get a view from the other side. There’s a bridge further down the path to cross but you can also cross using the rocks on the stream. Some rocks are slippery so cross with caution. You can get fairly close but be prepared to get wet from the spray of the falls. After taking some pictures, we continued down a trail for about 15 minutes arriving at another set of falls. We read up beforehand that this trail circuits back to the car park, but looking at the map it looked a lot longer and it was already 5.30 PM. So we decided to turn around and walk back since we had a 2-hour drive to our Airbnb⁴ in Machynlleth.

Patong – Phuket’s Party Beach Town

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 22:28:00 +0000

With our flight departing at noon from , we left the hostel at 8.45 AM for the Airport. A Tuk Tuk from the hotel cost us 8 USD⁵ and took 30 minutes. We had a connecting flight in Bangkok with a transit time of only 1-hour 45-minutes. The lady at the counter said we had to pick up our bags and re-check the bags in Bangkok but we should have enough time. With another 2 hours to wait, I logged into the WiFi to check emails and saw our Patong hotel had been canceled so I spent 30 mins booking another one. We landed at the smaller Don Mueang International Airport so getting to customs was quick. We let the staff know about our flight leaving soon and were put in the priority queue. We managed to clear customs, re-check our bags, and go through customs again within the 1 hour 45 minute connection time. It’s a 2-hour flight to Phuket and the airport there is also fairly small.

At the exit, there were stalls offering shuttle services and sim cards. We tried to use the airport wifi to see if they had Uber⁶ or an alternative app but that didn’t work. We had to take cash out at the ATM to buy a Sim card since they didn’t take credit cards. After connecting to the internet, we looked up taxi apps but didn’t find anything reliable and it had been over an hour now so we got the shuttle service which was 180 THB⁷ per person. We were directed to the shuttle pick up location and waited there for about 15 mins until the next shuttle came. We were first taken to the office a 5-minute drive away where everyone got off to give their hotel details. After everyone was done, we hopped back in and the driver instructed everyone to put their seat belt pointing at a sign saying 1000 THB fine for no seat belt. The driver didn’t speak much English and wasn’t very friendly. It was about an hour’s drive and the traffic was a little crazy with winding roads closer to Patong. Our driver also drove quite quickly whilst lane hopping. We got dropped off on the main road a short walk from the hotel. We checked in and were in our room by 6.30 PM.

The Town

After settling into our room, we went for a walk on Bangla Road. There was lots of light and music along this road. The first part was mostly bars and restaurants. The stretch closer to the beach was then filled with clubs and bars. The side roads also had bars and some street food areas. It’s a very lively and nice atmosphere filled with people. We walked up to the beach and then across. There were still tour agency stalls open as well as restaurants and souvenir shops. We walked along a street parallel to Bangala and found a nice food market called Otop. We decided to eat here and were not disappointed. Prices were reasonable between 100 and 200 THB for food. We then walked across until we reached Bangala and headed back up to the hotel. We were in Patong for another 3 days and had tours planned during the day. In the evenings we went out to Bangala and found the bars with live music to be great.

On one of our free afternoons, we headed to the and rented some Beach chairs from 4 PM until close which was 6 PM for 100 TBH each. We also bought some ice-cold 750 ML Chang beers for 180 TBH each and played cards. There are several water sports at the beach as well including jet-skiing, parasailing, and the banana boat. We then went for a walk along the beach until the sunset before heading back to the hotel to get changed before checking out a bar. We went to a live music bar called Lion Livemusic and the band was amazing. They could play practically any song and the singers were great. We then checked out the two big clubs; Tiger and Illuzion. There are loads of reps selling drink deals and we thought this was needed for entry. Turns out entry is free once you dodge them. Both venues are huge and the music played is mainly charts/electro.

Siem Reap – Tourist Town

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 30 May 2019 23:39:00 +0000

Coming from London, we took a flight with Thai Airways to Bangkok which took 11 hours 45 minutes. Our flight was delayed 1 hour so we only had 45 mins to get to our connecting flight to Siem Reap. We ran the length of the Aeropuerto Suvarnabhumi and made it since there was no need to go through customs. The flight to Cambodia was quick and took about an hour. We landed in Cambodia at 8.30 AM and the airport is very small. At customs, there are 4 queues; one for a visa application, one for residents, one for ASEA members, and a general passport control queue. If you applied for the e-visa then you can join the last queue otherwise you join the visa queue. There are no ATMs at the airport but there is a Currency Exchange office.

For transportation, there’s a taxi office but they only take cash, so we had to exchange some GBP⁸ for KHR⁹. The cost of a taxi was 10 USD¹⁰ or 40,000 KHR. They give you a receipt and you have to exit the airport, handing in your customs form to the officials. You then meet the driver at the exit who takes your receipt and walks you to the taxi. The driver was very friendly and keen to sell us taxi transportation within Angkor Wat . He offered the service for 40 USD but this was solely transportation and no guide. He also had a price list of transportation to different places. We took his phone details but didn’t book anything. The ride to our hotel which was near the Angkor Night Market took about 30 minutes. After checking in, we headed out to look for tours and an ATM. We enquired with the tour agency at our hotel first but we then found another tour agency who had a very friendly sales rep. He sold us two Angkor Wat tours, a tour to the Floating Village, and a full-day car rental with a driver to Kulen Mountain. He also drove me in his scooter to a Maybank ATM which I read online had free withdrawals. However, this did not work for my card. So I ended up withdrawing money from ABA Bank which charged a 5 USD fee. The tour agency rep said that we could pay everywhere in USD or KHR, so we took out USD from the ATM since we’re more familiar with that currency.

After buying the tours we went for a walk and passed Pub Street in the Angkor Night Market area. We then walked towards the river where the Old Market is located. Both these areas are a nice walk and great for souvenir shopping. They sell clothes here as well and we ended up buying a couple of t-shirts from here for very cheap. We stayed in Siem Reap for 4 days and found the night market area to be great for walks during the day and night. The streets are filled with people since there are lots of restaurants, bars, and street food stalls so it feels safe. The people are also very friendly and there were more locals than I expected who could speak some English. The cuisine is also an interesting experience which can be similar to Thai food but with their unique flavors. Overall, it’s a very tourist-friendly place and the locals are keen to share their culture with visitors.

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 18 May 2019 21:50:00 +0000

Found on the Jurrasic Coast between Weymouth and Bournemouth, a day trip to Durdle Door is best done by car. I tried looking up routes by public transport from London but it involved several trains and over 4 hours of travel as opposed to a 2-hour 45-minute drive. There is plenty of parking available at the park entrance. In the parking area, there is a stall selling food and drink with several benches around. From the car park, there are several signposted trails. We set out on the one leading down to Durdle Door, and after about 5 minutes, you’ll get a view of the beach behind the arch from the cliffs. Another 10 minutes of walking down and we got to the other side with a view of the arch and the view beach.

The weather wasn’t on our side but the views were still great. Some steps lead to the beach and it took us about 5 minutes to get down. It’s a stone beach and although it’s possible to bathe in the water, the water temperature is freezing. The white cliffs have several small caves in the which have been formed by the sea. We spent about 30 minutes walking by the beach before heading back up and on the trail to Lulworth Cove.

It took us about an hour to walk there at a slow pace and making several stops. On the walk, you’ll get scenic views of the town and the coastline from the cliffs. The small town has several ice cream shops that use local dairy products to make their ice creams. We walked around the stone shores for about an hour, looking around for fossils. We then made our way back to the Durdle Door car park to head back home.

Lake Como – Lakeside Towns and the Alps

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 22:15:00 +0000

The day following our arrival in Milan, we decided to head to Como. We first went to Milano Centrale and bought tickets at the machines which have an English option. Tickets are quite cheap with a one-way journey costing 4.80 EUR¹⁰ and you can also buy online beforehand. Our train departed at 9.04 AM and it’s only a 40-minute journey to the Como S. Giovanni station. From the station, it’s a short walk to the main plaza – Piazza Cavour. The ferry is opposite the plaza lakeside and after walking around for a bit, we headed there to get tickets for a ferry to Bellagio. We got there at around 10.30 AM and there was quite a long queue which we waited in for about 15 minutes. We bought fast ferry tickets for 13 EUR departing at 12.15 PM. There’s a complete list of fares available here. With about 1 hour 30 minutes to go, we went for a walk around the city. There are several plazas and pedestrian areas that make walking a nice way to explore the city. The lakeside walk is also beautiful and has some seating areas to enjoy the view.

By noon, we were back at the pier and the queue was already long. We boarded the ferry and all seats on the upper deck were almost taken but I managed to find one. The windows on the upper deck are a lot cleaner than the lower deck so it’s better for pictures. The windows on the lower deck also get splashed by the water. It took about 45 minutes to reach Bellagio arriving at around 1 PM. The views on the way are incredible especially the last 15 mins where you can see the Alps. We also got a peek at the small towns of Argegno, Lenno, and Tremezzo which the boat made stops at. Once in Bellagio, we walked up a narrow path and there were several restaurants along the way so we stopped at one for lunch. After finishing lunch around 2 PM, we headed to La Punta which is the peninsula that sticks out into the lake. This viewpoint has the best views of the Alps and it takes about 10 minutes to walk there from the town center. Once at the peninsula, there’s a small park and cafe/restaurant where you can relax and enjoy the view. We stayed here for about an hour then headed back to the pier to get tickets for Menaggio.

When we got to the main ticket office, there was a huge queue. We waited in line for over an hour. All the staff is behind the counter and there is no one walking about to provide info which was frustrating. We saw a ferry stopping at another pier at the other end of town, so one of us went to it to see where it went. It turns out there was another ticket office there with no queue. We had to run there as it was departing soon at 4.30 PM but we made it and ended up getting tickets for Varenna for 4.60 EUR since we’d lost so much time. It was a quick 15-minute sail to Varenna and again, the views of the lake and surroundings are spectacular.

After getting off in Varenna, we went for a walk and wandered through narrow hilly passages. It’s a nice walk and there are several restaurants/cafes in the colorful lakeside town. My favorite part is the path along the lake as there are several viewpoints with postcard-perfect views of the lake and colorful houses. There are some benches to rest at and take in the views or you could dine in one of the many lakeside restaurants. After about 2 hours of walking around, we headed to the Varenna train station and got there at around 6.45 PM. Trains to Milan leave every hour and we’d just missed the 6.37 PM train so we had to wait for the 7.37 PM one.

The ticket office was closed and there was no one around to provide info. A train arrived at 7.27 PM and we weren’t sure if it was our train being early or another train. We got on and there was no information about where it was going nor did the train conductor make an announcement. We asked passengers and they said it didn’t go to Milan so we got off. Our train was late and came at 7.50 PM. Since we couldn’t buy a ticket at the station, when the ticket inspector came by he sold us a ticket for 6.70 EUR and we were able to pay by credit card. On the route from Varenna to Lecco, the train goes right by the lake with views of the sun setting behind the mountains. The journey back took about 1 hour 20 minutes and we were back in Milan at 9.10 PM.

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 PEN¹¹. 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 BOB¹² as well. It took about an hour and a half to get to the currency exchange place before the border where we changed some USD¹³ 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.