Lake Titicaca, Bolivian territory

Copacabana

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on Lake Titicaca. The name is derived from the Aymara "kota kahuana", meaning "view of the lake". The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia.

Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol is an island in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. The Aymara name for the island is "Titi'kaka". It is not known what was the original meaning of this word. Some linguists and archaeologists believe the name to be a corruption of "Titi" (puma) and "Kala" (rock). In the 1612 Aymara-Spanish dictionary of Ludovico Bertonio, the phrase "Tahksi kala" is listed as "piedra fundamental" or "foundation stone" possibly alluding to the origin story of the Inca that the Sun and Moon were born in the lake.

There are over 180 ruins on the island. Most of these date to the Inca period circa the 15h century AD. Archaeologists have discovered people living on the island as far back as the third millennium BCE. Many hills on the island contain agricultural terraces, which adapt steep and rocky terrain to agriculture. Among the ruins on the island the Sacred Rock, a labyrinth-like building called Chicana, Kasa Pata, and Pilco Kaima. In the religion of the Incas, it was believed that the sun god was born here.

According to legend, the Inca Empire was founded on these Islands when a golden rod was brought to earth by Manco Kapac and Mama Ocilo, son and daughter of the SUN GOD-INTI) and was buried there.

Isla de la Luna

Isla de la Luna sits 7 km southeast of Isla del Sol, and was the home of the virgins of the Inca sun, and has several undeveloped archaeological sites.

Huatajata

HUATAJATA - The home harbor or the lake’s hydrofoil fleet, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, 85 km from La Paz. You drive on a paved road running parallel to the impressive Royal Range of the Andes, Huatajata is an oasis of modern facilities on the still primitive Bolivian high-plateau. The harbor overlooks the lake and is surrounded by native mud, adobe brick homes. In Huatajata you find some of the pre-Columbian reed boats, you get to see the proud llamas and alpacas and you can discover a lot of the most unique Lake Titicaca Culture at the Hotel Inca Utama.