A Day Trip to Copacabana and Isla del Sol, Bolivia
Copacabana and Isla del Sol are a little paradise away from the city of La Paz. I had every intention of doing an overnight stay in Isla del Sol, however, upon arrival in Bolivia, my tour was canceled, and had to change my entire week around. I must admit that Copacabana did not live up to the hype but I would stay an extra day in Isla del Sol.
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Copacabana
Copacabana in Bolivia is the original Copacabana. The name has branched out into several countries including the famous beach in Brazil. It is a long journey to Copacabana from La Paz. First, we took a 1.5 hour bus ride to the port. In Bolivia, a short 10-min ferry in Lake Titicaca is required from San Pablo de Tiquina to San Pedro de Tiquina to reach Copacabana. All passengers will need to get off the bus and board the ferry. There is a special ferry specifically for the bus to get across. Once across, there are several shops and restaurants to get a bite before continuing the journey to Copacabana. It is about an hour bus ride from here to Copacabana.
Once in Copacabana, I had lunch at Taipi Utu with a few people on the tour. After lunch, I roamed around the city. It was in the middle of Carnaval. Music and bands were playing everywhere. There were also people throwing white cream and water balloons to random patrons. I tried my best to dodge them.
Copacabana Beach
Copacabana is a relatively small region. There is not much to do other than roam the coastline and shopping. The beaches were calm with people just relaxing with their beverage. There was live music blaring and people dancing.
Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana
There is a church called the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Is rather large and towers most of the city. The church was closed at the time I was there but I stood outside admiring the architecture. The door had carvings highlighting important dates. There were also large sculptures around the church. After roaming for an hour or so, it was time to head over to Isla del Sol.
Carnival Celebration
On my tour, I met a Chinese man who has been living in Brazil for 20 years. He shared about his life living in South America. As we were leaving the church, we saw a family throwing flowers on the ground. I was curious about it so the man I was with walked up to them and asked. The family held out their serving tray to show us what was on it. It had flowers and candy. They said that they sprinkle it around their businesses and their homes and drizzle alcohol over it. This is an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) to protect them. Offerings to Pachamama is very common in Bolivian culture. The family held out their tray and allowed us to take part in the offering.
Isla del Sol
We took a bus to Isla del Sol and then took an hour and 20-minute boat ride to the island. Once we arrived at the island, we were welcomed by the Templo del Sol. We had to hike from the base of the Temple to the top for a candid view of the lake. Elevation was 4000 above sea level. I was struggling as I just arrived into Bolivia and had not acclimated to the elevation. I was taking baby steps and everyone was encouraging. Once I reached the top, the view was stunning. There was also a local lady selling tea to help fight altitude sickness for 5BoB. After taking in the view, I walked back down and came across a natural spring. The water was refreshing. People were refilling their bottles here.
For those interested in the 2-day tour, Isla del Sol would be where you stay. From what I have heard from other travelers, the visit was peaceful. It gets pitch black at night as there is limited lighting. Our guide told us that it was just recently that electricity was installed.
About Lake Titicaca
Bolivia shares Lake Titicaca with Peru. The lake was once flourished but has practically become a dead lake due to pollution and mistakes made by mankind. Our guide shared that people would dump their fridges in the lake. Back in the day, fridges were made of highly toxic substances. Now, there are only 3 different fishes that exist in the lake.
Where to Eat
Lunch: Taipi Uta
→ O511, Copacabana, Bolivia
Taipi Uta is located in front of the lake. I ordered a chicken sandwich and a coke for 30BoB. The food was mediocre but I was not expecting much. It did the job. The restaurant does accept card but charges a 5% fee.
Dinner: Terrace
For dinner, I went to the terrace located next to Taipi Uta. Here, I had incredible views of the lake. I ordered a pisco sour (35BoB) and mixed tacos (45BoB). The mixed tacos were interesting. They had meat with sauteed veggies in a large four tortilla. No salsa. After scarfing down my dinner, I headed back to the bus for the long journey home. The tour lasted a total of 12 hours!