Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol is an island of peace and tranquillity in the Bolivian south of Lake Titicaca.

We arrived by boat from Copacabana to the ancient Incan ‘temple of the sun’ at the south-eastern tip of the island, then hiked the couple of kilometres to Yumani village — which is not as easy as it sounds at 4,000 metres altitude (13,000 ft).

The island is believed to be the birthplace of the sun and the Incan dynasty and has many Incan ruins to explore. Unfortunately the north of the island is closed to tourists because of a local dispute, but we knew this before arriving and stuck firmly to the south.

After checking-in to the Utasawa guest house we hiked up towards the mirador for sunset, with its views over the lake to the stunning Cordillera Real mountain range.

Back at the guest house, we stood on the veranda and marvelled at the night sky. The altitude and the lack of light pollution made the stars, Mars and the Milky Way stand out as bright & clear as we’ve ever seen them.

After a good nights sleep and a lazy morning we caught the sights of Yumani as we headed down to the port – the fountain of life, the Inca stairs and statues of Manco Capac & Mama Ocllo, the mythical creators of the Incan dynasty — before catching the boat back to Copacabana and the bus on to La Paz.