La Isla del Sol (The Island of the Sun)

We caught the morning ferry from Copacobana to La Isla del Sol (the Island of the Sun), which lies in the off the southern shore of Lake Titicaca.  Apart from its beauty and dramatic scenery, Isla del Sol was used for religious ceremonies by the Incas, and we wanted to check out the remnants that remain on the island.

All the ferry boats on the lake seemed drastically under-powered and it was a good two hours before we chugged into the port at Parte Norte, a small village at the northern end of the island.  We walked a further 30 minutes north to the Inca sites: a table used for animal and human sacrifices (!) and the labyrinthine ruins of a palace.

After taking in those sights we decided to walk the three hour path the length of the island to Parte Sur, where the afternoon ferry would take us back to Copacobana.  It turned out to be a terrific little hike that followed the ridge all the way there, although tough going in the thin air and in the ultra-strong sun (we were well above the treeline).  The views down to both coasts and across the lake were fantastic!

One of the villages on the island with the smaller Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon) visible in the distance.