Puno to Bolivia: The Titicaca Border Crossing
Puno sits at the gateway between Peru and Bolivia — the Lake Titicaca crossing via Copacabana or the overland crossing at Yunguyo connects the two countries; the journey across the altiplano and around the lake is one of South America's great overland travel experiences
- 1
Two border crossings
The border between Peru and Bolivia near Lake Titicaca has two crossings - the direct overland route via Desaguadero (faster but less scenic) and the scenic route via Yunguyo and Copacabana (crosses Bolivia's Lake Titicaca shore); The Copacabana route involves a short ferry crossing of the Strait of Tiquina
- 2
Copacabana Bolivia
Copacabana on Bolivia's Lake Titicaca shore — 10 km inside Bolivia — is the site of the famous Black Virgin (Virgen de Copacabana), Bolivia's patron saint; the basilica, Calvary on a hill overlooking the lake and the trout restaurants by the lake make Copacabana a worthwhile stop on the land route
- 3
Isla del Sol
From Copacabana, boats cross to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) - the mythological birthplace of the Inca civilization in Lake Titicaca; The island's Inca ruins, its vibrant Aymara communities and its panoramic views of the lake make it the Bolivian lake's most rewarding destination
- 4
La Paz Connection
The overland journey from Puno to La Paz (about 5 hours total) is a classic South American itinerary - the altiplano scenery, Lake Titicaca shoreline, border bureaucracy and Andean descent to La Paz is a concentrated South American experience
- 5
Altiplano Landscape
The land route from Puno to Bolivia crosses the open altiplano - the great high plateau at 3,800–4,000 m; the landscape of flat grassland, occasional adobe villages, herds of llamas and the vast Andean sky is mesmerizing in its scale and simplicity; the light at this height has an unusual clarity
- 6
Titicaca hydrofoil
A hydrofoil operated across Lake Titicaca between Puno and Bolivia for decades - a dramatically fast crossing of the lake; the service has now ceased but the memory of crossing the deep blue Titicaca at speed on a hydrofoil is part of the travel lesson on the overland route between Peru and Bolivia