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Easily the highlight of any Lake Titicaca excursion, Isla del Sol is a large island with several traditional communities, decent tourist infrastructure such as hotels and restaurants, a few worthwhile pre-Columbian ruins, amazing views, great hikes through terraced hills and, well, lots of sun.
The island’s permanent residents – a mix of indigenous peoples and émigrés – are distributed between the main settlements of Cha’llapampa, near the island’s northern end; Cha’lla, which backs onto a lovely sandy beach on the central east coast; and Yumani, which straddles the ridge above Escalera del Inca in the south and is the biggest town on the island. Unfortunately, due to a conflict between island communities, it is only possible to visit Yumani.
Extensive networks of walking tracks make exploration fairly easy, though the altitude and sun may take their toll: carry lunch and ample water. The sun was born here and is still going strong.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Isla del Sol.
Village
Yumani is the main village at the south end of the island. Most boats drop you at the village’s dock, about 200m downhill from the town proper. The small church, Iglesia de San Antonio, serves the southern half of the island. Nearby you’ll find an exploding cluster of guesthouses and fabulous views over the water to Isla de la Luna.
Gardens
Just uphill from the ferry dock at Yumani, along the beautifully reconstructed Escalera del Inca (Inca stairway), you’ll pass plenty of terraced gardens, small shops and hotels. It’s a lung-buster that gains almost 200m in elevation over less than 1km, so take your time – or hire donkeys (B$30) to carry your pack.
Ruins
This prominent ruins complex near the southern tip of the island is about 30 minutes (2km) south by foot from Yumani. It sits well camouflaged against a steep terraced slope. The best-known site is the two-level Palacio del Inca, thought to have been constructed by the Incan emperor, Túpac Inca Yupanqui.
Viewpoint
Follow the well-signposted path from Yumani's ridgeline up to this small stone lookout atop Cerro Palla Khasa (4065m) for sweeping sunset views over the lake.
Spring
Early Spaniards believed Yumani’s spring was a fountain of youth and for the Incas the three streams represented their national motto: Ama sua, Ama llulla, Ama khella (Don’t steal, don’t lie and don’t be lazy). Up until 2015, the fountain was a crucial source of water for locals, who came daily to fetch and carry it up the steep trail. Now, most residents have running water.
Lighthouse
This lighthouse on the tip of Kakayo-Queña Ridge is technically in an area tourists are allowed to visit, though access by land has been cut off by the blockade.
Ruins
Isla del Sol's most spectacular ruins lie near the island’s northern tip. Its main feature is the Palacio del Inca, a maze of stone walls and tiny doorways, also known as El Laberinto (the Labyrinth). Within the labyrinth there is a small well, believed by pilgrims to contain sacred purifying water.
Village
This agreeable little village stretches along a magnificent sandy beach that could be straight out of a holiday brochure for the Greek islands. The village is spread out – it extends over the hill to the south. There’s a small kiosk and a newish hostal on the beach, and one on the hill, Hostal Qhumphuri. You have to pay an admission fee to pass along the trail into town.
Ruins
At low tide an innocuous-looking column of rock peeps just a few centimeters above Lake Titicaca’s surface, north of Isla del Sol. Most locals dismiss it as a natural stone column, similar to many others along the shoreline. In 1992 stone boxes containing artifacts (including several made of pure gold) were discovered at the underwater site known as Marka Pampa. In 2000 and 2004 further excavations near the site revealed a massive stone temple, winding pathways and a surrounding wall, all about 8m underwater. Although it remains unclear who was responsible for the structures, it has been postulated that they could be as much as 6000 years old. Some even say they are the lost traces of Atlantis. Investigations – and conspiracy theories – are ongoing.