Several travelers I met in Bolivia told me to skip Copacabana, but when I mentioned that I was only visiting so I could take a day trip to Isla del Sol, they changed their mind. They told me to go for Isla del Sol, but that I didn’t need much more time in Copacabana for anything else.
Isla del Sol sits in the middle of Lake Titicaca and can be visited via a ferry from Copacabana, Bolivia. It’s a popular day trip and almost every traveler who stops in Copacabana finds themselves on the island at some point.
There are numerous ways to visit, but I chose to hike across Isla del Sol. I took a ferry to the north end of the island, hiked to the south, and took a ferry back to Copacabana from there. It’s a long day trip, but it can be a very a fun one.
Here’s everything you need to know about planning your Isla del Sol day trip.
North to South or South to North?
The first thing you need to work out is how you want to spend your time on Isla del Sol. If you don’t plan to hike the island, I would suggest just visiting the southern end of the island as I feel like there is more there. However, I do recommend hiking Isla del Sol if you are able to. So which direction should you hike?
As mentioned, I hiked from north to south and in general, that’s the direction that I would recommend that you hike. Get the long ferry ride out of the way first and then you’ll have more gradual inclines as you make your way across the island before one steep descent to the ferry port in the south.
If you start on the south, your day starts with a very steep climb out of the ferry port. The good news is that this will be the hardest part of the day, so the rest of the hike may feel more calm and relaxed (though you’ll still have a bit of up and down).
In the end it’s your decision, but if I were to hike Isla del Sol again, I’d still choose to hike from north to south.
Hiking Isla del Sol
So you’ve decided you’re going to hike Isla del Sol from north to south. Here’s what that actually looks like. Note that later on in this post, I’ll cover exactly how to get to Isla del Sol from Copacabana.
Challapampa to the Ruins
After a two hour ferry ride from Copacabana, you’ll arrive in Challapampa. Before you can even exit the boat dock, locals will be waiting to collect their fee. Most of the villages on Isla del Sol charge a fee to enter and this is unavoidable. However, which fees you have to pay depend on the day. I’ve read people paying anywhere from 10 BOB to 50 BOB for the day. So bring some small bills so you can pay your fees. There are no ATMs on Isla del Sol.
When I visited, this first fee in the town of Challapampa was 15 BOB. Once you’ve paid your fee, you’re good to start your hike. Head straight from the ferry dock into the town and up a street. You’ll be on the main path and from here, it’s pretty hard to get lost. For the most part, it’ll be on straight line and pretty obvious where you need to go (at least until you reach the town of Yumani).
This first section was one of my favorites of the day but I think a big part of it was that everything was new and exciting. The views of Lake Titicaca were great. The views of the mountains on Isla del Sol were great. The terrain was great. It was a steady uphill, but nothing steep or strenuous and I was just enjoying myself. This is a fantastic way to start the hike across Isla del Sol.
From the boat dock, it’s 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) until you reach a turn. You have two options: head to the left and continue on the trail to the Yumani or turn right and explore some of the Inca ruins on the Isla del Sol. My initial plan was to just focus on hiking the island, but last minute I decided to explore the ruins. There’s a good chance that I’ll never return to Isla del Sol, so why not take advantage of it while I’m here.
Exploring the Ruins of the Northern Island
There’s a few major ruins that you can see on this part of the island. The ceremonial table was ok. However, I enjoyed Chincana Labyrinth since you were able to walk through the ruins. It felt like actual exploring as you went through doorways small passages. Plus, there’s some really nice views of Lake Titicaca from here.
If you want to learn more about these ruins, guides are waiting, ready to be hired. When I came through, a man stood at the fork in the road, directing travelers. He offered his services, but there was no pressure to take him up on his offer.
In total, I spent about 20 minutes at the ruins before heading back toward that fork in the road and continuing on the path to Yumani.
Ruins to Yumani
Now it becomes a pretty standard hike until you reach the town of Yumani on the southern part of Isla del Sol. It’s impossible to get lost as the trail keeps going straight. From the fork in the road, it’s 5 miles (8 kilometers) to the main town of Yumani. If you’re hiking from north to south, you’ll have one big climb as you leave the fork in the road. You’ll still have a few more climbs here and there, but this first climb is the most intense in my opinion.
It’s a good time to mention that aside from reaching the boat docks on the south side of Isla del Sol, I don’t think any part of the hike is terrible steep. Yes, you’ll have ups and downs along the way, but in my opinion, the only reason that this becomes difficult is the altitude. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and you will feel the effects of the altitude as you hike along Isla del Sol. Since much of the hike is at 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) above sea level, you’ll likely be breathing harder than you normally would.
Along the way, I passed another check point near the village of Challa. They asked if I had a ticket, but apparently the ticket that I had purchased earlier was not the correct one, so I needed to purchase another ticket for 15 BOB. Thankfully this was the last village ticket I had to purchase on the island, bringing my total for the day to only 30 BOB. That said, keep your tickets because the second ticket I purchased was enough to get me through the third check point near the town of Yumani.
It’s worth noting that once I passed the second checkpoint, I was told it was only 40 minutes until the town. Either something got lost in translation or the locals hiked significantly faster than me. It was over an hour before I finally reached the town of Yumani.
This whole section of trail is nice and steady. You don’t pass much, but that’s ok because the views of the island and the lake are enough to keep you going.
Yumani to the Boat Docks
When you reach the town of Yumani, it can be tempting to stop at one of the many restaurants you’ll pass. They look enticing with their views of the lake and the promise of food. I highly suggest that you keep walking all the way to the boat docks if you’re doing an Isla del Sol day trip. If you’re spending the night, go ahead and stop to treat yourself.
The reason I say this is because it takes longer than you think to reach the boat docks. I arrived in the town of Yumani at 2:15 and I didn’t reach the boat dock until 2:45. It definitely took longer than I thought to reach the dock and after talking to some other travelers, I wasn’t alone.
In my opinion, this route through town is the easiest place to get turned around, so I recommend having some kind of map to help you navigate. There are signs, but they aren’t always clear. For example, I followed one sign for the “Camino Puerto del Sur” but that was the only sign I passed. I then started looking at signs and going the opposite direction of “Camino al Pueblo”. It’s not bad, but compared to how easy it was to navigate the rest of the island, this felt a bit more convoluted.
You’ll eventually find yourself descending and the descent just keeps going until you reach the Inca Stairs. You’re probably tired by this point, so just take solace in the fact that you are descending this area, rather than ascending. People who arrive from the south have to start their hike going all the way up to the town of Yumani.
Once at the boat docks, purchase your ticket for the 4:00 pm ferry and find a place to hang out. There’s a small kiosk right near the boat dock, but on the other side of the boats, there’s also a restaurant inside a hotel if you have the time and want something a bit more substantial.
Trail Stats
I logged my Isla del Sol hike on my watch. Here’s my final stats:
Distance: 7.5 miles (12 kilometers)
Elevation Gain: 1,388 feet (423 meters)
Elevation Loss: 1,362 feet (415 meters)
Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
How to Get to Isla del Sol
You’ll need to take a ferry to reach Isla del Sol. Despite this being a popular day trip from Copacabana (and the main reason that most tourists visit Copacabana), ferries are not frequent. In fact, there’s only two ferries per day to the more popular Yumani, so make sure you are aware of the times so you don’t miss your boat.
Getting to Isla del Sol from Copacabana
From the city of Copacabana, you’ll want to walk to the end of Calle 6 de Agosto. Here you’ll find a yellow building where you can buy your ferry ticket. When I visited, the person working spoke English and was happy to help tourists figure out their plans for Isla del Sol.
At the time of writing, you could only buy your ticket to Isla del Sol from Copacabana. You had to wait until you were on the island to purchase your return ticket. The good news was that you could buy your ticket to Isla del Sol the day before, so that’s what I did. Tickets cost 50 BOB to go to the southern port (Yumani) and 70 BOB to go to the northern port (Challapampa).
It’s also worth noting that at the time of writing, boats depart Copacabana at 8:30 am and 1:00 pm for the south port. For the north port, boats leave at 9:00 am.
Getting to Copacabana from Isla del Sol
Like in Copacabana, you can purchase your ticket from a desk at the boat port. A ticket from the southern port to Copacabana costs 50 BOB and boats leave at 10:30 and 4:00 pm. If you miss that 4:00 pm boat, you’ll be stuck on the island for the night, so I recommend trying to get to the port early.
Since I traveled from the south, I’m not positive on the return times from the north, but I’d imagine that it’d be similar to what return times from the south.
How to Get to Copacabana
Before visiting Isla del Sol, you first have to get to Copacabana. Most travelers will connect from La Paz, Bolivia, Puno, Peru, or Cusco, Peru.
Getting to Copacabana from La Paz
If you want to leave from the main bus station in La Paz, your only option for getting to Copacabana is to depart at 8:00 am. Most travelers (myself included), don’t want to leave that early, so we use the second option.
From the Terminal Cementario, buses leave almost hourly for Copacabana. So grab a taxi (it costs about 20 BOB to go from the main terminal to the cemetery terminal), buy a ticket, and wait until the bus is full.
From La Paz, it should take about 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Copacabana depending on traffic.
It is worth noting that part way through your journey, you will need to get off the bus, board a ferry, and then rejoin your bus ten minutes later. There is no bridge of the Straight of Tinquina. Your bus is floated across on a barge with all of your luggage. You have to get off the bus and take a small boat that costs 3 BOB. It’s kind of annoying, but that’s just how travel goes in Bolivia sometimes.
Getting to Copacabana from Puno
If you’re coming from Cusco, or even Arequipa, odd are good you’ll be connecting in Puno, Peru. So my information will be based on connecting Puno with Copacabana.
There are frequent buses between Puno and Copacabana, but the important thing to note is that you’ll have to cross an international border. Make sure you have everything you need, including any visas, before you board your bus. From Puno to the border, it’s about 3 hours. Then from the border to Copacabana, it’s another 30 minutes. The rest of your time is spent crossing the border, but compared to other land borders I’ve crossed, this one is pretty easy.
Should You Spend the Night on Isla del Sol?
Many travelers stay on the Isla del Sol, but just as many will take a day trip to Isla del Sol. I was a day tripper and while I had a great time, if I were to do it again, I’d spend one night on Isla del Sol. I think by spending the night, you can take your time on the hike and savor the journey. Plus, you’ll get a chance to eat at one of those restaurants you passed (and they have some killer views).
If you spend the night, I recommend spending one night in Copacabana first. Leave your big luggage at your hotel and then take the morning ferry to the Challapampa. Hike north to south and enjoy your evening and night at Yumani. Then the next morning, you can take the morning ferry back to Copacabana and continue your travels on the main land.
More in Copacabana
I’ll be honest that there isn’t a lot in Copacabana and the main reason for most tourists visiting is to go to Isla del Sol.
That said, there is a beautiful basilica in the city and there are some hikes nearby that will take you to some great views. But in general, I’d recommend minimizing your time in Copacabana and dedicating extra time elsewhere in Bolivia.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my day trip to Isla del Sol. The hike was a bit harder than I expected, though I blame it on the altitude more than anything. Still the views of Lake Titicaca, the ruins on the island, and the landscapes of Isla del Sol themselves make for a fantastic day trip.
Continue Your Adventure
Bolivia: In the capital city of La Paz, there’s no shortage of day trips including hiking at Chacaltaya Mountain, Charquini Lagoon, and Moon Valley. For adrenaline, bike down Death Road. Near Sucre, you can hike at the Maragua Crater. Halfway between Uyuni and Sucre is Potosí, which was once one of the richest cities in the world. And lastly, no trip to Bolivia would be complete without visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats. Learn even more in my Bolivia Travel Guide.
