Sun Island: The Travel Guide

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The Sun Island is the largest island in Lake Titicaca; and it is located to the northwest of the city of Copacabana in Bolivia, and is highly visited by many tourists from all over the world; already being on the island; you will be able to discover beautiful landscapes, important archaeological sites and Quechua and Aymara communities; that to this day maintain their ancestral traditions.

How to get to the Sun Island?

If you have already thought about visiting the Sun Island; You should know that you can reach this tourist destination from 3 different points such as: Puno-Peru, La Paz-Bolivia or from Copacabana-Bolivia. From Copacabana is where the boats leave.

Travel to the Sun Island from Puno-Peru:

Your trip will start in the city of Puno (Peru), which is 142 kilometers from Copacabana (Bolivia); to be able to travel to the Island of the Sun; You must take a bus from the Terminal Terrestre de Puno (Bus station). The buses to Copacabana leave every morning between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. and in the afternoon between 1:30 p.m., the trip to this city will take 2 ½ hours; until reaching the city of Kasani; which is the border of Peru with Bolivia; where you must present your passport or identity document (that will depend on the country you are) After the document review, you will continue your trip for 20 more minutes to Copacabana. Once you reach the city of Copacabana, you will have to take one of the boats or launches to Isla del Sol.

If you want comfort and avoid concerns about the costs and organization of your trip, you can hire a tour.

Traveling to the Sun Island from Copacabana-Bolivia:

Your journey will start in the city of Copacabana; departing from the beach in the city center, where the boats and boats that arrive at the pier of the island leave after an hour and a half or 2 hours of navigation on Lake Titicaca (most of the boats or boats leave from Copacabana in the morning; but you can also find the service at noon).
Something you should keep in mind is that when you get to the Sun Island, there are two piers (ports) known as Puerto Sur and Puerto Norte. The boats that leave Copacabana go first to the South Port “Yumani” (you will travel for 1 hour and a half); and then continue half an hour more to the North port and they walk south to take the boat back to Copacabana. If your intention is to visit the Isla del Sol on the same day, you must travel in the morning boats and return in the afternoon. although it is recommended to stay at least one night.
If you want comfort and avoid worries about the costs and organization of your trip, you can hire a tour (you can check with us).

Traveling to the Sun Island from La Paz-Bolivia:

Your trip will start in the city of La Paz (Bolivia); which is 153 kilometers from Copacabana; to be able to travel to the Sun Island; You must take a bus to Copacabana from the city’s Bus Terminal; There are no night trips between La Paz and Copacabana, because on this trip you must cross the Tiquina Strait; that you cannot cross at night for security reasons.
The trip to copacabana is about 4 hours approximately and crosses the landscapes of the Bolivian altiplano and the Cordillera Real until reaching Copacabana. Once in Copacabana you can stay or go directly to the Isla del Sol on the boats as explained above.

When to visit the Sun Island?

The good news we have for you is that the Isla del Sol can be visited all year round.
The temperature on the Isla del Sol varies between 25 ° c to 15 ° c during the day; while during the night the temperatures drop a lot, even below 0 ° c.
The climate on Isla del Sol is semi-dry. We recommend you to visit this tourist attraction between the months of May and October since at that time there is no rain and it will be sunny and warm days.

How long should you visit The Sun Island?

We recommend you spend at least 2 days on the Isla del Sol; to enjoy and visit the ruins; make the Inca trail to the southern area; rest and the next day you can enjoy the sunrise on the island and return to Copacabana.

Do you need vaccinations to visit the Sun Island?

The only vaccine you will need to enter Bolivia is the “yellow fever” vaccine (Official information from the Bolivian embassy). However, they do not ask for this vaccine, unless you travel to the valley in Bolivia, or you are a Colombian national.

What can you do on the Sun Island?

The Sun Island is considered a very special place, because it is considered the place where the empire of the Incas began.

During the Inca period, it was a sanctuary with a temple with virgins dedicated to the Sun god. Currently it is populated by Quechua and Aymara communities, which are dedicated to agriculture, tourism, crafts and pastoralism.

Below we will mention which places you can visit within the Sun Island:

Visit the North area of ??the Sun Island:

You can now visit this area, after having overcome conflicts between the communities that cohabit on the island. So that you can get to the north you can walk or go by boat; the walk lasts approximately 3 hours and you will go along a pre-Columbian road; In this area you will see the following archaeological sites:

La Chinkana: Construction of Inca origin where it is believed that priests resided, was a maze of stone walls.
The Sacred Rock: Also known as the rock of origins; it was the table of the ceremonies where the animal sacrifices were made to pay homage to the sun god.
Gold Museum of the Submerged city: This museum is located 5 minutes from the pier; You will have to pay for the entrance, to be able to admire the archaeological objects of the different pre-Hispanic cultures that passed through the island.

Other Places in the Sun Island.

Visit the Challa Community Beach (center): This community is located in the center; it has a long sandy beach and is the ideal place to sit and rest in front of the lake; This town is located between the north and the south.

Visit the Yumani Community, south of the Sun Island: In this community you will find the largest number of hotels and restaurants with more comfortable prices.

Visit the archaeological ruins: While you make your walk, you can visit the following archaeological ruins:

The Inca stairs: You will have to be very careful, because if you want to climb these stairs you will reach 4000 m.a.s.l. And that you will notice on each step when climbing.
Source of the three waters: You can visit this place, after climbing the Inca stairs; It is proof of the advances in hydraulics that the pre-Hispanic peoples achieved.
The Temple of Pilko Kaina: In this temple that was of worship to the sun you will see a pre-Hispanic building and of Inca architecture, and the windows that the temple has are facing east.

More places to visit

Enjoy the sunsets from Mirador Pallakasa: From this point you can; get the magnificent views of Yumani (south) and Challa (center) of the Isla del Sol.
Knowing the Moon Island: In Yunami (South Port) you can find boats to cross to the Island of the Moon; visiting it more you will not be able to sleep there, this island is smaller. You can also get to this place from the city of Copacabana by boat. This island is home to several indigenous communities and is a place where few tourists attend. Already on the island of the Moon you can visit the Palace of the Virgins, the temple of the Moon “Iñak Uyu”.
Visit Suriqui Island: It is an island that is located in the smaller lake of Lake Titicaca. This place stands out because you can appreciate how they build totora rafts.

Where to sleep on the Sun Island?

You will be able to find lodgings both in the south and in the north, ranging from the most rustic, and basic for a few dollars, there are also eco lodges and hotels with more comforts, prices are around $ 20 a double room.
The vast majority of lodgings are found in the Yumani population and the rest of Challapampa.