Lake Titicaca
Sunset over Lake Titicaca from Calvario above Copacabana, Bolivia
There were two main reasons why I wanted to ride through Bolivia: The Salar de Uyuni and Lake Titicaca. Both landscapes were very beautiful and cycling there was highly impressive. After a few rest days in La Paz and the expedition on Nevado Sajama I started riding from La Paz to reach the Lake on Tuesday, May 18. I reached the little village of Huatajata and found a perfect spot to pitch my tent right on the Lake shore with beautiful views of the Lake during sunset. I have described this in ample detail on the Bolivia Ride page. Also, check out the many photos in the lower third of the Bolivia photo album.
Riding above Lake Titicaca near Tiquina on the way to Copacabana
The following day riding from Huatajata to Copacabana in Bolivia was the most scenic stretch of my entire trip. There are quite a few hills to climb, between 200m and 450m above the Lake, but those hills reward with fantastic views of several parts of the Lake. Also, for many km the perfectly smooth paved road runs level at altitude, like a panorama road with so many lookout points, just gorgeous scenery.
View approaching Copacabana, Bolivia
Copacabana is a tourist town and as such has its own unique flair, very different from the eerily quiet Huatajata the day before. From the Calvario, a 150m hill right in the center of the village, you have a fantastic view of the Lake with its many shores and the village below. Many tourists make it up there for sunset, one of the quintessential moments of any Bolivia trip!
Enjoying the view atop Calvario above Copacabana, waiting for sunset
The next day I crossed the border into Peru and rode all the way to Puno, many km along the Lake again, with wonderful views back East over the Lake. One can still see the majestic peaks of the Cordillera Real behind in the distance, including Huayna Potosi (6094m) and Illimani (6460m) next to La Paz. For me, Lake Titicaca was a great highlight, and well worth putting up with the hardship of riding on the Bolivian altiplano!
Add comment May 21st, 2010