Bolivia Guide
Lago Titicaca, the Cordillera Real and the Yungas
Lago Titicaca
An immense, sapphire-blue lake sitting astride the border with Peru at the northern end of the Altiplano, LAGO TITICACA is one of the classic images of Bolivia, and few scenes are more evocative of the country than the sight of a poncho-clad fisherman paddling across its azure waters against the backdrop of snowcapped mountains. Set at an altitude of 3810m, and measuring some 190km by 80km, it's by far the biggest high-altitude body of water in the world – the remnant of an ancient inland sea which was formed as the Andes were thrust up from the ocean floor. The area around the lake is the heartland of the Aymara, whose distinct language and culture have survived centuries of domination, first by the Incas, then by the Spanish, and who continue to cultivate maize on ancient mountainside terraces around the lake, grow barley, quinoa and potatoes on the fertile plains, and raise herds of llamas, alpacas, cattle and sheep.