La Paz - Sorata

We will leave La Paz through its large twin city of El Alto before taking the direction of Lake Titicaca. We will cross part of the Altiplano before turning toward the Andean Cordillera and descending to 8860ft.. reaching a green open valley. Sorata is a small charming town with a taste of a medieval village at the foot of the Illampu and Ancohuma mountains summits, which are at an altitude of over 20,700ft. The afternoon will be spent discovering the surroundings (a vertiginous 7.5 mile path that leads to a huge underground cave). Dinner and accommodation in Sorata.

Sorata - Copacabana

After waking up , we will turn back to the holy city of Copacabana (whose dark Virgin inspired the world-famous beach in Brazil). Most of the road will border the crystalline waters of Lake Titicaca. We’ll cross the strait of Tiquina on somewhat unstable barges (don’t worry, some large buses will cross with us as well…) before crossing Lake Titicaca’s main peninsula to the city sanctuary of Copacabana. After getting installed we will visit the Moorish-style cathedral of Copacabana which is worth the detour, not only for its architecture, but also because of the ceremonies that take place there: people come from miles away to have their vehicles baptized there, according to the Catholic as well as the local traditions of the Altiplano. Dinner and accommodation in Copacabana.

Island of the Sun

If the group agrees, it is possible to organize an excursion (by boat and foot) to the Island of the Sun. It offers splendid landscapes of the Cordillera and the blue vastness of Titicaca, The Island of the Sun holds a number of ruins and the mythical origins of the Incas.
If this excursion is not chosen, then, upon leaving Copacabana, we immediately follow the programme for Day 4.

(Day 3 if the excursion to the Island of the Sun has not been chosen)
Copacabana - Tiwanaku - La Paz

We will leave Copacabana in the morning and cross the strait of Tiquina once more to go back the same way up to Batallas. From there, most of our trail will border the lake to Tiwanaku, main archaeological site of the Altiplano, which holds the last traces of a civilization (known by the same name), subject to the Incas in the XVth century. Arriving in Tiwanaku, we will visit the ruins and some very interesting – and recent archaeological museums.
After lunch in Tiwanaku, we will head back to La Paz.