Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

Renting a car and driving yourself is an excellent way to get to Lake Titicaca. Take the El Alto Highway northwest from the city. The road is paved between La Paz, Huatajata, the strait at Tiquina, and Copacabana, and barring heavy traffic, takes less than four hours. If it's your own vehicle, get it blessed at the church while you are there.

Minibuses run regularly from the gates of El Viejo Cementerio in La Paz to destinations along Lake Titicaca, including Batallas, Huatajata, and Tiquina. One-way tickets are about $1. Private bus companies that collect passengers at their hotel charge roughly $10 round-trip to Copacabana (four hours) and $15 to Sorata (six hours). Diana Tours (Calle Sagárnaga 328. 02/235-0252) and Turibus (Calle Illampu. 02/232-5348 or 02/236-9542) are two well-known companies operating this route. Companies are also at the bus terminal in La Paz, including TransTur (02/237-3423) at Caseta 18.

Crillón Tours (Av. Camacho 1223. 02/213-6612. 02/213-6614. www.titicaca.com), one of the oldest tour companies in La Paz, operate the hydrofoils and the Inca Utama Resort on Lake Titicaca, and the Posada del Inca on Isla del Sol.