Where Is Lake Titicaca Located?

Lake Titicaca is a natural marvel and a sacred site, located 12,500 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains between Peru and Bolivia in South America. It is not only one of the largest lakes in the world, it is also located in the cradle of an ancient civilization not far from the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.

The Facts

Lake Titicaca is the largest freshwater lake in South America, located between Bolivia and Peru. It is the highest commercially navigable body of water on Earth. Titicaca is 180 kilometers (118 miles) long and 80 kilometers (50 miles) wide.
The largest city on the lake is Puno, which is located in Peru. On the Bolivia side, the main port city is Copacabana, located on the Peninsula of Copacabana.

Features

From Copacabana, travelers can take a boat to Isla Del Sol, which is one of the largest islands in Lake Titicaca. There are no paved roads or motor vehicles on the island, but it is home to more than 2,000 people, mostly farmers. There are some 180 Incan ruins on the island, which, legend has it, is the birthplace of the Incan Sun God Inti. From Puno on the Peru side, tourists can visit the Floating Islands of Uro--42 islands made of reeds that are inhabited.

Nearby Destinations

Approximately 352 kilometers (218 miles) north of Lake Titicaca is Machu Picchu, one of the most famous historical sites and tourist attractions in the world. Machu Picchu was an ancient Inca civilization, constructed in the 15th century. This "Lost City of the Incas" was built on a mountain ridge and many of the ruins still stand today. Just 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of the southern tip of Lake Titicaca is the city of La Paz, one of the largest cities in Bolivia, with a population of close to 800,000.

How to Get There

To get to Lake Titicaca, fly into La Paz or either Cusco or Lima in Peru. All three are international airports, with La Paz and Cusco the closest. Cusco is located between Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca and is considered a hub for adventures in the Peruvian Andes. Lima, the capitol city, is several hours away but provides access to Cusco or domestic airports closer to the lake. Travelers can also take a train from Cusco to the port city of Puno.

Geography

Lake Titicaca is located in the central part of the Andes Mountains, the longest mountain range in the world. Its coordinates on a map are approximately 16°S and 69°W in the southern hemisphere, which puts it on roughly the same latitude as Toamasina, Madagascar, the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific and Cairns, Queensland, Australia.