Lake Titicaca culture, history & ruins

Discover rural life, traditional boat building techniques and pre-Columbian heritage on a visit to Lake Tititcaca.

The small village of Huatajata is located in an area is rich in agriculture, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. It is around an hour drive from La Paz. The altitude and the humidity of the lake allow the locals to grow quinoa, potatoes, oca, lima bean and barley in abundance, with countless fields resting in the shadow of the Andes Royal Range towards east.

On your trip out of the capital you will also visit the small house of Paulino Esteban, one of the constructors of the RA II Expedition by the Norwegian Thor Heyerdal. Here, you can appreciate the technique use by the local people in the use of the totora reeds to build their boats.

The trip can be extended to a full day excursion, visiting Wiñaymarca, a small archipelago with many islands. You will take a boat to visit Pariti and its museum, Khala Uta and its ruins and also see many tombs of pre-Columbian cultures.