Copacabana

Expect: Fresh trout, breathtaking vistas and a seriously big lake.

Pack: Comfortable hiking shoes, a healthy pair of lungs, and your own evening entertainment.

Copacabana

By Duncan Tucker

Tucked away on the shores of the majestic Lake Titicaca, this is more than just a convenient stop-off point between Cusco and La Paz. Although not quite as glamorous or exciting as its namesake in Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana remains a must-see destination. Surrounded by great ocean-like expanses of water, it also serves as landlocked Bolivia's biggest beach resort. 

As far as appearances go you might as well be on the coast. Vast, dazzling and impossibly blue, Lake Titicaca never fails to surpass expectations. A dizzying 3,811 metres above sea level, Titicaca is the world's highest commercially navigable lake. Locals will offer to take you out fishing, while those less adventurous travellers are free to bob around the shallows in a pedalo. The lake's biggest attraction is the Isla del Sol. Accessible by boats operated by the ubiquitous tour agencies, the island is best seen in a full day trip involving a fairly strenuous hike from north to south. Prepare to feel dwarfed by the rolling prehistoric landscapes which are home to over 160 Inca ruins. Obviously there's nothing on the scale of Machu Picchu here, but the island was a site of great spiritual importance to the Incas, along with the smaller Isla de la Luna. Basic facilities exist for those who wish to stay overnight and soak up the sensation of being well and truly away from it all. 

The mountains surrounding Copacabana are also well worth the trek. Just north of town, the mirador of Mount Calavario is one of the best sunset-viewing spots in all of South America. If the climb to the summit doesn't take your breath away then watching the full spectrum of colour descend over the calm pastel waters is sure to do the trick. The peak to the south also offers spectacular views of the town, the lake and the stars - so much so that the Incas chose it as the site of their observatory. Annoyingly I arrived immediately after the summer solstice, when the local indigenous population hold religious ceremonies at the top to celebrate the traditional Inca New Year.

Less built-up than its rival city of Puno on the Peruvian side of the lake, Copacabana offers a welcome and relaxing break after the intense bustle of La Paz. Sit back at the lakeside with a beer and enjoy the freshly caught trout or a hearty pique macho. Then take a stroll down to visit the Basilica, which houses the famous dark-skinned Virgin de la Candelaria. Everything shuts down around 9.30pm so it's not exactly buzzing with nightlife, but you came here to get away from all that, right? 

Despite the tranquillity of the place, it pays to keep your wits about you. It was here that I earned the dubious distinction of having been robbed by a tiny Bolivian woman three times my age. Mere seconds after she had handed me my change of 100 Bolivianos (about a tenner), I looked down and it had disappeared. In a Hustle-worthy switch over she had somehow snatched it back right in front of my eyes. My protestations proved futile, but given the audacity and skill of the sting I suppose she had earned it.