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La Estancia EcoLodge
Island of the Sun; Lake Titicaca
Photos |
Lake Titicaca |
La Estancia EcoLodge |
Itineraries |Our Project | Activities | Facilities |
How to Get There
Come and enjoy one of the most special places of Bolivia´s Lake Titicaca (Lago Titicaca) - Ecolodge La Estancia - located on the sacred Island of the Sun (Isla del Sol), with an amazing view of the Royal Mountain Range, surrounded with mystic energy, natural beauty and working with a local Aymara indigenous community. Special excursions to EcoLodge La Estancia, Island of the Sun, Island of the Moon, Isla Pariti, Yumani and Sampaya. Lodge-based and village home-stays. Groups, couples and individuals of all ages.
Photos
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Lake Titicaca
Come and enjoy "Lake Titicaca", the highest navigable lake in the World! You’ll see and understand why the Andean civilizations established their main centers around Lake Titicaca. The area is rich in agricultural production (potato, quinua, even corn), that it has never suffered problems of food supply. Its micro weather with the addition of permanent water coming from the Andes Range were and still are the main reasons of a better development; beginning with Chiripa, then Tiahuanaco as great example, to finally reach the great Inca Empire.
These programs show you the beauty and richness of Lake Titicaca with its pre-Columbian, colonial and cultural treasures. These trips are done in private transportation and give you the time to stop in different places and visit small towns with great colonial churches. The hike to the Island of the Sun and on the island itself give you a real chance to enjoy the rich variety of Lake Titicaca and its surroundings.
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La Estancia Ecolodge
An amazing spot located in the southern part of the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, near the Aymara indigenous community of "La Estancia," from where the name was taken. It preserves the Andean architecture, combining it with modern comfort while respecting the harmony of the surrounding nature and habitat. The cabins are of adobe brick and thatch roofs, set between pre-Inca terraces and using solar energy.
Community work is an important goal and slowly more people are involved with the project, like using their boats for the lake transportation, indigenous bands playing music with typical instruments and locals working in the ecolodge. Having always an immense blue sky and touching the stars with your hands, admiring the power of the sun (main Andean God) in the purest air of America. Please come to enjoy this special treasure of the nature and the rich culture of their people.
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Itineraries
1-day: Puno / La Paz / Copacabana / Lake Titicaca / Island of the Sun / Yumani / La Paz
Private transportation from Puno or Copacabana; visit the Dark Virgin and its excellent church; boat to the Island of the Sun and visit the Pilkokaina ruins and have a typical aptapi (communal Andean lunch); boat to Yumani and visit the Garden of the Inca; boat to Copacabana and transportation to La Paz. (L)
2-day Culture: A Cultural Touch of the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca
Day 1. Transportation from Puno or La Paz to Copacabana / Boat to the Island of the Sun / Hike to Ecolodge La Estancia
Private transportation from La Paz or Puno to Copacabana (3 hours), a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, where you’ll take a boat to the Island of the Sun (1 hour), the Sacred spot of the Incas, where they were baptized; land near the Pilkokaina ruins and have a typical aptapi (communal Andean lunch). Then hike to Ecolodge La Estancia (1 hour), where you’ll overnight. (L,D)
Day 2. Boat to the Island of the Moon / La Chincana / Chacapampa / Copacabana / Puno or La Paz
Don't miss the sunrise early in the morning! Boat to the Island of Moon Island and visit the Iñac Uyu or Temple of the Ñustas ruins, continue north for 1 hour, to see the best preserved ruins of La Chincana or Labyrinth. Optional one hour hike or boat to the near village of Challapampa, with great views of the lake and the local culture, visit the local museum to see rich treasures from Tiahuanaco to the Inca cultures. Take the boat to Copacabana (2 hours), visit the famous Dark Virgin, its great church and a stroll of the town. Private transportation to Puno or La Paz. (B,L)
2-day Relax; Relaxing on the Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca; visit Yumani
Day 1. Transportation La Paz or Puno to Copacabana / Boat to Island of the Sun / Hike to Ecolodge La Estancia
Private transportation from La Paz or Puno to Copacabana (3 hours), a beautiful town in the shores of Lake Titicaca, where you’ll take a boat to the Island of the Sun (1 hour), the Sacred spot of the Incas, where the Incas were baptized; land near the Pilkokaina ruins and start hiking to Ecolodge La Estancia (1 hour), where you’ll overnight; afternoon free to relax and receive its natural energy. (L, D)
Day 2. Ecolodge La Estancia / Yumani / Island of the Moon / Copacabana / Puno or La Paz
Don't miss a great sunrise early in the morning! Morning free to learn about the Aymara culture and its believes. Hike through the village of Yumani in the Garden of the Incas, to see the water spring of the Eternal Youth, where the Incas were baptized. Then down to the bay, to take the boat to Island of the Moon and visit the Iñac Uyu or Temple of the Ñustas ruins, continue in boat to Copacabana, visit the famous Dark Virgin, its great church and a stroll of the town. Private transportation to La Paz or Puno. (B, L)
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3-day. Hike an Inca Trail to and Across the Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca; visit Sampaya and Yumani.
Day 1. Transportation La Paz or Puno to Copacabana / Hike to Sampaya / Boat to Island of the Sun / Hike to Ecolodge La Estancia.
Private transportation from La Paz or Puno to Copacabana (3 hours), a beautiful town in the shores of Lake Titicaca. Continue traveling to La Gruta (15 min), where the hike starts up an Inca trail to the pass (1 hour), an ideal spot to have a lunch break and enjoy an amazing view of the lake and the Andes Range. Continue hiking to Sampaya (1 hour), an old Indian village, where most of the constructions are of typical Andean style: stones, adobe bricks and thatch roofs. Hike down to the bay (1 hour) and boat to the Island of the Sun (1/2 hour), the Sacred spot of the Incas, land near the Pilkokaina ruins and hike to overnight in Ecolodge La Estancia (1 hour). (L, D)
Day 2. Boat to the Island of the Moon and then La Chincana / Hike across the Island of the Sun
Don't miss the sunrise early in the morning! Boat to the Island of the Moon, visit the ruins of Iñac Uyu or Temple of the Ñustas, continue in boat to northern part of the Island of the Sun and visit La Chincana or Labyrinth, the best preserved ruins and start a great hike crossing most of the island back to the ecolodge. You’ll have a traditional lunch, called huatia, where everything is cooked bellow earth under the fire. Afternoon free to enjoy the beauty of the area. Overnight in Ecolodge La Estancia. Don’t miss the sunset from the top of the hill! (B, L, D)
Day 3. Island of the Sun / Yumani / Copacabana / Puno or La Paz
After breakfast hike through the village of Yumani in the Garden of the Incas, to see the water spring of the Eternal Youth, where the Incas were baptized. Then down to the bay, take the boat back to Copacabana, visit the famous Dark Virgin, its great church and a stroll of the town. After lunch private transportation to La Paz or Puno. (B, L)
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4-day. Hike an Inca Trail; Explore and Relax on the Island of the Sun on Lake Titicaca; visit to Yumani and Sampaya.
Day 1. Transportation La Paz or Puno to Copacabana / Hike to Sampaya / Boat to Island of the Sun / Hike to Ecolodge La Estancia.
Private transportation from La Paz or Puno to Copacabana (3 hours), a beautiful town in the shores of Lake Titicaca. Continue traveling to La Gruta (15 min), where the hike starts up an Inca trail to the pass (1 hour), an ideal spot to have a lunch break and enjoy an amazing view of the lake and the Andes Range. Continue hiking to Sampaya (1 hour), an old Indian village, where most of the constructions are of typical Andean style: stones, adobe bricks and thatch roofs. Hike down to the bay (1 hour) and boat to the Island of the Sun (1/2 hour), the Sacred spot of the Incas, land near the Pilkokaina ruins and hike to overnight in Ecolodge La Estancia (1 hour). (L, D)
Day 2. Boat to Island of the Moon and then La Chincana / Hike across the Island of the Sun
Don't miss the sunrise early in the morning! Boat to the Island of the Moon, visit the ruins of Iñac Uyu or Temple of the Ñustas, continue in boat to northern part of the Island of the Sun and visit La Chincana or Labyrinth, the best preserved ruins and start a great hike crossing most of the island back to the ecolodge. You’ll have a traditional lunch, called huatia, where everything is cooked bellow earth under the fire. Afternoon free to enjoy the beauty of the area. Overnight in Ecolodge La Estancia. Don’t miss the sunset from the top of the hill! (B, L, D)
Day 3. EcoLodge La Estancia / Island of the Sun
Morning and afternoon free, exploring and relaxing available. Overnight in Ecolodge La Estancia. (B, L, D)
Day 4. Island of the Sun / Yumani / Copacabana / Puno or La Paz
After breakfast hike through the village of Yumani in the Garden of the Incas, to see the water spring of the Eternal Youth, where the Incas were baptized. Then down to the bay, take the boat back to Copacabana, visit the famous Dark Virgin, its great church and a stroll of the town. After lunch private transportation to La Paz or Puno. (B, L)
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Our Project
Almost 30 years of experience working in tourism in Bolivia and a second generation involved in the business, is the personal background of Ecolodge "La Estancia". Is located in the southern part of the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, near the Aymara community of "La Estancia".
The ecolodge was built with the idea of combining modern comfort with the traditional style of the area and perfectly combined with the nature and the pre-Inca terraces.
The direct benefits to the local community include:
- A community fee per visitor.
- Boats of locals for transportation in the area.
- A local restaurant in a stop before reaching our ecolodge.
- Cargo animals for transporting the luggage with locals operating it.
- Permanent jobs for people working in administration, services and in the near future local guides.
- A place in the ecolodge for locals to show and sell their typical handcrafts.
- Temporary jobs in construction, gardening and maintenance.
- Indian doctors sharing their ancient knowledge and practice with the clients.
- Provision of local veggies, cheese and fish from the area.
- Old people from the community playing native music at dinnertime.
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Activities
To explain better the main activities, is good to remind that you are in the heart of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world (3,841 m/12,600 ft). The natural influence of the Andes Range was the main reason of development of the Andean civilizations. Supported also by the mythology, because the first two Incas Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo were said to be born here and later went to Cusco to found the Inca empire.
Many traditions are kept alive and show us how the social structure of this culture was. Beginning with the use of the old terraces for agriculture, to avoid erosion and improve the use of hillsides and better irrigation. Continuing with religion, strongly related with the nature (sun, moon, earth, mountains, storm, rain, etc.) and its effects, to finally see their social traditions like music, clothes and way of life. Just walking through the trails or admiring the landscapes will transport you to ancient worlds.
After landing near Pilkokaina ruins, about one hour walk to the ecolodge. The first part is steep and then smooth following the ridge of the hillside
At La Estancia you can enjoy the following activities:
- Hiking through the whole area
- Sea kayaking
- Cross cultural exchange with the Aymara native communities
- Mystical ceremonies in this blessed Inca land, strongly related with the nature
- Photography
- Development of projects of interaction to involve the community in ecotourism. With seminars and courses in different fields, focusing: culture, services, outdoor activities, music, food, etc.
- Best place to relax and enjoy the calm and beauty of the area
- Archeological trips to different ruins, their trails, lots of terraces, local museums and the Sacred Stone
- Operations related with the whole lake circuit, including the town of Copacabana, the Island of the Moon and connections to La Paz or Puno
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Facilities
The construction of the ecolodge was based in the main principles of ecotourism, starting with the assistance and support to the local Aymara community, providing them permanent and temporary jobs.Then building the cottages over restored pre-Inca terraces (tacanas) and maintaining a strong respect of the surrounding landscape and local architecture. Finally using solar energy, recycling water and planting native plants.
What is important to highlight is:
- 11 typical cottages, using local technique and architecture of the Aymaras with adobe bricks and thatch roofs. All rooms have great views of the lake and the Andes Range
- Comfortable restaurant and bar, with a great view of the lake and range
- Capacity for 33 people, all rooms with private bathrooms
- Restoration of pre-Inca terraces to maintain the local landscape
- Hot water with solar energy
- Recycling water 3 times
- Garden with a plan to recuperate native plants and build a green house for the vegetables use in the ecolodge
- Involvement of the Aymara community of La Estancia in the lodge's work
- Note. We are building a conference room with a maximum capacity of 20 paxs.
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How To Get There
La Paz or Puno (Peru) to Copacabana:
Departing from La Paz, crossing parts of the highlands with Aymara villages and going parallel to the Royal Andes Range. Reaching the lake to enjoy great landscapes is special, it takes about 3 hours to Copacabana, a main Catholic pilgrimage center do to the presence of the famous Dark Virgin. The area was important in pre-Colombian times and the entrance to this sacred land.
Coming from Puno (Peru), surrounding most of the western part of the lake, crossing the towns of Chucuito, its churches and ruins, then Juli, the main center of the Jesuit missions in the highlands, to appreciate the great job in stone done in their churches. Pomata is next with an impressive church, then through the border town of Yunguyo (Peru) and enter Bolivia in Kasani, to finally reach Copacabana in about 3 hours.
From Copacabana take a boat, owned by people from the area, to the Island of the Sun. It takes around one hour to the southern part.
Hike to the EcoLodge:
There are three different ports where you can land and then hike to Ecolodge "La Estancia":
1. Pilkokaina ruins. (Our best suggestion) After visiting this Inca palace, hike uphill with a slope of 23° enjoying good views of the land (terraces), lake and crossing the Indian community of Yumani (d = 1,7 km; h = 110 m/355 ft), then following curves hike gently with 15° of a hillside until reaching Ecolodge "La Estancia" (d = 1,0 km; h = 40 m/129 ft; 1 hour or more).
2. Yumani bay. You are in the Garden of the Incas, hike steep these Inca steps and reach the water spring of the "Eternal Youth", where the Incas were baptized. Continue going uphill and then cross part of the Indian community of Yumani (d = 600 m; h = 110 m/355 ft) to finally reach Ecolodge "La Estancia" (d = 1,0 km; h = 40 m/129 ft; 1 hour).
3. Huacani bay. This is the shortest but steepest way to reach Ecolodge "La Estancia", going up from the bay (d = 400 m; h = 150 m/484 ft; ½ hour) and crossing nice old Inca terraces.
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Alan Perry | Daniel Manzaneda
(208) 866-9617 | info@madidi.com | infomadidi@gmail.com
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