BOLIVIA

Latin American Travel Guide

Travel to Bolivia

If you’ve ever been fascinated with myth, legends, and the mysteries of South American Indian cultural treasures, Bolivia is a treasure trove of ancient wisdom.

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This country resembles the Tibetan Plateau in so many different ways. The highest natural lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. The capital city of La Paz, Bolivia is the capital of the highest altitude in the world. With a picture skyline dominated by the Illimani, a forbidding peak soaring through the skies. La Paz ruins and the ancient foundations of the church of St. Augustine are testament to the history that still stands here in Bolivia, whose timeless forts and temples have a calming effect upon travelers.

It was only recently that an earthquake caused part of the monastery of St. Augustine’s foundation to expose ancient stones of the Coricancha north in the old Inca capitol of Cuzco, created in the middle of the modern day Peru. This place is the dwelling place of the sun, and the home of the infamous sun disc, easily one of the most sacred and revered sites of the ancient Inca Empire. La Paz, Bolivia, is situated 12,000 feet above sea level, on a canyon floor, in the winter is often bathed in a clear, intense sunlight. Once you visit Bolivia, you will feel the power of the sun and the awe-inspiring landscape and understand how this culture came to worship the sun.

Lake Titicaca

With amazing ruins, startlingly preserved and many still in use today, it is no wonder that life has changed little here since the time of old. Bolivia travel is a good option in the warmer months between April and October. The warm air makes the high elevation more tolerable, its hard to breathe at such high altitude. While winter temperatures are all around more comfortable, the rain can make travel more of a challenge. A great deal of Bolivian tourism is centered upon the many Bolivian holidays, cultural aspects and religious festivals of the native population.

One of the most spectacular displays of ancient ritual of the Bolivian holiday of Yintip Raymi, or the Solemn Feast of the Sun. This is a large, elaborate sun ritual thousands of years old. This festival, which takes place on June 24, was brought back to life in 1944, on the summer solstice. It will help give you a real taste of the distinct culture that thrives here. Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara, the pre-Inca language, are all spoken in Bolivia. But in fact, only about 60% of the population is Spanish speaking.

Lake Titicaca holds a great deal of meaning to the Aymara Indians as well as their descendants. This desolate lake is a deep and intense dark blue color. Being a body of water in the mountains, it is subject to rapid changes in weather. Many modern descendants still practice the tradition of weaving the feather light boats out of reed, which they use to traverse Lake Titicaca and travel to the islands of the Sun and the Moon, as they have for hundreds of years. One of the amazing facts of this country is that more than half of the population of Bolivia still adheres to traditional ways of life.

Green Lagoon - Bolivia

These facts draw curious adventurers to explore Tiahuanaco or Tiwanaku, a solemn, desolate temple fortresses that is the remnant of an ancient settlement at Lake Titicaca. This commanding fortress, home of the most revered ruins and the puzzling carved figures and the solitary sun gate, is truly a mystery, as it was to the Incas. By the time they reached the height of their culture, the site had long been in ruin.

Travel to Bolivia

Whether you want to wander the markets of La Paz, hike the ancient temples of the hallowed city of Tiahuanaco, or partake in a tour to the underground lake, Bolivia travel will satisfy your wandering urges and place you under a mystifying spell, captivating your imagination.