At low tide an innocuous-looking column of rock peeps just a few centimeters above Lake Titicaca’s surface, north of Isla del Sol. Most locals dismiss it as a natural stone column, similar to many others along the shoreline. In 1992 stone boxes containing artifacts (including several made of pure gold) were discovered at the underwater site known as Marka Pampa. In 2000 and 2004 further excavations near the site revealed a massive stone temple, winding pathways and a surrounding wall, all about 8m underwater. Although it remains unclear who was responsible for the structures, it has been postulated that they could be as much as 6000 years old. Some even say they are the lost traces of Atlantis. Investigations – and conspiracy theories – are ongoing.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
16.22 MILES
The sparkling white mudéjar (Moorish–style) cathedral, with its domes and colorful azulejos (blue Portuguese-style ceramic tiles), dominates the town…
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10.97 MILES
This is a beautifully preserved village where the homes are built with flat stones joined in an earthen mortar. There is a stone church on the hilltop…
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6.52 MILES
Yumani is the main village at the south end of the island. Most boats drop you at the village’s dock, about 200m downhill from the town proper. The small…
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16.45 MILES
This hillside gate (named 'the Incan Gallows' by the Spaniards) is a fascinating pre-Incan astronomical observatory, surrounded by pierced rocks that…
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15.75 MILES
The summit can be reached in half an hour and is well worth the climb, especially for a view of the sunset. The trail begins near the church at the end of…
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6.84 MILES
Just uphill from the ferry dock at Yumani, along the beautifully reconstructed Escalera del Inca (Inca stairway), you’ll pass plenty of terraced gardens,…
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10.86 MILES
The ruins of an Inca nunnery and temple dedicated to the Virgins of the Sun – also known as Ajlla Wasi or Iñak Uyu – occupy an amphitheater-like valley…
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16.13 MILES
While Bolivia’s only public beach can’t hold a candle to its better-known counterpart in Rio de Janeiro, on weekends the festive atmosphere is a magnet…
Nearby Isla del Sol attractions
1.9 MILES
Isla del Sol's most spectacular ruins lie near the island’s northern tip. Its main feature is the Palacio del Inca, a maze of stone walls and tiny…
1.99 MILES
About 150m southeast of the Chincana ruins is the Mesa Ceremónica. It’s thought to have been the site of human and animal sacrifices and makes for a…
2.4 MILES
From Cha’llapampa Village, the Chincana route runs parallel to the beach, climbing gently along an ancient route to the isthmus at Santiago Pampa (also…
2.46 MILES
Over the track, and in a field just southwest, from the Piedra Sagrada, are the ancient walls of the complex known as the Templo del Inca. Although little…
2.95 MILES
The small Cha'llapampa Museum contains artifacts excavated in 1992 from Marka Pampa, referred to by locals as La Ciudad Submergida (Sunken City). Among…
3 MILES
Most tours visiting the northern ruins land at Cha’llapampa, a small village straddling a slender isthmus.
4.3 MILES
Some obsidian remnants among the ruins indicate contact with people as far away as Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Peru.
5.03 MILES
This agreeable little village stretches along a magnificent sandy beach that could be straight out of a holiday brochure for the Greek islands. The…