Intro
Day 361 began long before the sun, standing on a cold balcony at 4:00 AM staring at a sky so crowded with stars it looked like spilled salt. By 09:49, I was officially moving, leaving the Hostal del Sol in a crisp 8.0°C chill with a 15.9 km/h wind tugging at my gear. The plan was a 22km loop across the island’s rugged spine, trading my bike pedals for the friction of boots on mixed gravel and sand.
The Northern Trek and Pig Beach
- The path north was a sensory shift from the mainland grind. The surface kept me guessing, switching from loose gravel to soft sandy stretches that hugged the shoreline, then back to narrow, rugged paths cut into the rock high above the water. I spent the morning tracking the movement of the lake; at the white sand beaches, the water turned a pale turquoise that looked more Caribbean than Andean. The sound of seagulls crying over the bays followed me for miles, a sharp, repetitive punctuation to the silence of the high altitude.
- Around 12:45, I pulled into Wat’a Qala, a small restaurant overlooking the white sands of Pig Beach on the north of the island. I ordered the orange chicken with steamed veggies and rice. The chicken was dry enough that even the orange sauce couldn’t quite save it, but the view of the Cordillera Real across the water provided enough distraction. I sat there for a while, feeling the sun gain some strength as the temperature climbed toward 11°C, watching the light hit the distant glaciers of the mainland.
Mirrors, Myths, and the Sacred Rock
- By 14:30, I reached the northern tip where the archaeological complex of Chincana sits. I was leaning against a stone when a guide approached, inviting me to join a small group heading toward the Titi Qala, or Sacred Rock. The texture of the rough sandstone here is incredible—weathered and pitted by centuries of lake wind. The guide did something I hadn’t seen before: he pulled out a small hand mirror and caught the sun, using the reflection like a laser pointer to trace hidden shapes in the rock face. He pointed out two faces and the distinct shape of a giant frog carved by time and belief into the stone.
- We moved to the sacred wall, where he handed out coca leaves. I followed the ritual, placing the leaves against the stone while silently wishing for the health of my brother, sister, and father. It felt grounded, a physical connection to the granite. The tour ended in the Chincana labyrinth, a maze of tight corridors and trapezoidal doors. We stood in a circle at the Spring of Youth, and the guide poured cold, sacred water over our hands and heads. I’m not one for mysticism, but the sensation of the cold water drying against my skin in the thin air was undeniably refreshing. Afterward, I struck out off-path to find Arku Punku, a stone arch that looks like a heart from the right angle. I sat there in the silence for twenty minutes, just watching the lake.
The Long Spine Home
- At 16:00, I turned back for the 8km return trek to the south of the island. The return leg followed the central ridge, a straight, exposed path that offered views of Lake Titicaca on both sides. The scent of eucalyptus moved in and out as I passed small groves, the medicinal fragrance cutting through the dry air. While the vistas of Isla de la Luna were constant, the walk became a test of patience. By the last 4km, the novelty of the ruins had faded into a dull ache in my legs, and I just wanted the trail to end.
- I reached back into the south village at 18:20, just as the sun began its descent. I headed straight to Pizzeria Isla Del Sol and ordered a vegetarian pizza loaded with olives, mushrooms, and onions. By 19:56, the temperature had settled at a relatively mild 12.4°C. The pizza was fresh and exactly what I needed to offset the dry chicken from lunch. I returned to the hostel expecting a loud party the owners had warned me about, but the house was surprisingly quiet. At 21:20, I stepped outside one last time. I saw a faint, glowing cloud in the west and set my phone to a four-minute astrophotography exposure. The result was a clear, vivid shot of the Milky Way, a perfect mirror to the stars I’d seen eighteen hours earlier.
Overnight
I stayed at Hostal del Sol in the south of the island; I almost moved out because of a rumored party, but the night ended up being perfectly silent.
Reflection
A 22km hike at 3,800 meters elevation feels significantly longer than the same distance at sea level, regardless of how many coca leaves you offer the rocks.
Route summary
- Date: 2026-10-07
- Distance: 22.84 km
- Elevation gain: 641 m
- Elevation loss: 650 m
- Duration: 10 h 7 min
- Time in Motion: 5 h 49 min
- Average Speed: 3.9 km/h