Intro
Day 351 on the road brought a shift from the rhythmic grind of the pedals to the vertical challenge of ancient stone stairs. I began the afternoon hike at 15:08 under a partly cloudy sky, the air a crisp 9.4°C as I stepped onto the sun-baked nature stone paths of Isla del Sol. After the morning’s logistical friction on the water, the transition to the island’s rugged interior felt like finally catching a tailwind.
The Boat Standoff at 3,800 Meters
- The day didn’t start with the quiet contemplation I’d hoped for. By 09:25, I was on the ‘Pachamama’ boat, but we weren’t moving. The captain stood firm: the boat wouldn’t depart for Isla de la Luna without sixteen passengers, and we only had twelve. Two tourists were practically shouting, waving their agency contracts and demanding we leave to the island. It was a classic high-altitude standoff. The captain remained stoically indifferent to the ‘contractual obligations’ being barked at him.
- To save the day from dissolving into a morning of bitter arguments on a stationary boat, I suggested we just cover the cost of the empty seats ourselves. It wasn’t about the principle—it was about the clock. After some grumbling, everyone chipped in an extra 23 BOB. The captain refused to provide a receipt, knowing the agencies would dock his pay if they found out he’d charged us extra. By 12:06, we finally hit the shores of Isla de la Luna almost an hour late. The Iñaq Uyu ruins, or the Palace of the Virgins, were a maze of trapezoidal niches and cold stone. Walking through those ceremonial courtyards, I could hear the rhythmic clack-clack of donkey hooves on the distant paths, a sound that would follow me for the rest of the day.
The Ridge and the Remote Worker
- By 13:45, we reached Isla del Sol, and the real work began. The Inca stairs are no joke with lungs conditioned for sea level, but at this altitude, every step is a negotiation with your heart rate. I dropped my gear at Hostal del Sol and headed to Restaurant Pachamama for a late lunch. I sat on the terrace with a plate of trout a la plancha, the smell of fried fish and lemon cutting through the thin, dry air. The lake stretched out like a sheet of hammered sapphire toward the west.
- I ended up sharing a table with an American software engineer who had ditched the office to work remotely from the Andes. We spent an hour talking shop—code and server stacks. It was a surreal intersection of my old life and this current wandering existence. By 16:00, I was back on the trail, pushing toward the peak of Cerro Queñuani. The wind picked up to nearly 15 km/h, but the view from the top was a full 180-degree sweep of water and snow-dusted granite. There wasn’t another soul in sight, just the vast, blue silence of the lake.
Shadows of the Sun Temple
- As the clock hit 17:15, I descended toward the Templo del Sol, also known as Pilkokaina. The temperature had climbed slightly to 10.7°C, but the shadows were lengthening rapidly. The temple sits on the southeastern slopes, falling into a deep, cool gloom long before the sun actually sets. Walking through the intact corbelled chambers felt like entering a cellar of history. While the lake behind me was still glowing with a magic golden orange light, the temple itself was draped in the heavy, ancient shadows of the ridge.
- On the hike back up, I fell into step with an elderly man leading three donkeys. He carried a heavy bundle wrapped in white cloth on his back. We walked together for twenty minutes, our pace dictated by the animals. He told me the steepness of the island is exactly what keeps the people here healthy—the slopes don’t allow the heart to get lazy. We parted ways at a turn in the trail, his ‘clack-clack’ of hooves fading into the dusk. I reached the Waliki Restaurant just in time for the 18:17 sunset, watching the sky turn a bruised orange over the water.
Lightning Over the Cordillera
- The day ended back at Pachamama, the only place on the ridge still buzzing with people. I wasn’t up for a full meal after the late trout, so I ordered a pancake. When it arrived, it was a massive 6mm thick disc of dough, slicked with honey and topped with sliced bananas and kiwi. It was exactly the kind of calorie-dense comfort needed after a day of vertical trekking. I sat there for an hour, mapping out the route toward La Paz while the wind hummed against the restaurant windows.
- By 21:01, the sky was perfectly clear, and the thermometer had inexplicably risen to 12.3°C. Looking out toward the Cordillera Blanca, I saw a spectacular display of silent lightning dancing inside the clouds—what we’d call ‘Sommergewitter’ back in Germany. There was no thunder, just these electric pulses illuminating the distant snow peaks every few seconds. I finished my evening routine by 21:30, the texture of the rough wool blankets a welcome end to a day spent on stone and water.
Overnight
I stayed at the Hostal del Sol on Isla del Sol. It’s a basic spot, but the location at the top of the Inca stairs is essential for catching the sunrise, provided you don’t mind the climb to get there.
Reflection
The boat agencies will promise a guaranteed departure to make a sale, but the captain’s loyalty remains solely with a full manifest or a direct cash bribe.
Route summary
- Date: 2026-10-06
- Distance: 6.96 km
- Elevation gain: 206 m
- Elevation loss: 216 m
- Duration: 5 h 53 min
- Time in Motion: 1 h 56 min
- Average Speed: 3.6 km/h