Tiwanaku off the Beaten Track

By Kelley Coyner

A number of small towns nearby Lake Titicaca offer wonderful spots  for traveling off the beaten track. The following are some of the best locales.

Most people rightfully come to Tiwanaku for the ruins and museums. The new museum explains the traditions of this ceremonial capital which has been at the epicenter of Andean culture for 1,000 years, and the influence of this ancient culture is obvious around town. Walk to the church built by colonial-era tin magnates. After a visit to the museums and ruins, the statues should seem familiar. Much of the stone used to build these came from the Tiwanaku structures. After a long day of touring, you may just want to catch some sleep. Take a break from napping at the overlook outside of Tiwanaku. On a clear day, it may be one of the best views of the Corderillo Real. If you yearn to taste llama, a staple of the Tiwanaku diet, stop at the Tiwanaka Inn.

Located 15 minutes by car from Tiwanaku, the historic port of Guaqui offers views of Lake Titicaca and the Corderillo Real of the Andes. The port was a key hub for transportation in the 1900s and now holds restored steam locomotives of the era. After a flood inundated area in the mid-1980s, both the water port and the rail operation closed. Today you can poke around the original warehouses on the rail sidings and take a peak at the locomotives. If you are lucky enough to find someone with the keys to the secured warehouse and you can take a look at an English-made, small steam locomotive from 1914 (La Hualaycha) and a medium-sized locomotive also of English descent, No. 6 (La Illimani). In 2007, the Bolivian-based Quipus Foundation hopes to open the first in a series of museums on site and thereafter you will be able to hop aboard one of these old trains for a ride around the area.

Less than a kilometer away from the port, the town of Guaqui hosts a recently restored colonial church. Built in 1624, the walls exhibit exquisitely painted mantles and the altar is covered in silverwork typical of the era. Be sure to tuck your head into the small chapel dedicated to El General Tata Santiago, a local hero who has been sanctified by the Catholic Church here. He’s the soldier riding a white stallion at the rear of the chapel. If you happen to visit in late July you may see the Morenada, a traditional dance of parish festivals and the Carnival.

On the way to Tiwanaku, the road passes alongside Laja—once the original site of La Paz. Finding the cold, arid winds of the Altiplano too much to bear, the Spanish relocated to below the seja or edge of the Altiplano. The colonial church still stands off the road in the little town—just follow its towers to get there. The toll booth marks the exits for Laja as well as a snack stop. Aymayran ladies in blue aprons sell fresh, flat bread for a Boliviano a bag, or about 15 cents. The bread is best when it is still warm.

Students keen on the early civilizations of South America should venture to Chiripa, a small village located on the Taraco peninsula, at the southern arm of Lake Titicaca. Between the church and the soccer field is an ongoing excavation of a subterranean temple, believed to have belonged to one of the earliest cultures on the lake. The gate is usually padlocked, but ask around for the mayor who can let you in and provide you with a brief overview of the site. The site is not physically astounding, but its historical significance will send a chill down your spine.