Posts Tagged ‘lakes’

Photo of the Day: Cerro Calvario, Copacabana

| by Jason | 3 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Titcaca Lake

Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) Copacabana, Bolivia Overlooking Lake Titicaca

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, from where boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia.

The town is a destination for tourism in Bolivia. The town is also known for its famous Basilica, home of the Virgin of Copacabana, its trout, and its quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana’s religious celebrations, cultural patrimony, and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. – Wikipedia

This is a photo of Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) which is lined with monuments representing the 14 Stations of the Cross. Pilgrims visit the Stations for prayer and penance and many tourists climb the hill for its fine views. The Stations of the Cross were built on this hill in the 1950s, when the government decided Copacabana should have more to offer its thousands of pilgrims than just the Basilica of the Virgin. – Sacred Destinations

It took a friend and I (Chuck) 30 minutes to walk all of the steep steps to the top. The exhausting climb was worth the beautiful sunset view out into Lake Titicaca. Some of our best Bolivia sunset photos were taken from this perch.

Photo of the Day: Flamingos in Bolivia Altiplano

| by Aracely | 2 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Our 4-Day Tupiza to Uyuni tour in Bolivia, South America was filled with unique landscapes. We captured snow capped mountains, surreal deserts, eroded mountain ranges, glowing lakes and most importantly the largest Salt Flats in the world, Salar de Uyuni.

This picture is from day 3 of our tour which revealed hundreds of flamingos. Unfortunately we had a very thick overcast the first half of the day, which made the flamingos not so pink.

Salar de

Flamingos in the Bolivia Altiplano

Photo of the Day: Lake Chungara in Northern Chile’s Altiplano

| by Jason | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

Tours to Altiplano from Arica

Lake Chungará is situated in northern Chile, in Tarapacá Region

Lake Chungará is situated in northern Chile, in Tarapacá Region. It is the 29th highest lake in the world (and the 10th highest in South America). It is near the volcanos Parinacota (20,827 feet or 6,348 meters) and Pomerape (20,413 feet or 6,222 meters). It was formed 8000 years ago, when a major collapse of the edifice of Parinacota produced an avalanche of 6km³ of debris which blocked drainage pattern, thus creating the lake.

The situation of this lake is not very stable due to environmental issues nowadays, especially concerning potable water supply to dense population. See the state on August 9, 2024. – Wikipedia

Photo of the Day: Religious Cross Atop Isla del Sol

| by Jason | 9 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Situated on the Bolivian side of the lake with regular boat links to the Bolivian town of Copacabana, Isla del Sol (“Island of the sun”) is one of the lake’s largest islands.  Geographically, the terrain is harsh; it is a rocky, hilly island.  There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island.  The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy.  There are over 180 ruins on the island. Most of these date to the Inca period circa the 15th century AD. – Wikipedia

We walked across the island in 3 hours capturing some of the most beautiful ocean island views we have ever seen.  We went off trail and climbed to the top of nearby hill to get a close up glimpse of this religious cross.

Religious Cross in Bolivia

A Religious Cross Rests High on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca

Photo of the Day: Isla Del Sol, Lake Titicaca

| by Jason | 1 Comment » | Photo of the Day

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is an island in the southern part of Lake Titicaca.  It is part of the modern Plurinational State of Bolivia.  Geographically, the terrain is harsh; it is a rocky, hilly island.  There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island.  The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy.  Of the several villages, Yumani and Cha’llapampa are the largest.  There are over 80 ruins on the island. – Wikipedia

Lake Titicaca Bolivia

Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca

Photo of the Day: Semuc Champey

| by Aracely | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

Semuc Champey is a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, near the Q’eqchi’ Maya town of Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300m limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabòn River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped, turquoise pools, a popular swimming attraction. Although it can be difficult to get to, Semuc is becoming more and more popular with travelers. – Wikipedia

Watch our HD Travel Video of our trek to Semuc Champey.

Guatemala Natural Wonders

Semuc Champey

Photo of the Day: Best View For Bathing In Hot Springs

| by Jason | 3 Comments » | Photo of the Day

This is the greatest scenery you could ever imagine while bathing in natural springs. The hot springs are located in the Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Bolivia, which is included in the 4 day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour. We stopped to enjoy lunch just inside the park’s entrance where the springs empty into a large lake. Once you were in the pool, you didn’t want to get out, because the weather was freezing!

Uyuni Salt Flat Tour

Most Incredible View From Hot Springs