Location: Peru, Bolivia
Area: 8,372 km²
Maximum depth: 281 m
Coordinates: 15 ° 47'12.1 "S 69 ° 26'30.6" W
Content:
The Andean Lake Titicaca fascinates archaeologists, historians and tourists, and every year tens of thousands of travelers from different countries of the world come to its shores. Some seek to see the ruins of the ancient capital of the Andean Empire, Tiwanaku, or as scientists call it "City of the Dead". Others want to enjoy the beauty of nature and get to know the distinctive culture of Indian tribes.
Why Titicaca?
The name of the South American lake was invented by the Spaniards who colonized the continent and for this they used the language of the Quechua Indian people. By the word "kaka" the descendants of the Incas designated the rock, and "titi" called the puma. It is noteworthy that the brave and warlike Quechua considered a beautiful wild cat to be their totem animal.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the territory of one of the first empires of South America, Tiwanaku, was located south of Lake Titicaca. Its inhabitants spoke the language of Pukin and called the mountain reservoir "Lake Pukin". The Aymara Indians called it "Mamakota", and today the locals call the majestic lake "Chukivitu".
How the lake appeared in the mountains
Scientists have always been interested in the history of the origin of the lake, which lies at an altitude of 3812 m above sea level. Where could such a huge storage of fresh water come from in the mountains? Geological studies have made it possible to establish that about 100 million years ago, the lake was located 3.7 km lower. It was a large sea lagoon and connected to the world's oceans. Together with the mountain ranges of the Andes, the bay gradually rose to a great height and became freshwater.
Today, on the rocks surrounding the shores of the lake, you can see the traces of the surf and the fossil remains of the inhabitants of the ancient sea. The bottom of the reservoir is inhabited by invertebrate marine fish, crustaceans and some species of sharks. Although the lake is considered freshwater, all types of salts characteristic of the Pacific Ocean are dissolved in its water, and the level of mineralization is quite high and is 1%.
Geographic features
Titicaca is located on the Altiplana mountain plateau and is the highest navigable lake on the planet. Moreover, a regular shipping company has existed here for over 100 years. The Andean body of water also leads as the largest freshwater lake in South America. Titicaca stores 893 cubic meters. km of clean water. It is interesting that the water in the central part of the huge reservoir has a constant temperature of + 10 ... + 12 ° C and therefore never freezes. But near the coast, night frosts often bind the surface of the reservoir with a layer of thin ice.
The lake is 176 km long, 66 km wide, and its maximum depth reaches 281 m. The transparency of the water is limited by aquatic vegetation and silt and ranges from 4.5 to 10.5 m.
About three hundred rivers flow into Titicaca, and the total catchment area covers over 58 thousand square meters. km. As well as from Baikal, only one river flows out of this lake - Desaguadero. In the upper reaches, it is navigable, but then the freshwater watercourse passes through saline soils, becomes shallow, and the water in it becomes salty. It is curious that Desaguadero takes only 5% of its volume from the lake. The rest of the water evaporates from strong solar radiation and mountain winds.
The underwater secrets of Lake Titicaca
Since the 16th century, when Europeans began to colonize South America, many scientific studies of the lake and its underwater world have been carried out. According to surviving Indian legends, the ancient Inca city of Wanaku rests at the bottom of the Andean reservoir. They tried to defraud him several times. In the 1960s, the famous explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau was looking for traces of the mysterious city, but the lake did not want to part with its secret.
In 2000, divers from Italy came to Titicacu. The discoveries they made amazed the scientific world! At a depth of 30 m, scientists found a long terrace, similar to an ancient pavement, and for 1 km under water was a stone wall. However, the most surprising find was a stone statue in the shape of a human head. The same sculptures were found earlier on the ruins of the Indian city of Tiwanaku, which is located 15 km south of Lake Titicaca. The analysis showed that the underwater finds are 1,500 years old.
In 2013, underwater research was continued by Bolivian and Belgian archaeologists. More than two thousand unique artifacts were raised from the bottom of the lake, which belong to the ancient empire of Tiwanaku and to the later periods of the history of South America. Researchers have found objects made of gold and silver, as well as stylized figurines of animals.
Indian culture
The interest in the Andean reservoir is so great that it is rightfully considered one of the most placed lakes in the world. From time immemorial, Quechua and Aymara Indians have lived on its shores. On Titicaca there is the Peruvian city of Puno, which appeared in the middle of the 17th century. It is considered by many to be the cultural capital of the country, which is why most of Peru's tours run through Puno. It was in these places that incendiary dances and songs were born, which became widely known throughout South America.
The main attractions of Puno are the picturesque cathedral and the Carlos Dreyer Museum, where you can see many artifacts that tell about the pre-Columbian history of the continent. The museum was named after a German artist and collector of antiquities who lived on the banks of the Titicaca for about 30 years. The halls of the museum exhibit ancient mummies, ceramics and sculptures of the Incas, gold products, household items of the Spanish colonialists and paintings.
Floating reed island Uros
On the Uahsapata hill, above the city, there is a monument in honor of the first Inca - the legendary Manco Capacu. This place attracts many tourists, as the hill offers a beautiful view of the old part of Puno and the vastness of Lake Titicaca. Puno is also an important economic center for the country. Several shipyards have been built in this city, and active trade with Bolivia is conducted along the lake.
There is another Indian attraction not far from the city. These are the floating islands "Uros". The culture of building drifting islands from reeds originated before the colonization of South America and has survived to this day.
Modern tourists can not only see houses on the reed islands, but also spend the night in them in order to get to know more about the life of the Uros Indians. Here travelers are offered a ride on reed boats, delicious dishes made from the heart of reeds, and beautiful souvenirs are offered to them.
One of the islands of Uros
Many tourists go to the islands of the Moon and the Sun, where the ruins of Indian temples have been preserved. On the islands, the priests of the Incas performed their sacred rites, and the leaders of the tribes were buried. It should be borne in mind that both islands belong to Bolivia, therefore, to visit them, you need to cross the border of this country.
Natural attractions
Titicaca attracts tourists with the beauty of its mountainous nature. At a distance from the lake shores, the snow-capped peaks of the Andes rise. The territory of the Titicaca National Reserve is located on the northwest coast. The nature reserve, covering 36,180 hectares, was created to protect the unique biodiversity of the mountain reservoir and colonies of nesting and migratory birds.
Uros Indians cane boat
Since 1997, the reedy shores of Titicaca have had the status of wetlands of international importance and are protected as a habitat for rare species of waterfowl - ducks, geese, gulls and flamingos. In the waters of the lake, salmon trout live, reaching a length of one meter.
Travel Tips
Titicaca lies in the highlands, so it takes several days for the body to get used to the thin air to acclimatize.For better health at the beginning of the trip, you should not plan intense physical activity and long walks. Tourists are advised to drink more water and rest more often. The adaptation period is easier if you include lemon or citrus juice in your daily diet.
Lake on the background of mountains
How to get there
The lake is spread over the territory of two South American states - Peru and Bolivia. The nearest airport to the Peruvian city of Puno is located 50 km away - in the city of Juliaca. Regular buses and taxis run from it to Puno. You can get to Puno by rail from the center of Inca culture - the Peruvian city of Cuzco.
