The meaning of the name Titicaca is uncertain, but it has been variously translated as Rock of the Puma or Crag of Lead.

Lake Titicaca (Spanish: Lago Titicaca; Quechua: Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large, deep, freshwater lake in the Andes on the border of Bolivia and Peru. At 3,800 meters above the sea level, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable body of water in the world. It’s also the largest lake in South America with a surface area of 8,372km2 (Length: 190 km Width: 80 km Max Depth: 284 m). Its location is somewhat peculiar – it lies astride the border of Peru (to the west) and Bolivia (to the east). For this reason, Lake Titicaca can be easily accessed from two countries. The most popular entry point from the Peruvian side is Puno, while the city of Copacabana is a convenient choice when traveling in Bolivia.

Titicaca’s waters are limpid and only slightly brackish, with salinity ranging from 5.2 to 5.5 parts per 1,000. Surface temperatures average 14 °C,  from a thermocline at 20 m temperatures drop to 11 °C at the bottom. In Titicaca lake are Forty-one islands, some of them densely populated, rise from Titicaca’s waters. The largest, Titicaca Island (Spanish: Isla de Titicaca, also called Isla del Sol), lies just off the tip of the Copacabana Peninsula in Bolivia.

Lake Titicaca is a place filled with history, legends, and uncovered mysteries. According to Incan mythology, it’s the birthplace of the first Inca king, Manco Capac. Another myth says that the creator god emerged from Lake Titicaca before creating the Sun, Moon, and stars. Hence, the romantic nickname ‘the birthplace of the Sun’. The mysterious lake has also received its own version of the Atlantis legend – rumor has it, that there is a lost city under the face of the water.