Overview
The Sun Island Cruise from Puno swaps the standard passenger boat for a catamaran with an observation deck, and returns to the same port it left from. Pick-up in Puno is around 06:30, followed by the road along the southern shore through Chucuito, Juli and Pomata.
The border crossing at Kasani is done on foot and takes roughly 45 minutes. A passport with at least six months' validity is required, and travellers should carry it on them rather than leaving it in luggage.
Copacabana, 8 km inside Bolivia, is where the cruise begins. The basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria dominates the plaza, and the port sits a few blocks below, sheltered in a bay between two hills.
Catamarans on this route carry between 40 and 90 passengers and include a dining room, bar and upper sun deck. The crossing to Isla del Sol covers about 12 km and takes just over an hour, with lunch usually served on board while the island comes into view.
Isla del Sol measures 9.6 km end to end and has no roads. Landing is normally at Yumani in the south, where the Inca stairway of 206 stone steps climbs to the Three Springs, still running from underground channels built centuries ago.
Above the springs, the path opens onto terraces planted with potatoes and broad beans. On clear afternoons the Cordillera Real appears across the water, with Illampu at 6,368 m and Ancohuma at 6,427 m marking the eastern horizon.
The island holds real weight in Andean tradition as the place where Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo emerged. Some cruise programmes also include the Inti Wata cultural complex, with a reconstructed Inca ceremonial site and a ride on a large totora reed vessel.
Return follows the same water route to Copacabana and then the road back through Kasani, reaching Puno in the evening. Travellers with extra days often add the floating islands of Uros, Taquile or a homestay night in Llachon before moving on.