Copacabana is a pilgrimage town first and a lake resort second, and it still carries both jobs without fuss. It sits on the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca, at close to 3,800 metres, on a neck of land between two bays and with the Peruvian border post a short hop away; Yunguyo, the Peruvian town just across the line, is the nearest place of any size. Out on the water lies the Isla del Sol, the legendary birthplace of the Inca sun, with the village of Yumani on its southern ridge.
The way in from La Paz is half of the experience. You run north-west over the flat altiplano with the Cordillera Real standing white on your right, then drop toward the lake and arrive at the Strait of Tiquina, where the road simply ends at water. Vehicles cross on small wooden barges, and a bike usually rides along with a truck or a bus on the same raft while the passengers take a launch. Pay the small fee, ride on when told, tie up nothing, and leave the engine off. On the far side the road climbs through eucalyptus and terraced barley to a view over blue water that is hard to believe at this altitude.
The faith is the thing to understand. The Virgen de Copacabana, a dark, carved figure from the late sixteenth century, lives in the white Moorish-looking basilica above the main street, and on weekends owners bring their cars, buses and now motorbikes to be blessed with flowers, beer and firecrackers outside. If you are riding something with an engine, you are expected to take part. It is a cheerful, noisy ceremony and nobody minds a foreigner holding a camera, as long as you ask.
Eat the trout, which comes from the lake, fried or grilled, at the stalls along the waterfront. Nights are cold even when days are sunny, so pack accordingly, and the thin air makes the first evening feel like a long walk after a hard day. The town has fuel stations, but supplies in Bolivia can be uneven and foreign-plated vehicles are sometimes asked for a different price, so top up in La Paz and ask locally. Climb the Calvario hill at sunset for the lake in full colour and a very good reason to have come.