Lake Titicaca is shared between Bolivia and Peru, and the most photographically valuable locations are split between the two countries. Copacabana and Isla del Sol are Bolivian. The Uros floating islands and Amantaní are Peruvian. Planning a complete Titicaca elopement means either committing to one side or planning the border crossing, which is straightforward at Copacabana to Yunguyo.

Couple in elopement attire walking along the shore of Lake Titicaca during their trip planning with the vast blue lake and Andean mountains behind them — Lake Titicaca planning: the best locations are split between the Bolivian and Peruvian shores. A single border crossing at Copacabana connects both sides.

La Paz as the Starting Point

Most Titicaca trips start from La Paz, which has international flights and sits at thirty-six hundred metres, giving natural altitude acclimatisation before the three-to-four hour drive to Copacabana. La Paz itself has extraordinary elopement photography locations: the cable car (Mi Teleférico) system over the city, the Witches' Market, the Valle de la Luna formation outside the city, and the dramatic canyon of the Choqueyapu. Two days in La Paz before moving to the lake gives acclimatisation and a distinct set of photographs.

Copacabana to Isla del Sol

The ferry from Copacabana to the southern end of Isla del Sol takes ninety minutes. The crossing to the northern end (where the more remote trails and the most archaeological sites are) takes two to two and a half hours. For an elopement that wants the island dawn experience, the overnight boat schedule from Copacabana leaves in the afternoon and arrives before sunset, allowing a full evening and the following morning before the day-trip boats arrive. I strongly recommend this overnight structure for Isla del Sol shoots.

Couple in elopement attire on the ferry crossing to Isla del Sol at Lake Titicaca with the high-altitude lake and mountains visible behind them — The ferry to Isla del Sol: the crossing gives the first view of the island's ancient terraces and the Andean mountains behind it. An afternoon departure arrives in time for the evening light.

Adding Sucre

Sucre is not accessible by road from Lake Titicaca in a time-efficient way. The bus from La Paz to Sucre takes twelve hours. The flight from La Paz to Sucre is about forty-five minutes. For a Titicaca plus Sucre elopement, the practical structure is: fly La Paz to Sucre for two to three days, then fly back to La Paz and drive to Copacabana. Attempting the bus adds significant time and the altitude change from the Altiplano to Sucre's twenty-nine hundred metres produces a temporary improvement in how most people feel physically, which shows in portraits.

Arman

Destination Wedding Photographer

Vancouver · Medellín · Worldwide