La Paz to Sorata

The road from La Paz heads northwest to the shores of Lake Titicaca before branching off at Huarina towards the village of Achacachi (population 79,000), where there is a military checkpoint; have your passport at hand. There are good views of Lake Titicaca from the church up the hill from the plaza. It is possible to walk to the lake in 1½ hours. There's a market behind the main plaza on Sundays and a local fiesta is celebrated on 14 September. The road from Achacachi west to Santiago de Huata (one hour by minibus, no accommodation but you may be able to stay at the church) has been described as breathtakingly beautiful.

From Achacachi the road continues north to Warisata, passing through a vast marsh of water and dykes, with farms worked by people in the fields, huge numbers of birds, and snow-capped peaks in the distance. It then reaches the wide open spaces of the Altiplano and climbs to a pass before beginning its descent through a series of tight bends. It continues its descent down the side of a valley then crosses a bridge and climbs up from the river to Sorata.