Isla del Sol carries centuries of Aymara history, sacred sites, and trails few visitors ever hear about beyond a day trip.
Francisco Ticona
Francisco Ticona has spent more than twenty years working in tourism on Isla del Sol. A certified guide, he was among the first to help build community-based tourism on the island — a model where each family runs its own venture independently, working in coordination with the rest of the community. For two decades, he welcomed international travelers long before Aymara Ecolodge existed, building the knowledge of the land and its guests that the lodge now runs on.
Gustavo Ticona
Gustavo Ticona founded Aymara Ecolodge, which opened its doors on November 3, 2025, in Challapampa. He took the foundation of community-based tourism his father had built and turned it into a project of his own: a place where guests find rest, nature, and a real connection to the island's culture — not just a cabin to sleep in. Gustavo runs the lodge's administration, guest care, and day-to-day upkeep.
Sustainability
The food is Bolivian, local, and fresh, sourced from Copacabana. Every member of staff was born and raised on Isla del Sol — part of the same community-based tourism model Francisco helped establish.
Water is stored in dedicated tanks on site. Rainwater is collected separately and reused for cleaning floors, while a greywater system treats and reuses wastewater — keeping consumption low across the lodge.
The lodge is built from traditional adobe render and stone, sourced locally and worked with techniques native to the Titicaca region.
More Than a Place to Sleep
Guides at Aymara Ecolodge lead hikes to the island's archaeological sites, its lookout points, and the walk to the sunken city — routes shaped by the same community-based approach to tourism that Francisco helped build on Isla del Sol years before the lodge existed. For this family, hosting guests has never been separate from the island's own history of welcoming them.
Where It's Going
The goal isn't to grow fast. It's to grow without losing what brought the family here in the first place: a father's twenty years learning the island, a son building on that ground, and the idea that a guest should leave with more than photos.