Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [168]
The border is open from 7:30am until 6pm, Peruvian time.
Via Desaguadero
If you’re going straight from Puno to La Paz, unsavory Desaguadero is faster, slightly cheaper and more direct than Yunguyo. It’s also less scenic and less safe.
Combis leave Puno’s terminal zonal for Desaguadero (S7, 2½ hours) throughout the day.
From the terminal in Desaguadero, turn left, walk a block, and you’ll see the border on your left. (At time of writing, a terminal was under construction on the outskirts of Desaguadero, so in the future you may need to take public transport to the border.) Visit the Peruvian Dirección General de Migraciones y Naturalización to get stamped out of Peru. Then head to the building that says ‘Migraciones Desaguadero’, to the left of the bridge, to complete Bolivian formalities.
Catch a triciclo to the Bolivian-side transport terminal, from where you can get to La Paz in 3½ hours either by combi (B$10) or colectivo (shared transportation; B$20).
Avoid spending the night in Desaguadero. If you get stuck, the nicest hotels in town (which really isn’t saying much) are Hostal Panamericano (Panamericana 151; r per person without bathroom B$15, r per person with cable TV B$40) and the similar Hostal San Salvador across the road. They’re in the first block on the Bolivian side.
The border is open from 7:30am to 7:30pm Peruvian time.
Note: the Peruvian police have a bad reputation here, sometimes demanding a nonexistent ‘exit tax.’ Also, there are confirmed reports of a scam in which police search travelers’ luggage for ‘fake dollars’, which are then confiscated – so hide your cash before reaching the border. You are not required to visit the Peruvian police station before leaving the country, so if anyone asks you to go there with them, politely but firmly refuse. There are no ATMs in Desaguadero, so if you need to pay to enter Bolivia (such as US citizens who have to pay $100 for a tourist visa), plan ahead and withdraw money in Puno.
Via the North Shore
This little-traveled route into Bolivia will only really appeal to hardy, off-the-beaten-track travelers with little concern for time or comfort. Speaking at least a little Spanish is essential, as is lots of luck.
Before attempting this, talk to the Peruvian oficina de migraciónes (migration office) in Puno (Click here). They can help you with information, and this may be the only opportunity you have to get yourself stamped out of Peru. Catch a regular combi from Juliaca to the small town of Huancané (Click here) to the northeast. There are basic hostales (guesthouses) near the bus stop and around Huancané’s Plaza de Armas. From here, catch a bus or truck to the friendly little village of Moho (S6, two hours). Nicknamed ‘El Jardín del Altiplano’ (The Garden of the Altiplano), this is a restful place to break your journey. There are a few basic accommodation options in the town center.
Buses and trucks leave Moho for Tilali most mornings. You may be able to take a direct night bus from Juliaca to Tilali via Huancané, Moho and Conima – ask around. Alternatively, you can walk the 30km or so. It takes about five hours to reach Conima, which has the colonial church of San Miguel Arcangel. From here, follow the lakeshore for another two hours (9km) to Tilali, near the Bolivian border. Local families here may rent rooms – ask around. It’s also possible to stay near Conima on Isla Suasi.
However you get there, from Tilali it’s about four hours’ walk (about 20km) to the nearest Bolivian town of Puerto Acosta. There is a big border market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, when it becomes easier to find bus and truck transport from Tilali to the market and onward to Puerto Acosta, but you might get stuck otherwise. There are very few private vehicles along this route, so don’t count on hitching.
The police on the Bolivian border are unused to dealing with tourists, so it’s important to have your documents in order and adopt a respectful,