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Hostel Inca Pacha' Isla del Sol is located on the Isla del Sol, which is about one-and-a-half hours from Copacabana. There are scheduled ferries that make the trip to the island every day, but it is limited. There is generally only one ferry in the morning and one in the afternoon. And once on the island, there is only one route visitors can go. All buildings and establishments are along this path, up the hill toward the top of the mountain. Establishments and homes are available in pockets along this path. Restaurants and accommodations are generally clustered together.
The Location
Compared to other accommodations on the island, Hostel Inca Pacha' is actually one of the first ones on the path, closest to the port (at about half a kilometre's distance from the port). However, the walk is entirely uphill, so if possible, it would be ideal to leave the majority of your luggage at Copacabana and only bring necessities to Isla del Sol.
The hostel is tucked inside, away from the main path. There isn't a lot of foot traffic anyways, and it is really quiet and peaceful on the island.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There is a combination of private and shared rooms here. The hostel is spread out over two floors, with the majority of the bedrooms upstairs. The rooms are bare, but not too cramped. The blankets are thick enough to carry guests through the night and the walls are also thick enough that the cold night wind doesn't seep through.
For all the guests, even guests staying in the private rooms, there are only two bathrooms available. Even though there are showers available, staff usually advise guests not to use them or to use them very sparingly. It should be noted that the toilets do not flush; the bucket flushing method is endorsed here, and predominantly across the entire island. However, at the time of visit, only one toilet was operating the entire time and staff did not seem eager to fix the issue. Aside from only one toilet being operational, the bathrooms in general could use a clean.
Common Spaces
Beside the building with all the bedrooms, there is a dining building with a restaurant filled with tables. Even though it can be used as a lounge area, guests mainly only use it for meal times. At off hours, the lights are usually off at this building and it is usually empty of guests. Even though there were a lot of visitors staying at the establishment, there is not much of a social atmosphere. Many visitors tend to stick to themselves.
Summary
Hostel Inca Pacha' is a basic hostel for guests to spend the night. The staff are not particularly friendly or helpful, and it doesn't create a welcoming atmosphere. As well, security of possessions could be an issue; there are no lockers or security rooms available, and guests are requested to leave room keys at a table in the front room. Instead of storing the keys safely, the staff just pile them on the table and asks guests to go through looking for their own room key when they return. Unfortunately, many of the key chains look very similar and key mix-ups are not uncommon.
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Charmaine
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on Nov 12, 2018
Location and Contact
Location
By bus from La Paz (Bolivia) or Puno(Peru) daily to Copacabana - then by boat 1,5 hours to the South Port of Sun Island - and just up the stairs! - last boat each day at 13:30pm.