Lake TiticacaThe world's highest large navigable lake
A navigable sea high in the Andes.
- Surface area
- 8,372 km²
- Water volume
- 893 km³
- Max depth
- 281 m
See its true size
One shared area scaleBoth outlines share one area scale. The bars compare water volume.
Reference data: Encyclopædia Britannica: jezioro Bajkał (2024).
Simplified outlines: Natural Earth (public domain), reprojected to one shared scale.
among the 18 lakes in this section
Titicaca is a vast lake at nearly 4 km altitude. It holds about 893 km³ of water, slightly more than Lake Ladoga, Europe's largest lake by area.
The map intuition
High in the mountains there can only be small ponds.
About the lake
Titicaca sits at 3,812 m in the Andes, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. It is widely described as the world's highest large navigable lake. A narrow strait joins its two basins, and its shores are home to communities with centuries of tradition, including floating islands made from totora reed.
Across 8,372 km² and at depths up to 281 m, Titicaca holds about 893 km³ of water. This large water mass moderates daily temperature swings on the surrounding high plateau.
- Mean depth
- 107 m
- Surface elevation
- 3,812 m a.s.l.
- Location
- Peru / Bolivia
- Type
- tectonic (high-altitude) lake
Where the lake is
Lake Titicaca: Questions
Its surface lies 3,812 m above sea level. It is widely recognised as the world's highest large navigable lake, although smaller mountain lakes lie higher.
Yes. Uru communities build and maintain artificial floating islands from totora reeds. New layers of reed must be added regularly.
About 893 km³, over 8,372 km² and up to 281 m deep.
Sources and data year
Outline: Natural Earth, public domain. Simplified and reprojected.