Lake Titicaca sits at about 3,812 m above sea level - the highest large lake and the highest navigable lake in the world - and is really two connected basins: Lago Grande, which drops to about 284 m, and the much smaller, shallower Lago Pequeno, which rarely passes about 40 m.
Published figures: elevation about 3,812 m above sea level; Lago Grande maximum depth about 284 m; Lago Pequeno maximum depth about 40 m; total surface area about 8,372 sq km.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Lake Titicaca 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Lake Titicaca in cross-section: two connected basins at very different depths, sitting at an elevation - about 3,812 m above sea level - higher than any other large lake on Earth. Lago Grande, the larger northwest basin, plunges to about 284 m, while Lago Pequeno (also called Winaymarka), the smaller southeast basin, rarely passes about 40 m. The two are joined only by the narrow Strait of Tiquina.
The lake straddles the border of Peru and Bolivia, high in the Andes, and covers a total surface area of about 8,372 sq km. Geologically it is one of the oldest lakes on Earth, roughly 3 million years old. Its waters support the Uros people, who have lived for generations on floating islands woven from totora reeds near Puno, Peru - marked in this scene by the small cluster of discs near the west shore. On the Bolivian side, Isla del Sol sits within Lago Grande and is held sacred in Inca mythology as the mythical birthplace of the sun.
- Toggle the two-named-basin colors to compare Lago Grande against the much shallower Lago Pequeno
- Highlight the narrow Strait of Tiquina that connects the two basins
- Read elevation, depth, and area figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Elevation | about 3,812 m above sea level - the highest large lake and highest navigable lake in the world |
| Total surface area | about 8,372 sq km |
| Lago Grande maximum depth | about 284 m |
| Lago Pequeno maximum depth | about 40 m |
| Mean depth (whole lake) | about 107 m |
| Volume | about 893 cubic km |
| Approximate age | about 3 million years - one of the oldest lakes on Earth |
| Bordering countries | Peru (north and west), Bolivia (south and east) |
For a similarly asymmetric twin-basin lake at sea level, open the Lake Michigan-Huron 3D Explorer, or compare a shallow saucer-shaped lake in the Lake Victoria 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the basin profile, connecting strait, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above sea level is Lake Titicaca?
About 3,812 m - it is the highest large lake on Earth and the highest lake in the world that supports commercial navigation.
How deep is Lake Titicaca?
The main Lago Grande basin reaches about 284 m, but the smaller Lago Pequeno (Winaymarka) basin rarely passes about 40 m - the two are joined by the narrow Strait of Tiquina.
Which countries share Lake Titicaca?
Peru borders the lake to the north and west, and Bolivia borders it to the south and east.
What are the Uros floating islands?
They are man-made islands woven from totora reeds near Puno, Peru, where the Uros people have lived for generations - marked in this scene by the small cluster near the west shore.
Why is Isla del Sol significant?
It is an island within Lago Grande on the Bolivian side, held sacred in Inca mythology as the legendary birthplace of the sun.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the basin profile, connecting strait, and vertical scale are schematic teaching cues, not survey data.