Copacabana is a village with about 5000 inhabitants of aymaran, indigenous background. Long before Spanish invasion, Copacabana has been a sacred settlement for the inkas. Local traditions and customs are still very much alive and throughout the year it hosts an enormous amount of festivals. The original traditions have formed an astonishing mixture with the colonial Christian culture. For local tourism Copacabana is famous for its virgin statue made by the indigenous sculptor Tito Yupanqui.

For international tourism it is surely its superb location over viewing the Lake . Before the Spaniards changed the name to Copacabana, the indigenous people were calling their settlement Kotacawaña, which means the outlook over the lake.