Lake Titicaca, Amantani, Taquile, Uros Islands

The highest and largest lake in South America

Stretching from southeastern Peru into western Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is the cradle of Inca civilization and the highest navigable lake in the world (around 3,810 meters), as well as the largest in South America. The lake is 196 km long, with an average width of 56 km and an average depth of 107 meters: its waters are cold, with an intense blue that creates a striking contrast against the aridity of the Altiplano.

Temperatures and currents

Cold currents and winds give the lake an average surface temperature ranging between 10 and 14°C. In winter (June-September), the surface water mixes with deeper waters, which instead range between 10 and 11°C.

The origin of the name and Inca mythology

The origin of the name Titicaca is unknown. The people who live along the lake's shores have traditionally interpreted its shape as that of a puma hunting a rabbit, calling it the “Rock Puma”: the term “Titicaca” combines words from the local Quechua and Aymara languages. According to Inca mythology, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo emerged from the depths of Lake Titicaca to found Cusco: the entire lake was in fact considered a sacred place by the Incas.

41 islands on the sacred lake

The lake is dotted with 41 islands, some of them densely populated.

Amantani

Home to around 800 Quechua-speaking families, Amantani is a circular island of 9 square kilometers located 36 km northeast of Puno. The island is dominated by two peaks rising nearly 300 meters above the lake, known as Pachatata (Father Earth) and Pachamama (Mother Earth), near which lie a number of pre-Hispanic ruins, including a mummy cemetery: from up top, the two peaks offer a spectacular view over Lake Titicaca, especially at sunset.

Amantani's families, spread across eight villages, live from fishing and raising cattle, sheep and alpacas, and grow traditional Andean crops such as potatoes, corn, quinoa and beans.

There's no electricity on the island, and neither cars nor hotels: visitors stay overnight in private homes with local families, who provide lodging and home-cooked meals. To ensure a greater economic benefit for the families, Peru InsideOut arranges direct agreements with them, paying for food and lodging without intermediaries: a small contribution, but an important one for the people of Amantani.

The trip from Puno to Amantani takes three and a half hours by boat, and it's recommended to spend at least one night on the island rather than attempting a same-day round trip.

Taquile

Inhabited for thousands of years, this peaceful island lies 34 km (by boat) east of the city of Puno. Its most popular attractions are landscapes dominated by multi-level terraces, where potatoes, beans, corn and quinoa are grown, along with hills and archaeological excavations.

During the Spanish conquest, Taquile was used as a prison: the island became the property of the Taquile people in 1970.

The people of Taquile wear different colored clothing depending on their social status: leaders wear black chullos, married men wear red ones, and single men wear red-and-white ones (the same applies to women), while women wear multi-layered skirts and embroidered blouses. Taquile's textiles, which also reflect customs and beliefs, are richly colored and hand-woven with great care: in 2005, “Taquile and Its Textile Art” was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Homestays with local families can also be arranged on Taquile, and there are shops and restaurants on the island: anyone with just one day to visit Lake Titicaca can visit the islands of Taquile and Uros.

The Uros Islands

The Uros Islands, around 50 of them, lie just minutes from the city of Puno, on the waters of Lake Titicaca: they're built from layers of floating totora reeds, which grow abundantly in the lake's shallow waters.

The islands take their name from the Uros tribe, who began living there centuries ago to escape the more aggressive Colla and Inca tribes: today several hundred people still live there.

The Uros Islands are part of the Titicaca National Reserve, created in 1978 to protect 37,000 hectares of marsh reeds in the lake's southern and northern sectors. The reserve also protects 60 bird species, four fish species and 18 native amphibian species.