Lake Titicaca (Uros and Taquile)

The Highest Navigable Lake In The World And The Largest In South America By Volume. On The Peruvian Side, The Reed Built Floating Uros Islands, Taquile Island (UNESCO Masterpiece Of Intangible Heritage For Its Textiles, 2008) And Amantani. · Puno, Puno

Lake Titicaca is the highest large navigable lake in the world, lying around 3,800 metres on the border with Bolivia, and it is also the centre of an old Aymara and Quechua culture. The Peruvian base is Puno, a cold, busy port town that is your gateway to the islands. Puno sits about six hours by bus from Cusco or an hour and a half by air to Juliaca. Closest are the Uros, floating islands built from layers of totora reed, where families still live, though the visit today is largely commercial and worth doing with that in mind. Further out, Taquile is a terraced island with no cars, known for the knitting of its men and recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage in 2008, and Amantani offers simple homestays with local families. Nights are very cold, the sun is fierce, and the water near the city of Puno is polluted, so this is a place for boats, walks, textiles and quiet evenings, not for swimming. The Bolivian side, Copacabana and Isla del Sol, is not covered here.

High Andean lake at about 3,810 m on the Peru-Bolivia border, with the port of Puno and the floating Uros islands and Taquile island a short boat ride away, Puno, Puno, Peru

The lake and its shoreline are open at all times, but boats to the islands run in daytime only, with the first departures in the morning from the Puno port and a return before dusk. Boat companies sell half-day trips to the Uros and full-day trips to Taquile, and overnight stays on Amantani. Island shops and the weaving cooperative keep daytime hours. Sillustani and other nearby sites close at dusk. In bad weather or strong wind, boats may be delayed or cancelled, so confirm the day before.

Lake Titicaca (Uros and Taquile) on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos