Lake Titicaca tours

Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable lake and the center of a region where thousands of subsistence farmers eke out a living fishing in its icy waters, growing potatoes in the rocky land at its edge or herding llama and alpaca at altitudes that leave Europeans and North Americans gasping for air. It is also where traces of the rich Indian past still stubbornly cling, resisting in past centuries the Spanish conquistadors' aggressive campaign to erase Inca and preInca cultures and, in recent times, the lure of modernization.

When Peruvians talk of turquoise blue Titacaca, they proudly note that it is so large it has waves. This, the most sacred body of water in the Inca empire and now the natural separation between Peru and Bolivia, has a surface area exceeding 8,000 square kilometers (3,100 square miles), not counting its more than 30 islands.

The lake contains numerous islands whose inhabitants continue to live as their ancestors have in custom and tradition. The Uros an example of this; this people group lives on "floating islands" that they have artificially made entirely of totora reeds, and they navigate in their traditional boats also made out of totora reeds. Taquile, Suasi, and Amantaní are knows for their kindness of their residents, their ancestral skill in weaving, their pre-Columbian constructions, and lovely countryside. The Titicaca National Reserve (36,180 hectares) protects extensive stretches of totora reeds and various species of plants and animals.

Floating Islands of the Uros

Floating Islands of the Uros 5 km / 3 miles west of the Puno harbor (20 minutes by boat)
The Uros Islands (3810 masl / 12.497 fasl) number around 20 and are located in the Bay of Puno. Three to ten Uro-Aymaras families live on each one. They roof their houses with totora reed carpets, although some families have replaced their traditional roofs by metal ones. The largest Islands are Tupiri, Santa María, Tribuna, Toranipata, Chumi, Paraiso, Kapi, Titino, Tinajero, and Negrone.


Floating Islands of the Uros

The Uros call themselves Kotsuña, "the lake people", and their origins go back to eras before the Incas. They hunt wild birds and maintain traditional fishing methods, especially those used for the carachi and the silverfish. The men are skillful handlers of the totora reed boats, and the women are expert knitters.

The characteristic cold and dry weather of the region is tempered in this area thanks to the constantly evaporating water of the large lake.

CLIMATE

The city of Puno is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and its climate is cold and semi-dry. The rainy season starts in October and ends in April. The annual average maximum temperature is 14ºC (58ºF) and the minimum is 3ºC (37ºF).

ACCESS ROUTES

By land: Lima – Arequipa – Juliaca – Puno: 1324 km / 823 miles (18 hours by car)
By air: Regular flights to Juliaca from Lima (1 hour and 45 minutes, with a stop in Arequipa) and from Arequipa (25 minutes).
By train: Cusco – Puno: 384 km / 239 miles (10 hours)

ALTITUDE

Capital: Puno (3827 masl / 12.553 fasl)
Lowest point:820 masl / 2690 fasl (Lanlacuni Bajo)
Highest point: 4725 masl / 15.498 fasl (San Antonio de Esquilache)

Lake Titicaca Tours

Uros and Amantany Islands full day tour

Duration: FULL DAY
Price per person: Based on 2 passangers
Departures: Daily departures from Puno, Peru
Activities: Excursion to Uros Islands and Amantani, ending in Puno Peru.
Airfares: Not included, available upon request
Puno Hotel: Not included, available upon request
Customizable: YES, feel free to ask for extra services

TOURS UROS AND AMANTANY ISLANDS

You will be picked up from your hotel around 8:20 am, after 2 hours motorboat you will arrive at the Uros island. Fishermen and hunters inhabit the floating islands of the Uros. The residents of the Uros use the cattail, a type of rush, which grows in the lake, to create the conditions that ensure the islands stay afloat. The dense roots that the plants develop support the island. The roofs are waterproof and the houses are extremely humid because of the surrounding water. At present they speak Quechua and Aymara., then you will visit Amantany Island on Lake Titicaca. With a population of 3,500 Quechua inhabitants, it is known for its two pre-Inca temples dedicated to the earth's fertility. Built on different hills, these places are sacred and ceremonial rituals are still practiced by "Andean Yatiris" there. Amantani's range of magnetic field is unusual, and the residents renowned for their gentleness. You can be strolling the streets to get a sense of their culture. There are plenty of opportunities to purchase their woven textiles, pottery and straw baskets. Then we will come back to Puno, transfer to your hotel.