Why travel?
Lake Titicaca is one of the most fascinating lakes in the world. Lake Titicaca, is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is situated at a very high altitude, at over 3800 meters above sea level, and a tour at Titicaca is definitely an unforgettable experience for any visitor. Lake Titicaca is a sacred place for the Inca civilization, as the Incan mythology says that the first Inca king, Manco Capac, was born here. According to the Incan mythology, this is the place where the world was created from, when the god Viracocha came out of the lake and created the sun, the stars and the first people.
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.When visiting Lake Titicaca, the town of Puno is the best place to stay, on the Peruvian side of the lake. Puno was the territory of the Tiahuanacos (800 A.D. – 1200 A.D.) who were the highest cultural expression of the Aymara people that established themselves in what is today Peru and Bolivia.
The Incas took over these lands in the fifteenth century, and the Spanish, attracted by the mining industry developed there, left an important Colonial legacy throughout the entire area. Today, the city of Puno (3,287 masl), which lies on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is the folklore capital of Peru and the site of the Feast of the Virgen de la Candelaria. In the outskirts, you can visit the spectacular Chullpas de Sillustani, a complex of impressive burial towers built by the Kollas, Juli, famous for its beautiful Colonial churches, Lampa with its vice royal church built between 1675 and 1685, Llachón, a community that still maintains its centuries old customs and cultural expressions, and Pucará, known for its pre-Inca pottery and for the “toritos de Pucará” that the artisans of today create from clay.
What to do in Lake Titicaca and Puno?
Lake Titicaca, as the highest navigable lake in the world has plenty of activities that can't be experienced anywhere else in Peru. In the larger town, like Puno, travelers should check out the museums and colonial churches. Ancient ruins, like the sacred sites still used for Pachamama ceremonies on Amantani Island and chullpa funerary towers like those at Sillustani, scatter the landscape. Especially enigmatic is the “phallic” temple at Chucuito. On Lake Titicaca, visitors may roll up their sleeves with farm chores, taste local foods and learn native dances from their host families.
This opportunity to share the lives of these traditional indigenous peoples is a highlight of any visit to the region, and a unique opportunity to learn a different world vision.
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. 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.
Taquile Island
35 km / 22 miles east of the Puno port (3 hours by boat). Its approximate size is of 6 km2 (2 miles2) and the altitude between the port and the town varies slightly from 3810 to 3950 masl (12.497 to 12.956 fasl). The maximum temperature there is 23ºC (66ºF), and the minimum is 7ºC (37ºF). Pre-Inca vestiges are found in the highest part of the island. During the Colonial period and up to the first years of the twentieth century, it was used as a political prison, until the island became property of the Taquile people in 1970. The town of the same name, Taquile, is characterized by its friendly inhabitants, who maintain their customs and traditional clothing. They distinguish themselves by their detailed, fine, and colorful textiles with symmetrical decorations and symbols that reflect their way of life, customs, and Andean beliefs.
Amantani Island
36 km / 22 miles northeast of the Puno harbor (3 hours and 30 minutes by boat). Located at 3187 masl (10.453 fasl), Amantani covers some 9 km2 (3.5 miles2). The flora is characterized by the presence of bushes like the muña, the kantuta, the sage, the tola and the patamuña. Eight communities live on the island and make their living from growing potatoes, corn, oca, quinoa, lima beans, and green peas, and their most representative handcrafts are textiles and stone carvings. Among its natural attractions, there are two lookouts on the highest part offering a view of the entire lake, some pre-Hispanic remains, ceremonial centers and a mummy cemetery.
Llachon
74 km / 46 miles northeast of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca (2 hours by car). This community of around 1300 inhabitants still maintains its customs and native cultural manifestations, and its main activities are farming, cattle breeding, fishing, and handicraft. Llachon can be reached by motorboat from Puno harbor and from the Islands of Taquile and Amantani or by land from Puno or Juliaca. The place offers experimental tourism, “living tourism”, allowing visitors to stay with families of the community.
When to visit?
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). Your packing list should include sunscreen, shorts, and t-shirts for sunny days and sweaters or fleece for the chilly nights. Generally temperatures are quite warm in the daytime, but can get cool if it’s rainy, windy or cloudy, and temperatures always plunge to nearly freezing at night. Puno the capital has an altitude of (3827 masl/ 12.553 fasl), the lowest point: 820 masl / 2690 fasl (Lanlacuni Bajo) and the highest point: 4725 masl / 15.498 fasl (San Antonio de Esquilache)
Lake Titicaca is accessible all year round, but the most pleasant time to go there is between February and October. This time of year the climate is very agreeable, and there is virtually no rainfall unlike November, December and January. Lake Titicaca is famous for its festivals that happen throughout the year. The biggest fiestas are Virgen de la Candelaria (February 2), Carnival (especially in Puno and Juliaca; February / March) and the agricultural Pachamama ceremonies (January and June). The villages’ patron saint days also are great feasts with lots of traditional dancing.
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