Lake Titicaca Tour

Lake Titicaca Tour

Uros Islands

The Uros or the "Floating Islands"have intermarried with the Aymara and no pure Uros exist. The present Puno Bay people fish, hunt birds and live off the lake plants, most important of which are the reeds they use for their boats, houses and the very foundations of their islands. Tourism has opened their live to the scrutiny of camperas and camcorders, contributing to the erosion of their culture. Of the 42 islands on which the Uros live, just under half receive tourists. It is a very internsive tourism, but the islanders depend upon it now. The tourist islands are effectively floating souvenir stalls and some visitors find the "peep show" nature of this type of tourism unsettling.

Amantani Island

Another island worth visiting is Amantani, very beautiful and peaceful. The are six villages and ruins on both of the Island's peaks, Pacha Tata and Pacha Mama, from which there are excellent views. There are also temples and on the shore there is a throne carved out of stone, the Inkatiana. On both hills, as fiesta is celebrated on 15 Janaury (or thereabouts). The festivities are very colourful, musical and hard-drink-ing. There is also a festival the first Sunday in March with brass bands and colourful dancers. The residents make beautiful textiles and sell them quite cheaply at the Artesania Cooperativa. They also make basketwork and stoneware. The people are Quechua speakers, but understand Spanish. There are not hotels, you stay with local families.

Taquile Island

Isla Taquile, on which there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins and Inca terracing, is only about 1km wide, but 6-7 km long. Ask for the (unmarked) museum of traditional costumers, which is on the Plaza, and also where you can see and photograph local weaving. There is a co-operative shop on the plaza that sells exceptional woollen goods, which are not cheap, but of very fine quality. Easter, from2 to 7 June the fiesta de Santiago over two weeks in mid-July, and 1 and 2 August are the principal festival days, with many dances in between.

Llachon Comunity

At the eastern end of the Peninsula de Capachica, which encloses the northern side of the Bahia de Puno, is Llachon, a farming village (Population: 1300) which is introducing community-based tourism. It has electricity and one phone. The scenary is very pretty, with sandy beaches, pre Inca terracing. trees and flowers. The view of the sunset from the Auki Carus hill is reckoned to be better even than from Taquile. Visitors share in local activities and 70% of all produce served ins from the residents' farms. The peninsula is good for hiking and mountain-biking and sailing boats can be hired and kayak. Neither Taquile not Amantani are far way. Twelve families offer accommodation on a rotational basis.