Lake Titicaca was not on our original plan of where to go in Peru. In our minds, it was one of those places that would be cool to see if we happened to go by, but we weren’t going to make it a point to go there on its own. As it turned out, we had a couple extra days between our time in Cusco and our stay for the holidays in Arequipa. Since Puno happened to be between those two cities, we figured that it would be worth it to spend a day or two and see the lake.

The view of Puno on the coast of Lake Titicaca.

Lake Titicaca straddles the border between Peru and Bolivia. Puno is the largest city on the Peruvian side and that is where we spent two nights on our trip south. The main draw for visitors to Puno is to take a tour of one or more islands in Lake Titicaca. Through South Adventure Peru Tours, the same company we used for our tours of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in Cusco, we booked a half-day tour to the Uros Islands.

A view of the Uros islands from the boat.

After being picked up at our hotel, we made our way to the pier to board our boat. Along with two other couples (one Chilean and one Thai), we motored out through the reeds in the bay to the Uros Islands. On the way, our guide gave us a brief history and information about the lake. Lake Titicaca is famous for more than just its funny name; it is the largest navigable lake in the world and the highest lake in South America. The exact meaning of the name is unknown, but it is widely considered to be from two Aymara words ‘titi’ and ‘caca’ (or ‘kaka’). The first part of the word, ‘titi’ can be translated either as puma, lead, or a heavy metal. The second part, ‘caca’, can mean white or grey hairs on a head, a crack or fissure, or the comb of a bird. Locally, many people simply call it the Lago Mayor (the large lake).

We got to sit on top of the boat ride out to the Uros Islands.

The Uros Islands are located about five kilometers from the shore of Puno, making it a quick and easy tour from the city. They are a series of islands made from the reed harvested close to shore. A demonstration on one of the islands showed us how they are constructed – an anchor holds everything in place within the lake, roots from the reeds form a base layer on which the island floats, and then fresh reed branches are laid on top where people walk and live. Since the materials are all organic, they are replenished frequently to keep the island from decomposing and sinking. Walking on the reed islands feels like you are walking on a foam mat that sinks with each step you take; it’s an odd sensation when you first step off the boat.

Our tour guide made a small replica of a traditional island to show us how one is constructed.

Each tour visits two islands: one where families live and another where there is a store, restaurant, and hotel. Depending on the size of the island, anywhere from two to seven extended families will live together with one man elected as President of the island. As children grow and get married, an island can be cut in half and then each enlarged to make room for the new families. Although the number is changing all the time, there are typically around 60 total islands housing both homes and public areas like schools, hospitals, stores, and restaurants.

The women of the island greeted our boat as we arrived to the island.

On the first island we visited, named Rio Wily, three families lived in traditional reed houses. We all sat in a semi-circle and watched a demonstration on how the islands are made and what their traditional homes and transportation looks like. Then the couples separated and each went with the respective female from each of the families. Jon and I went with Anna to see her home and learn a little bit about her. The house where they sleep is small, barely large enough for a mattress on the floor. With my limited Spanish, we spoke with Anna and learned that she is 23 years old and has two children, one four years old and the other six months old. They all live in the house together and that is normal until the children are grown and ready for their own house. Two children per family is typical these days, although in the past it was common for a woman to have eight or ten kids. Tourism is the largest industry on the islands and many of the women spend their free time (when not taking care of the kids, cooking, or cleaning) by making crafts to sell to the tourists. We then exited Anna’s home and looked at the crafts she had made. Despite not buying many souvenirs on our trip, a couple of things caught our eye and we walked away with a pillowcase and a wall hanging, both depicting scenes from the Uros Islands.

Lana and Anna, sitting by her handicrafts in front of her house.

To make our way to the second island we would visit, Jon and I elected to pay a little extra and ride on one of the reed boats used by the Uros people as transportation. The President of our island guided us across the lake to our next destination and along the way, we got to see many other islands and boats. Jon sat in the front section of the boat while I relaxed on the bench on the lower level.

This is the reed boat that Jon and I rode to the second island that we visited.

We arrived on the next island which was larger than the first we visited. This island consisted of a restaurant, two stores selling snacks and drinks, a small market of sorts where women were creating crafts to sell, a hotel room where tourists can spend the night, and a trout pond and nursery in the center. We walked around for a little bit but spent most of our time standing on the edge of the island, looking down into the water at the base of the island and watching various boats navigate across the lake.

Jon relaxed at the front of our reed boat; he claims it was comfortable!

Our time on the Uros Islands was brief, a little over three hours in total with the boat ride there and back to Puno. It was somewhere very different for us to see, never having heard of a floating island anywhere else in the world. And while it was rather touristy, it was nice to learn about a different way of life and how they have been living pre-tourism, for the past 500-600 years.

You can see the old layers of reed under the water; new reeds are added every few months in order to keep the island afloat.