On my previous trip through Peru during my RTW trip in 2009, I did not have a chance to go to Lake Titicaca at all, so I was particularly looking forward to it in my return trip a few months ago with Cox & Kings.
Lake Titicaca is the largest lake by volume in South America and is commonly referred to as the highest navigable lake in the world, with a surface elevation of 3,812 m (12,507 ft). It is a strikingly beautiful lake in a stunningly scenic location high up in the Andes.
But that is not reason I was most excited to get to see it on this trip. Lake Titicaca is also famous for its “floating islands” and these were the things (and people living on them, of course) that I wanted to see the most.
It didn’t disappoint. The Uros islands are 40 or so islands made of reeds that are fairly close to Puno, the port city that you will leave from to take any tour. The people were incredibly warm and friendly and just standing on these islands is a “what the heck” type experience that I always enjoy in my travels.
Here is the video that I did about my short time there. They invited me back to spend a few nights there in the future (and offered to find me a bride there, which I suppose I should take as a compliment) and I’m very likely to take them up on it.
Staying the night. Probably not on the bride.
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This trip was sponsored by Cox & Kings and Prom Peru, but the opinions (and photos and videos) are my own.
I enjoyed visiting the floating islands, but found them a little fake, at least the ones we went to. After the visit, we discovered that some of the inhabitants are paid by the government to live there half the year in order to draw tourists, otherwise they’d live on the mainland where they can more easily get work. Either way, it’s fascinating how they constructed the reed islands and the sense of calm standing on one of them between the smooth blue water and crystal clear sky was quite lovely, and certainly the quietest place we’ve been in perhaps all of South America!