The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca, Peru.

It was a two-day, one-night trip to the floating islands of Uros and the islands of Amantani and Taquile on Lake Titicaca in Peru.

First, we visited Uros, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. Uros is a strange little area of home-made islands built on compounds of mud and sticks. Those “sticks” were actually totora reeds interwoven to form the ground. The surface is constantly rebuilt from the top up (the bottom, the part exposed to the lake, rots just as constantly). The flooring is buoyant and so, with every step, you feel a slight spring, a slight give, as if you were sinking into quicksand.

These floating islands in Peru have become quite a tourist destination and the small island of Uros had women selling traditional homemade wares and sending us off by twirling and dancing in their brightly colored skirts and pompom embellished braids while singing, “row row row your boat.”

The next stop was Amantani, an island three-hours away. There, I had a homestay with a local woman, ate all potatoes (and quinoa soup) you could imagine, and hiked up a hill for a birds eye view of the land.

That night, I was meant to go to a fiesta, to dress up in traditional garb, to dance. It was actually the part of the tour I was looking forward to most. But, between a headache and nausea brought on by hiking in the higher altitude, and an ominous rain storm, I ended up falling asleep at 7pm and not wanting to move.

The next morning, feeling slightly better, we hiked around Taquile, another of the scenic Lake Titicaca islands, for a few hours, before returning to Puno (where I took a tour of Sillustani), before taking a bus across the border, before seeing Lake Titicaca from the Bolivian side.

Photos of the Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca, Uros, Amantani, and Taquile:

The Floating Islands and Lake Titicaca, Peru.

Bucket List Idea: Visit the Floating Islands and Lake Titicaca, Peru.