A short guide about Adventure travel to Lake Titicaca
Lying on the border between Bolivia and Peru, Lake Titicaca is a must when visiting either of the countries. This lake has played a dominant role in Andean beliefs for over 2 millennia and is also the largest lake in South America, with an average depth of 107m. More than 20 rivers empty into Titicaca, and the lake has 42 islands, some of which are densely populated. It sits 3,812m above sea level making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the Bolivian Naval Force uses the lake to carry out naval exercises, maintaining an active navy despite being landlocked.
Titicaca is remarkable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a group of 42 artificial islands made of floating reeds. These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno. Their original purpose was defensive, and they could be moved if a threat arose. Many of the islands contain watchtowers largely constructed of reeds. There is now a boat trip visiting the floating reed islands of the Uros Indians before travelling further across the lake to stay overnight with local Indians on the island of Amantaní.
Titicaca’s important religious site during Inca times was Sun Island. Just a few meters from the Inca steps, is a fountain and the Inca Garden. Sun Island hosts the largest collection of archaeological and anthropological items and the largest variety of Andean crops and medicinal herbs and Andean fauna; the only reserve of its kind available to tourists. Here travelers can participate in an ancient Kallawaya ceremony, sailing in a RA Replica (the famous reed vessel) to the Pilkokaina Inca Palace, participating in manual agricultural work, learning about Andean agricultural technology, traditional medicine, ancient healing rituals, reed vessel constructions and transoceanic epic adventures, Andean weaving techniques, taste of Andean grains, herbs and tubers harvested at Sun Island.
Tourabout has many travel packages providing an experience of diverse ecology, geology and cultures while travelling from the depths of the Amazon to the heights of the Andes and on to the unique islands of Lake Titicaca.