Taquile Enchanting: Titicaca Lake 3D/2N

Sillustani Complex

On an altiplano plateau at 3,900 meters above sea level and about 30 kilometers North of the town of Puno, is the site of Sillustani, one of the largest necropolises in the world. Surrounded by a landscape of striking beauty that seems to be summed up in the serene waters of the Umayo lake. The archaeological complex stands out for its gigantic “chullpas” (species of stone towers), built by Collas and Incas, to bury their dead. Some half-fallen, others standing like chess towers resisting the passage of time. The serene and desolate beauty of the puna surrounds these funeral mummers. Its architects, true masters in the art of erecting stone colossi, chose for its greatest work a spectacular scenery: a summit in front of the lagoon of Umayo. The “chullpas” seem to have taken the high-Andean plateau by assault. They are almost 90 and are scattered in an area of ​​150 hectares. Many of them exceed 12 meters in height and have a larger diameter in the upper part than in the base. A challenge to the laws of gravity and balance. A detail that makes them unique in the continent.

Uros Floating Islands

The Uru’s islands are located at 3810 meters above sea level, and just five kilometers west from Puno port. A group of artificial islands made of totora reeds, they float on Lake Titicaca. Its inhabitants are the Uros, an ancestral town. At the moment this twon is in the plateau of the Collao, In Peru they only inhabit the floating islands located in the bay of Puno. The subsistence in the floating islands floating islands in Lake Titicaca is based on a culture linked to the lake and the totora reeds that springs from the bottom of the lake. The construction of these islands is done by weaving the totora in the areas where it grows more tupist, forming a natural layer to which the uros call Khili; on this layer they build their houses, also of a mesh woven of totora to which they denominate mat. Each house is one room and they cook outdoors to avoid fires. The purpose of the island settlements was originally defensive; if a threat arose the floating islands could be moved. The largest island retains a watchtower almost entirely constructed of reeds.

Taquile Island

It is located on Lake Titicaca, Puno region, it is considered one of the 15 most beautiful lakes in the world and that every tourist must visit at least once in their life. The island of Taquile is located on the impressive Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 4,000 meters. It stands out for its people and the art it has to make fabrics, which is seen in the colorful ancestral clothing of men and women. With a maximum length of 5.5 kilometers and 1.5 meters wide, it is one of the most picturesque islands in Peru. Intika, the name of the island in Quechua, was part of the Inca Empire, so it is currently possible to see some of the archaeological remains of the time. Precisely the island of Taquile has an approximate population of 2,200 inhabitants. The main villa is at 3,950 meters above sea level and the highest point of the island reaches 4,050 meters. Visitors arrive at this place precisely because they do not find roads, cars, bicycles, dogs, or noise. The services are given by the comuneros themselves. Despite the tourist activity, the way of life of the inhabitants and their ancestral way of dressing have not been modified a bit. The place is reachable by boat from Puno bay.

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Visiting Puno and its imposing Lake Titicaca is a beautiful experience, but also a way to get to know more closely the Quechua and Aymara communities that have managed to tear the subsistence of the highlands. The following destinations are waiting for you:

The Floating Islands of the Uros
The Chullpas of Sillustani
The Taquile Islands