There are locations that feel like fairy tales before you even show up. Lake Titicaca and the Uros floating islands are exactly that.
Although I have checked out lots about Titicaca and the floating reed islands, I am not gotten ready for the surreal, quiet appeal of this mythical lake
. Puno: A city in the sky
I fly from Lima to Juliaca. 5 minutes after landing, I’m on a bus to Puno. On board, a passenger manifest is circulated, to write our names, nationalities and passport numbers. Not exactly sure why. Perhaps for statistical functions.
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“400” height= “410”/ > I am the only non-local. After an hour approximately, the long-awaited sight of Lake Titicaca is just listed below me. Magic!
As I leave the bus, the air is crisp and fresh. It virtually welcomes a run towards the lake. Appears I have actually forgotten that Titicaca is greater than 3,800 metres above sea level. Quickly I have problem taking deep stomach breaths. I require a minute. A walk around the city centre is in order.
Puno is not precisely attractive. It’s a bit gritty, in fact. Disorderly. Still, it is charming in its own method, with cheerful markets, dirty streets, music all over, and people in standard gown tackling their every day lives. It feels like a place of shifts, between land and lake. Old and brand-new. Common and mystical.
Festividad Virgen de la Candelaria is a yearly cultural/religious celebration here in Puno, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO. It is celebrated in January/February, but the sign is up even now, in September. Probably long-term. And no surprise. Looks vibrant and pleased.
On Lake Titicaca
However I am here for Lago Titicaca, the highest accessible body of water on the planet. Leading priority: discover someone to take me to those enigmatic drifting islands. I question how islands can float. Islands where people live, that is?
Within an hour of getting here in Puno, I get on a boat, the very first one I discover in the harbour.
It is noon, and the sun is bright in the sky. Sitting on the boat roof, I suddenly remember I have actually forgotten sun cream, something I will spend for later on. After all these years of travelling, I still make novice mistakes.
We have to do with 10 individuals up here, mostly Germans and Swiss. None are overly loud and chatty, so the boat journey is charming and peaceful. Above, the sky stretches endlessly. Underneath, the water looks like glass, with the remote mountains mirrored in the surface.
The water quickly turns into a canal of sorts, with floating greenery all around.
We pass people collecting reed. Then a colourful indication, wishing welcome! In Aymara, Kamisaraki=How are you; Waliki=Fine, thank you– and another one signalling a control post. No speeding here. And also, if you’re in a personal boat, buy a ticket.
Then boats appear– conventional reed boats– out
on the lake. I’m reminded of my fellow countryman Thor Heyerdahl, who triggered from here in Peru, to cross about 8,000 km of the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, on a raft made from balsa wood. You might have become aware of it, the Kon-Tiki.
More islands appear. Little spots of land drifting on the water, made entirely of reed. On top are tiny little homes, watchtowers, even boats, everything made of reed, handmade. Whatever here feels otherworldly.
Walking on reed
We are greeted by a man and a woman in colourful gown, who assist moor our boat. Warm smiles, curious eyes.
< img width= "400"height ="533"src=" https://www.sophiesworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4820-compressed-400x533.jpg "alt =""/ > Stepping onto the island feels … unusual.
The ground is soft and springy, like walking on sponge. The chief demonstrates how they construct the islands. The reed is layered and changed every few weeks. Appears like they will not run out work anytime soon.
The Uros have kept in this manner of life opting for generations. One may question why they continue to live like this, why they don’t move to the mainland. I suppose it is in everybody’s interest to keep the lifestyle going, to draw in visitors. And the production does feel a bit touristy. He has plainly informed this story lot of times previously.
However there is likewise something genuine beneath all of it. They live here, these families. This unsteady island is their home. And they have actually selected to open it as much as individuals who originate from far away, like me, so I can see– and comprehend– this lifestyle, which is so very different from mine. So what, if cash belongs to the inspiration …
The islanders have self-made works for sale. Woven blankets, alpaca jumpers, model houses.
Not a tough sell, though. I find a little design of a reed boat and need to
ask to buy it.
Taking it easy on a floating island Reed boating on Lake Titicaca Time to go out in a reed boat, a smooth, sluggish move throughout the water. Motorised,
but still … We head for Hanan Pacha, indicating Celestial World in Quechua, self-proclaimed capital of the Uros.
There are cafes and even accommodations. 2 of the Germans, a young couple, are so enthralled, they decide, spur-of-the-moment, to spend the night here.
With this little local–
— and these surroundings …
Can’t say I blame them. Reflections and Realisations Travel always teaches me something, even if I don’t necessarily realise it in the moment. Here among the Uros, I get a lesson in human adaptability. There are a lot of various methods we can form our world, to survive, and grow.
Likewise, I am considering protecting a culture vs. tourist. A double-edged sword. How does a community keep their traditions alive without turning it into a performance? There’s a great line, isn’t there? Extremely apparent here.
Puno and Uros Islands practicals
- Acclimatise initially
-
- Do as I state, not as I do: do not run the minute you leave the bus. Puno is high up. I imply really high. 3,800 metres is no laughing matter, so best to ease in. And keep drinking water.
- Bring layers– and utilize sun cream
- The sun is strong throughout the day, however it gets correct cold after sundown. And use the sun cream, don’t simply keep it in your space. I speak from experience.
- Keep an open mind
- Yes, it is touristy in a sense. However there is also suggesting and beauty here; keep your eyes and your mind open.
- Support regional craftsmens
- My little reed boat is right here, a small pointer of this unusual, other-worldly place.
My little design also reminds me of the Ra. After the Kon-Tiki exploration, Thor H. triggered from Morocco to Barbados in the Ra, a boat made from reed. Papyrus reed, not Totora reed like the one here on Lake Titicaca, but its Egyptian cousin.
My Ra! The small thrills of life. Will I go back?
I will, I will!
I wish to see more of this captivating lake, particularly the islands further out– Taquile and Amantaní. I want to spend a night on one of the little reed islands, staying with a regional family.
And also … the feeling of walking on the springy reed ground. Unsteady initially, once you get the hang of it, it’s like, well, drifting. Thrilling.
Meanwhile, I’m off to the opposite of Lake Titicaca tomorrow, which happens to be in another nation. On the Bolivian side, I will explore the island where the sun god was born, and where the sun initially appeared, according to Inca mythology. And I will do a correct uphill hike. Reckon I’m all great with altitude by then.
Preview of next early morning
Awakening to this magically gorgeous view from my hotel space window in Puno at 06.00 am. Now picture a small frost in the air, crisp and clear, and early morning quiet.
Do not you just wish to run down to the lake? I do. It’s Day 2, all acclimatised. Yippee!