PART III: LAKE TITICACA
Yet another underrated part of Peru, Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake, with a surface elevation of over 12,000 feet. We felt the elevation, because it was definitely a few degrees cooler here compared to Cusco and Lima.
We stayed at Uros, or the “Floating Islands,” with a wonderful host family, booked via Booking.com. Getting to Lake Titicaca and Uros is no easy feat. We flew from Cusco to Juliaca, where a driver met us to take us 2 hours south to Puno. From Puno, we took a boat to our island, Uros Summa Paqari (pictured below). The coolest part of these islands is that they are manmade! The residents have built them with reed, which is why when you step on the island, it almost feels a little spongey. Our rooms were a decent size and the host family was really accommodating. It definitely gets cooler at night so don’t forget to bring a good jacket/blanket. The host family was kind enough to leave us hot water bottles in our beds, which made getting into bed at night absolutely divine!
Our first day at Uros, we just hung out on the island, spending quality time with the family and of course, the host family. Vidal, his wife Delia, and their son Dalens were a load of fun! The next day we took a day trip across the lake to a local island, Taquile Island. It was a 30 minute boat trip from our island, but definitely worth it. The island has no cars, no bikes, no animals (with the exception of sheep). We ate their local fish for lunch and watched some local Taquile dancing. My mom and I got up and danced as well!
The weather changes in the Lake from really hot to pretty cool, so layering is of utmost importance! But this little gem of a place is definitely underrated and my family and I would highly recommend checking it out for 2 days of your trip.