It all starts with your booking. Once you've made it, we'll get in touch with you to confirm your pick-up. Yes, we'll pick you up from your hotel (in the city center) so that we can head to the Puno pier, where we'll board a motorboat for tourists. If you're lucky, two local musicians will come aboard, playing songs in the local language, i.e., live music (gratuities optional) like the Pachamama, so that we can start off in a good mood and very happily. Then we'll sail to our first destination, the Uros floating islands, where the local families greet us in their local language, Aymara, saying “Kamisaraki.” We'll then disembark on the floating island, which is made of the reed that grows on Lake Titicaca, the totora. You'll be able to see how the headwoman of the island we're visiting builds a model of how a floating island is constructed, and our guide will translate and explain the process step by step.
Then, you can visit the inside of the families' houses, and you'll have some free time to take photos in traditional Uros clothing, buy some local handicrafts (optional), or simply enjoy the tranquility.
The families will then invite you to take a ride on the Uros' “Mercedes-Benz,” a catamaran-style raft made of totora reeds, so you can visit the Uros' main island, where you can buy snacks, coca tea, or coffee, or use the restrooms, before we set sail for our next destination.
We sail to the open part of Lake Titicaca to reach Taquile Island, a natural island covering 5.5 square kilometers, with unique features such as:
- The highest beach in the world.
- Surreal landscapes.
- Living culture.
UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage (textiles).
Upon arrival on Taquile Island, you can choose to take a walk of about 30 minutes to the main square of Taquile, where local musicians play and dance in traditional costumes. If you wish, you can join them to take some Instagram-worthy videos and photos. You'll also have some free time to see if you'd like to buy a local handicraft, such as a beanie or a chullo made by the local community, which are very finely woven.
After this activity, you'll have a local lunch, where you can try fried trout, seasoned in a very different way from the food on the Uros floating islands. During lunch, our guide will show and explain to you the local costumes and customs of this ancient culture.
Lunch included.
After this, you'll head down to the boat, where we'll return to the city of Puno.
As we near the end of this experience, we offer you three options.
1.- On the return trip, you'll arrive at the floating islands of Uros and take the sightseeing tour again at a more leisurely pace, so you can see the sunset on the lake. The tour ends at around 6:00 pm, with drop-off at your hotel or in the city center.
2.- You arrive in Puno, and we take you to the Puma Uta vantage point to admire the landscape.
3.- You arrive at the harbor, and we take you back to your hotel or the city center.
