Hola from Peru and Bolivia,
Is Lake Titicaca worth adding to a tour itinerary? So came the query from a filial correspondent. So goes a common question for tourists in South America. Here, I’ll have a go at answering the question.
Titicaca is large enough to have its own small tides. It is by far the largest lake in South America and is heralded as the highest navigable lake in the world. The tides are the reason that on some shores there are sandy beaches.
The Inca heritage – alive and well in South America – also contends that Titicaca is the origin of some of the hugely beneficial foods from the continent. These include potatoes, quinoa, guinea pigs (a delicacy around these parts) and trout. It’s believed that maize, one of the big grass species so crucial to feeding the world’s population, originated in the area around Cuzco, not too far from here up the valley.
There are several inhabited islands in the lake. Heavily terraced to improve the barely arable soil, Taquile (named after a former Spanish owner) hosts a thriving population with their own unofficial police force, some of whom met us at the dock to instill a sense of responsibility upon the visiting tourists.
But, the most interesting and arresting human habitation would have to be the Uros. These are people living on reed islands, floating islands made by hand, anchored in the shallows at the northern end of the lake, nearest the Peruvian city of Puno. There are 120 families on either side of wide stretch of clear water.
The Uros have their own primary school and church on some of these floating islands. The reeds grow naturally at this end of the lake, but adding layer after layer, sturdy floating islands gave the ancestors access to a free home. The Uros famously make the banana boats, now their biggest source of revenue.
The border between Bolivia and Peru goes roughly halfway through Lake Titicaca, giving rise to a popular joke in Peru: Peru has the Titi whilst Bolivia has the Caca.
On the Bolivian side of the lake, the resort town of Copacabana (not to be confused with its namesake on the Brazilian coast) is a drawcard for travellers in boats. Puno is the biggest town on Peru’s side, with quite a bit of history to explore close by. They also host a very popular Candelaria festival in February every year.
Whether to include Lake Titicaca on a travel itinerary might depend on one’s inclination for water sports. For sightseers, it’s a magnificent body of water. I hope this helps.
Adios from Lake Titicaca,
Gregorio