Overview
A lake we visited in November 2023, staying one day in the nearest settlement of Puno on the Peruvian side, as part of our big South America tour.
Lake Titicaca is larger than the Sea of Marmara. The lake and surroundings are superb. There are numerous lodges on the lake for overnight stays, if your budget allows, I'd recommend staying at one.
What to See
The most fascinating aspect of the lake is undoubtedly the Uros people who live on it. They inhabit islands made from totora, a straw-like natural plant found in the lake. They build these islands themselves and anchor them to the lake bed with chains so they don't drift. Their homes are also made from the same plant, which is apparently edible too.
The Uros speak their own language. Their ancestors fled to these islands to escape Inca persecution. They literally built a life on the lake in a place nobody would come, just to avoid being killed. Our local guide was from the Uros community and was incredibly entertaining. We did our tour with Titikaka Travel and were very satisfied.
Climate change is probably hitting people like these the hardest. There's severe drought around the lake, and water levels have dropped about a meter, significantly affecting both farming and fishing in the surrounding area. Not that the Uros have any farming capabilities anyway.
Among the Uros, men and women are 100% equal. There are 125 islands in total, with roughly 5-6 families per island. Their biggest concern is storms breaking the chains that anchor the islands, causing them to drift. It's a completely closed community, you can't just build an island and move in. To join, you'd have to marry someone from one of the islands. No property deeds. A new chief is elected on each island every year. There's zero money within the islands, everything operates on a barter system. Every Sunday they hold a market for these exchanges. They catch fish, ducks, and duck eggs from the lake. It's pure communism in action. Tourists are rotated to different islands each day for fairness. Children attend primary school on the islands for six years; beyond that, they meet all their needs in the nearest city of Puno. The pandemic hit them hard since there were no tourists. They've embraced modern technology and installed solar power on every island. They boil the lake water for drinking, unboiled, it causes illness. They use electricity only for lighting. At night, everything is pitch dark; their main pastime is drinking and making babies. They use the lake as their toilet, naturally. They've built a communal island with a bar and restaurant. As for theft, they say they kill the thief and throw them in the lake as fish food. A truly fantastical way of living.
Where to Stay
We stayed in Puno at the tour-arranged Hotel Qalasaya, which was a rough stay. If your budget allows, definitely stay at the lake lodges instead. Both in Puno and around Titicaca, many cafes have set up makeshift outdoor sinks, a basin with a faucet and soap, since indoor restrooms are scarce.
Getting There
If you're taking the bus from Cusco, the road is beautiful with very pastoral landscapes. The Abra La Raya pass along the way, at 4,335 meters, is one of the highest points in the region. Several people in our group struggled here, but we were fine. There's virtually nothing along the road, so finding rest stops is very difficult. Hostal San Pedro, San Pablo is one of the rare decent stops, they have coffee and alpacas and llamas to pet.
The road is incredibly empty. In abandoned areas, you come across tiny villages. We passed through Juliaca, a city of 500,000 people and the largest after Cusco in the region. Despite its size, it's phenomenally neglected and chaotically planned, the classic fully unplastered brick houses everywhere. In Peru, unfortunately, maintenance outside tourist areas is very poor.
When we left for La Paz, we stopped at a small town called Pomata along the way. It has a very old and original church with a nice lake view. A spot worth seeing, except for the fact that someone had used the scenic viewpoint as a toilet.