Peru's Floating Islands

Lake Titicaca is famous for more than one reason. Primarily, it is the highest navigable lake in the world, sitting at 3,800m above sea level. Its 893 cubic kilometres of water maintain a steady 12°C, with more than half of this lying in Peru and the rest in Bolivia. It’s also famous for its floating reed islands.

Many years ago, as the Incan Empire expanded, the indigenous Uros people moved from the mainland and began to live on the lake itself. While they initially lived in large reed boats, they soon began building islands to give themselves more space and security. These islands are created from reeds that grow in the lake and float on the surface, anchored to the bottom with posts and ropes to stop them drifting away. They are quite unique in construction and, as a result, a popular tourist attraction when visiting Peru.

While Lee should have joined us when I went with my parents, Ruby had other plans. Now we were back in Puno again, we decided to do the tour. We had previously bought tickets from Antonio, who told us that when we returned we could reuse Lee’s ticket as long as we paid the 10 soles island entry fee.

That morning, as we drove down into Puno, I messaged him to say we were back and wanted to do the tour. He replied a little later that, regrettably, we couldn’t—there was no tour running. Having seen the long lines of boats in the port ourselves, this felt like a fairly obvious lie. He probably hadn’t expected us to actually return.

While I argued with Antonio, Lee drove us into Puno. We were halfway along the main road when Ruby suddenly pulled sharply to the left — we had a flat tyre. First things first, we headed to a tyre shop to repair it. It turned out the last puncture repair from Bolivia had failed; the mechanic showed us the split patch and fitted a stronger one.

While we waited, I negotiated our tour for the next day. We ended up paying a little more than expected, but it was worth it and a lot less that buying a new ticket.

With the tyre repaired, we headed to a large open parking area by the lake where we would camp for the night. It was conveniently close to the port, so we could walk across in the morning and board our boat, leaving the cats and van safely on land.

There are several ways to visit the islands. You can go with a local family, visit independently, stay overnight on an island, or even stay with a host family. This tour wasn’t the cheapest option, but it included both the floating islands and Taquile Island.

The next morning, at 7:15am sharp, someone was knocking on the door. We climbed out of Ruby with travel cups of coffee and walked the short distance to the boats. A musician at the front played traditional music for tips before we set off. It was definitely a tourist experience, but as long as you embraced the very 'arranged feeling' to the day, it was a great experience.

Our guide explained the itinerary. First, the floating islands: around 120 in total, each visited on a rota system to distribute tourism. He taught us a few words in Aymara (the local language) before we arrived. The boat was tethered, and the islanders helped us disembark—apparently we were their first tourists in a month.

We sat on reed platforms while the guide explained how the islands are built. It takes one to two years to construct a single island, using floating reed roots tied together with wooden stakes and ropes. Layers of fresh reeds are constantly added to the surface as the older ones rot, meaning maintenance is ongoing. Houses are lifted and re-laid regularly, which is why you constantly see people cutting reeds across the lake.

Afterwards, we were shown the small houses and then guided towards craft stalls where locals sell embroidered textiles, reed boats, jewellery, and souvenirs. We wandered through politely but didn’t buy much.

Next came an optional reed boat ride to a larger island with toilets and a café. Paddled manually by locals, it was part experience, part logistics transfer, as an engine boat towed us back afterwards.

From there we continued by speedboat to Taquile Island, about an hour and a half away. At just 5.72 square kilometres, it has around 2,200 inhabitants who maintain strong traditional customs. Farming is still done by hand, and many wear clothing reflecting traditions dating back to Spanish colonial times.

We climbed from the dock to the village square, where we stopped for lunch: quinoa soup, fresh bread, spicy salsa, and trout. After eating, we learned more about local dress codes. Men’s hat colours indicate marital status, while women’s tassels do the same. Divorce is not permitted, and couples live together for two years before marrying.

We also learned about weaving traditions. Wool is cleaned using plant-based soap, dyed, spun, and woven into intricate garments. Men weave hats using thin needles made from bicycle spokes, and the work must be so tight that water sits on the surface. Women weave on floor-based looms, staying close to the ground as a symbolic connection to Pachamama (Mother Earth).

After a traditional dance, there was time to browse crafts. Against better judgement, I bought a handmade scarf—part souvenir, part something I definitely didn’t need but just wanted.

By late afternoon we returned to Puno. With only a short drive ahead, we decided to push on towards the border and find a beach spot to camp. We passed the checkpoint without issue and continued south.

Low on fuel, we made a brief detour that turned out to be wrong and had to reverse out of a field track. Back on the main road, Ruby then cut out on a hill—fuel starvation from parking on a slope. I rolled back, restarted, and took a run-up to get us going again.

From then on, we kept things simple and headed straight to fuel. At the station, while we filled up, Aimee made her escape and caused a brief chase around the forecourt in the dark before being caught and bundled back inside, unimpressed.

With enough fuel to reach the coast, we finally made it down onto the sand. We had just one day left on our visa. Tomorrow, it was time to re-enter Bolivia.