uros islands
An unforgettable experience staying under the stars on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca
An amazing experience: Staying with a host family on the floating Uros Islans of Lake Titicaca
Staying overnight with a host family on the famous man-made floating islands of Lake Titicaca? Yes, please!
We knew this portion of the trip was going to be a great cultural experience. Lake Titicaca is a stunning natural bueaty. High elevation, clear water, endless expanses of open water, and two very unique cultures of people who have made this wonderland their home for millenia. Visiting lake Titicaca, and staying with a host family on the Uros islands was a life changing experience.
A slower pace to life. Community and family above self. Warm, welcoming, unbelivable hospitality. Our host family, and the uros culture are a shining example of how life should be lived.Â
The Uros people are a unique and fascinating culture that have lived on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca for thousands of years. They have developed a way of life that is entirely based on the natural resources of the lake, and their ingenuity and resourcefulness is a testament to their adaptability and resilience.
The exact origin of the Uros people is not known, but it is believed that they have lived on Lake Titicaca for at least 3,000 years. They were a thriving and prosperous culture, with a complex social structure and advanced agricultural techniques.
They originally lived on the shores of Lake Titicaca, but as the Inca empire expanded, they were forced to flee to the lake. Uros ingenuity led them to build islands where there were none, consruting floating land masses made entirley of reeds that grow in the shallos of the lake.
The Uros community still lives on these manmade islands today, replenishing the reeds on their islands roughly monthly according to our host, Jose.Â
The Uros people have a complex and sophisticated social structure that is based on a division of labor and a strong sense of community. Different roles and responsibilities are assigned to different members of the community, and everyone is expected to contribute to the well-being of the group.
Elders are highly respected in Uros culture, and their wisdom and experience are valued by the community. They play an important role in decision-making and are often consulted on matters of importance. They are also responsible for passing down traditional knowledge and skills to younger generations.
Sharing is an important value in Uros culture, and the community has a tradition of reciprocity. People give gifts and support one another in times of need, and resources are shared freely. Hospitality is also highly valued, and the Uros people are known for their generosity and kindness towards visitors. In fact, today tourism is a vital source of income for the community. Host families rotate seasons with some hosting while others do not and all of the proceeds are shared with the community as a whole.Â
The Uros people have a deep respect for nature, and they believe that they are the guardians of Lake Titicaca. They take great care to protect the ecosystem of the lake and the plants and animals that depend on it. They believe that everything in the natural world has a spirit, and they communicate with these spirits through rituals and ceremonies.
The Uros people have a strong spiritual tradition that is centered around the worship of nature and the spirit world.
They believe that the spirits of their ancestors continue to inhabit the lake, and they honor these spirits. They also believe in the power of shamans, who act as intermediaries between the spirit world and the living.
Despite their long and rich history, the Uros people face many challenges in the modern world. Climate change and environmental degradation are threatening the ecosystem of Lake Titicaca, and the Uros people are struggling to adapt to these changes. Increased tourism to the region has brought new opportunities and challenges for the Uros people.
However, the Uros people are committed to preserving their culture and way of life. They have established a number of initiatives to protect the ecosystem of Lake Titicaca, including efforts to reduce pollution and restore native plant and animal species.
They are also working to promote sustainable tourism that respects their culture and values, and they are actively involved in the management of tourism in the region. Doing an overnight home stay with one of the Uros families is a great way to participate in this while supporting the preservation of the Uros way of life. And we can say first-hand, it’s a life changing experience.Â
Overnight with an Uros family
We arived via PeruHop bus to the city of Puno, which lies on the shores of lake Titicaca. After making our way to the dock just outside of town we met Jose, who would be our host for the next two nights.Â
We boarded Jose small single engine power boat and set sail for the floating islands.Â
As we made our way through the shallows and began to enter the Uros territory, Jose gave us a warm welcome and quick crash course on the lake, his family, his community, and himself. He pointed out the floating post office, his childrens’ school, and the very large reed boats with puma heads at the mast. He called these the Mercedes Bens boats of the lake. Jose told us about his peoples’ beliefs and where the name of Lake Titicaca comes from. It roughly means Puma Rock, and the puma or moutain lion is a very sacred creature in Uros beliefs.Â
We were imdiatley struck by the beauty of the lake, the vastness of the Uros community, and how warm and hospitable Jose was. He told us that in more recent times, tourism has become a staple source of income for the Uros community. The pandemic and total shut down of toursim really hurt the Uros community, and Jose was very excited to be welcoming people back to his home.
We arrived to Jose’s island and began to unload our bags into the cabin we’d be staying in for the next two nights. One of 3 cabins on the island each with a huge set of windows facing the lake along with a day bed perfect for lounging and relaxing outside in the glory of the world’s highestt navigable lake.
The acomodations are rustic, but wonderful. A single room with a small couch and coffee table, a comfy queen bed, and an attached bathrrom with a dry toilet and running warm water for a shower. The bed was layered with a ton of very cozy blankets, which along with the propane apce heater would become a real life saver. Being winter at 11,000+ feet and all, nights got very chilli.
Jose gave us time to settle in and relax on the patio before we had a home-made dinner in our cabin. A quinoa soup, fresh veggies grown on the islands, and seared lake trout really hit the spot along with a huge carrafe of warm water and selection of teas, including the altitude sickness killing coca tea (FTW).Â
As night fell and we began getting ready for bed, Jose even brought us two huge bottles of hot water wrapped in a sort of Alpaca wool coozie for the foot of the bed, which kept us warm all night.Â
A light show of a billion stars
When night fell we were in for the real treat. DJ stepped out of the hut to look at the sky and was absolutely amazed.
With no light pollution and not a cloud in sight, the stars shone brighter than we had ever seen before. Small holes poked in the great blank canvas of the unspoiled pitch black sky.
The Milky Way stretched across the sky, like I have only ever seen in movies. It was a truly humbling experience to realize how small we are in the vastness of the universe. Time stood still. No sounds but the lapping of the gentle water against the dock of the floating island. Nothing moving but the shooting stars cascading across the expanse.
I captured some amazing images, but even these don’t do the real thing justice. Pictures rarely do.
Day 2: Taquile island
Lake Titicaca is also home to another fascinating culture, even more untouched and unchanged than the Uros. On our second morning, Jose took us to meet a local tour opoerator who works with the Taquile community to invite small groups of visitors to experience and learn about their wonderful way of life and experience this beautiful island.
The Taquile people are an indigenous community that inhabits the Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca, Peru. Taquile Island is located approximately 45 km east of the city of Puno and is home to around 2,200 people. The Taquile people have a rich history, unique culture, and customs that have been passed down from generation to generation.Â
They have lived on the island for thousands of years and have developed a unique way of life that is closely tied to the natural environment. The island was conquered by the Inca Empire in the 15th century, and it remained under Inca rule until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Despite this, the Taquile people have managed to preserve their traditions and culture throughout these periods of external influence.
The Taquile people have a unique social structure that is based on communalism and reciprocity. The community is organized into small groups known as ayllus, each with its own leader or jilakata. The jilakata is responsible for maintaining order within the ayllu and ensuring that everyone contributes to the well-being of the group. The Taquile people are known for their strong work ethic and value hard work and dedication.
The island is also known for its traditional music and dance. The music is performed using a variety of instruments, including flutes, drums, and stringed instruments. The dances are performed in traditional clothing and are often accompanied by storytelling and other cultural expressions.
The Taquile people have a unique system of dress that reflects their social and marital status. The clothing worn by both men and women is intricately woven and embroidered by hand, using natural materials such as wool and cotton. The designs and colors of the clothing are highly symbolic and reflect the wearer’s place within the community.
For men, the most significant item of clothing is the knitted cap or chullo, which is worn by all men on the island. The design of the chullo indicates the wearer’s marital status, with single men wearing a plain chullo, while married men wear a chullo with earflaps that are tied together under the chin. The earflaps are traditionally worn up by single men and down by married men.
Men also wear a wide woven belt or faja around their waist, which is used to hold tools and other items. The color and design of the faja indicate the wearer’s social status within the community. Higher-status men wear wider, more elaborately designed fajas, while lower-status men wear narrower, plainer ones.
Women’s clothing is similarly symbolic. Women wear brightly colored skirts that are embroidered with intricate designs that reflect their age, marital status, and social standing. Unmarried women wear skirts with shorter designs, while married women wear skirts with longer designs that extend to the bottom of the skirt.
In addition to skirts, women also wear shawls or mantas, which are draped over their shoulders and often embroidered with intricate designs. The colors and designs of the shawls also indicate the wearer’s social and marital status.
The Taquile people are a unique and fascinating community that has managed to preserve its traditions and way of life despite centuries of external influence. Their strong sense of community, traditional clothing, music, and dance are a testament to their culture and heritage.
We could all learn a few lessons from the Taquile, and our favorite was an insight our host gave us about Tquile marriage. It’s not frowned upon for a couple ot live together before marriage. In fact, it’s required. The Taquile believe marriage is the biggest commitment we make in our lives and traditionally haven’t had a word or even concept for divorce. With this in mind, they believe a couple needs to essentially practice life together BEFORE they get married.Â
Night 2: an endless sunset
After a full day of touring the Taquile island, we returned to our comfy home on the Uros islands.Â
We had another amazing dinner and sipped tea on the patio for hours being treated to the most unreal sunset. It lasted for hours. The sky ablaze with watercolor hues bouncing off the clouds that had firmly set in over the lake, slowly changing from orange to red, violet then deep purple. It was the perfect setting to sit back, relax, and connect with one another.
The following morning we were excited to make our way to Cusco, but saddened to leave. We had quickly grown very fond of Jose, his wife, and their young son. As we prepared our bags for the boat ride back to Puno, Jose’s son brought us his kitten who he was very proud of. Watching him play with his cat in the reed boat by the dock was such a wonderfully human connection. He spoke no english, his mother very little compared to Jose, yet we all bonded easily experiencing the world through the eyes of a boy with his cat for just a few minutes.Â
The family brought us a parting gift of hand made tiny reed figurines representing a man and a woman in Uros reed boats. They sit on our bookshelf full of meaningful small treasures from our travels as a little reminder of our experience on the floating islands of lake Titicaca. Â
Bones & Memory Travel
Trips
Blogs
About Us
