Uros islands

Uros islands

Yohay Elam

The Uros islands, also known as the floating islands, are the major tourist attraction in Lake Titicaca. Nowadays, it has become very touristic. The locals jump at visitors when they land on one of the islands and try to sell them all kinds of souvenirs. They claim that they are original from the islands, but it can't really be guaranteed.
Nonetheless, they look nice.

The islands are made from reed that grows in the lake. The bottom rots over time, so new layers are added regularly. The islands are sometimes divided when there is quarrel between families. The islands can be docked, or undocked in order to move to another place. Some islands contain watchtowers.  Also the boats are made from the same material and look like huge gondolas.

History tells that the Uros tribe fled from the enemies into the lake. This was their last retreat, and that's how they survived. The current islanders could be descendants of the Uros tribe, but none speaks the Uros language. They speak Quechua as their primary language.

The islands can be visited by a quick tour from Puno, only half an hour by boat. Alternatively, they can be visited with a longer tour that covers other places as well.