According to legend, the Inca Empire's founders rose from Lake
Titicaca and many Peruvians revere the site for this reason. Nature
lovers also prize Titicaca for being the highest navigable lake in
the world.
Today, the region is home to Peru and Bolivia's Uros people, who
live on man-made floating islands and fish the clear water from
beautifully carved canoes. Travellers can arrange visits to these
communities.
The lake's farther reaches are even more beautiful and see fewer
visitors. Indeed, the authentic, brightly dressed communities of
Taquile Island and its neighbour, Amantani Island, live without
electricity or solid infrastructure, giving travellers a glimpse of
pre-colonial Andean Peru. Pre-Inca agricultural terraces continue
to create Taquile's self-sufficient economy. Basket weaving, stone
masonry, and Inca structures of trade and agriculture are still
practiced on the larger Amantani.
Travellers can book tours from Puno. Spaniards founded the town
in 1668, adding their architecture to the area. Tourists will find
a splendid mix of native and colonial structures, as well as
mestizo art and crafts. Puno is also reputedly the centre of
Peruvian folklore, with its inhabitants descending from the Aymara
and Quechua Andean tribes. Visitors can experience some of the
country's most vibrant traditional festivals. The feast of the
Virgen de la Candelaria is the most popular of them. Held in
February, its main event is the Dance of The Devils.