Lake Titicaca

Introducing Lake Titicaca

At the crossroads of the mighty Andes and Peru’s windswept altiplano (Andean plateau) grasslands, fertile Lake Titicaca was a cradle for Peru’s ancient civilizations. Settled life began here in 200 BC with the Pukara culture, which erected huge pyramids and monuments. A millennium later, the influential Tiahuanaco culture spread into Bolivia. Warlike tribes such as the Collas and Aymaras arose shortly thereafter, only to be violently shoved aside by the Inca empire. Hot on the heels of the Inca warriors were Spanish conquistadors, who came lusting for mineral riches to be wrested from the bowels of the earth.

Today the department of Puno, focused on magnificent Lake Titicaca, is a stronghold of rural Peruvian life. You can amble around the peaceful lakeside communities of the South-Shore Towns or dive into celebrations of traditional dance and music during the wildly colorful folklórico festivals for which the region is world-famous.

Meanwhile, Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake with passenger boat services, and South America’s largest lake – over 170km in length and 60km in breadth. According to legend, this is where the first Inca Manco Capac, son of the sun god Inti, emerged.

At this altitude, temperatures average less than 15°C year-round. But luminescent sunlight suffuses the highland altiplano and the lake’s deep waters. The earthy tones of the scenery are reflected in the crumbling colonial churches and ancient funerary towers scattered around the lakeshore. As the air is unusually clear, horizons seem limitless.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009