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Amantani & Taquile Islands
Amantani Island.
This island is similar to and a few kilometers north of the smaller Taquile. Because it is farther away from Puno, Amantani is visited less often than Taquile, and most trips involve an overnight stay. Basic food and accommodations are available (see Taquile for a description of what to expect). As with Taquile, it’s very tranquil, and there are good views, no roads, no vehicles. Several hills are topped by ruins, among the highest and best know of which are Pachamama and Pachatata (Mother Earth and Father Earth), which date to the Tiahuanaco culture. There are several different villages on the island.
Boats to Amantani leave the Puno dock between 7:30 and 8:30 am most mornings (ask around for the next time of departure), and one way fares are about US$5 if you pay the captain directly. Boats often stop at the floating island on the way out, but not on the return trip, which is a few cents cheaper. Several boats and islanders have been recommended, but transport depends on what’s in town, and where you stay depends on the islanders. They have a rotating system that gives everybody a fair chance to make some money. From Puno, it is possible to do an Islas Uros /Amantani /Taquile /Puno trip, it’s more difficult to do the trip in reserves, because few boats go from Taquile to Amantani.
TAQUILE ISLAND.
This is a real island, not a floating one, and it is less frequently visited than Uros. The long trip is best done an overnight stay, though day trips from Puno are possible.
Taquile (Taquili on some maps) is a fascinating island. The men wear tightly woven woolen caps and always seem to be walking around the island knitting them. The headgear looks like a floppy nightcap and can only be described as cute. I’m told that men wear red hats if they are married and red and white hats if they are single. The women weave the elegant looking waistcoats, which the men wear with their knitted caps, roughly spun white shirts and thick calf length black pants, giving them a very raffish air. The women, in their many layered skirts and delicately embroidered blouses, also look very handsome. These garments, which are among the best made traditional clothes that I’ve come across in Peru, can be bought in the island’s cooperative store on the main plaza.
The people of Taquile speak Quechua rather than the Aymara of most Titicaca Indians and maintain a strong sense of group. Identity. They rarely. marry none. Taquile people, and their lives are untrammeled by such modernities as road. There are no vehicles, not even bicycles, on the island, and there are almost no dogs. Electricity was introduced in the 1990s. But is not available everywhere.
Although Taquile is very peaceful, the islanders are by no means content to let the world pass them by. When enterprising individuals from Puno began bringing tourists to visit the island, the islanders fought the invasion. It wasn’t the tourists they objected to, it was the Puno entrepreneurs. Now the passenger boats to Taquile are owned and operated by the islanders themselves. This control enables them to keep tourism at what they consider to be reasonable levels.
Unfortunately, there are rare instances of thieving and begging, so the place obviously isn’t perfect. Perhaps tourism is beginning to have negative effects. Try to minimize the impact of your visit.
The island’s scenery is beautiful. The soil is a deep, earthy, red color which, in the strong highland sunlight, contrasts magnificently with the intense blue of the lake; the back drop of Bolivia’s snowcapped Cordillera Real on the far side of the lake completes a splendid picture. The island is 6km to 7km long with several hills that have Inca terracing on the sides and small ruins on top. Visitors are free to wander around, explore the ruins and enjoy the peaceful scenery. You can’t do this on a day trip (well, you can, but you’ll miss the returning boat), so you should stay overnight if you can.
San Diego (Saint James Day, July 25) is a big feast day on Taquile. Dancing, music and general carousing go on for several days until the beginning of August. When the Indians traditionally make offerings to Mother earth, Pachamama. New Year’s Day is also festive and rowdy. Many islanders go to Puno for La Virgen de la Candelaria and Puno Week (see Puno earlier in this chapter), and Taquile is liable to be somewhat deserted then.
Recently, a small visiting fee is charged to independent travelers.
Tours in Amantani & Taquile Islands
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Titicaca Lake 3 Days - 2 Nights (US$ 161.00)
Includes: Amantani & Taquile Islands, Puno, Titicaca Lake, Uros Floating Islands, -
Titicaca Lake: Uros - Amantani and Taquile Islands 4 Days - 3 Nights (US$ 170.00)
Includes: Amantani & Taquile Islands, Puno, Titicaca Lake, Uros Floating Islands, -
Peru Southwest 9 Days - 8 Nights (PER-001) (US$ 1,240.00)
Includes: Amantani & Taquile Islands, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Puno, Sacred Valley,
