Google Map To Uros Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru

The best-known of the islands dotting Titicaca's surface are the Uros, floating islands of reed named after the Indians who inhabited them. Legend has it the Uro Indians had black blood that helped them survive the frigid nights on the water and safeguarded them from drowning. The last full-blooded Uro was a woman who died in 1959. Other Uros had left the group of islands in earlier years owing to a drought that worsened their poverty - and intermarried with Aymar� and Quechua-speaking Indians. But the Indians who now inhabit this island - a mix of Uro, Aymara and Inca descendants - follow the Uro ways. The Uros islanders fish, hunt birds and live off lake plants, with the most important element in their life being the lake totora reeds that they use for their houses, boats and even as the base of their five islands - the largest of which are Toranipata, Huaca Huacani and Santa Maria. The bottoms of the reed islands decay in the water and are replaced from the top with new layers, making a spongy surface that is a bit difficult to walk on. Like the Uros, many of the lakeside dwellers depend extensively on this reed in their every day life. The totora reed, Scirpus totora, of the papyrus family grows 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 10 feet) above the water level. It is used by lakeside dwellers to make fishing boats, homes, or to feed cattle. Entire islands are fabricated on reed beds. The tender stems are also used in salads We visited this island on April 20, 2006 at 5:40 AM.

It is advisable to book reservations ahead of time, as hotels, especially in high season, are quickly booked up. You can fly directly to this area but you must fly into the nearby Inca Manco C�pac International Airport (IATA: JUL, ICAO: SPJL), known as Aeropuerto Internacional Inca Manco C�pac in Spanish, located in the city of Juliaca, thirty minutes from the city of Puno at Titicaca Lake. It is run by CORPAC S.A. (Corporaci�n Peruana de Aeropuertos y Aviaci�n Comercial S.A.), a government-run organization that oversees the management of Peruvian airports. Its runway is the longest in Latin America. While it is called International; it does not serve international flights! You can fly into Peru to international airports located at Lima, Arequipa and Cusco. Then you can be flown into the Inca Manco C�pac International Airport. Then, you can be transported from the airport of Juliaca, to the town of Puno in a taxi; with an average cost of about US $20; or in a minibuse, with an average cost of about US $5 per person. The leading hotels in Puno have transportation back to the airport. This page is for information purposes only and while we have made every effort to be accurate, it is the travelers responsibility to make the appropriate choice as to which hotels to use in Peru. We found that when touring Peru, Magical Cusco Tours gave us the best service of all. They even arranged very personal tours based upon our ages and experience. They were there for us whenever we needed them. Click on any of their links on our pages and they will give you a 4% discount for taking their tours. Mention Delange.org; Merchant Code GD882010 for your discount! We suggest letting Ana Maria handle your tour. We do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! We have never experienced a problem doing it this way! It is advisable to book reservations ahead of time, as hotels, especially in high season, are quickly booked up. Then you could easily tour Uros Island. We also have links to Priceline.Com on our pages, in case you may prefer to use their services.