Where are the floating islands in peru?

Question

They're called the islas flotantes

but where are they?

I cant find them on maps... what locations are they close to?

How far is it away from cuzco?

Answer 1

They are man made, mats of reeds with houses on them. I have seen them in/on lake Titicaca, which is near Cuzco on the map, maybe 200 to 300 miles, but with the roads as they are, a long way away.

Answer 2

Lake Titicaca has fascinated generations of people since pre-Inca times with its intense blue water. Here, Indiginous culture is at its height despite modernisation of the rest of the Andes.

The Uros Islands are divided into 35 floating islands with about 1000 habitants divided into 250 families.

Uros means "wild animal" in Quecha, but it was not their original name. They were first called Kappi which means fisherman/hunter in Quecha.

In the 13th century however, the Incas coming from Cuzco had in a few years conquered all the Andes including Lake Titicaca which is the source of their mythology (they believed that the sun was born on the lake's waters). At the time of the conquest, the Uros Indians were first living on the edges of the lake. They took refuge in the middle of the lake's water in order to escape slavery and fighting with the Incas. They adapted to their new life quickly thanks to the use of the reeds called Totoras and they lived a completly self sufficient life.

They were thriving, they created more than a new way of life, it was a new "reed civilisation" based on fishing and hunting! The Carache is the main fish of the lake and the Uros use it for food and to barter with Aymara Indians living on the mainland in Puno. They swap fish against other products such as potatoes, fruits, clothes ...

There are 4 main islands welcoming tourists: Toranipata, Huaca, Huacani and Santa Maria. The boat stopped at Toranipata island, where the local Uros live mainly from tourism by selling souvenirs.

You can not stay with the Uros overnight, but you can stay with a local family on Amantani Island. (The island is situated about 30 km away from Puno, the nearest town on the mainland. It is the biggest island on the lake.)

The bigger island will host about 10 families; the smaller one, only 30 metres in diameter will only have 2 or 3.

All the houses or huts on each island are built in reed, there is only one level, usually comprising of one room with a separate corner for the kitchen. Toranipata island even has a small museum with stuffed animals and birds found on the lake.

The islands rot from the bottom very quickly so new reeds must be added constantly on the top.  



The nearest town is Puno on the shore of the Lake Titicaca.

It takes about 45 mins by boat to get there.

Answer 3

The Uros indians of the Titicaca lake make islands out of reed. When I say islands, I MEAN islands; not just boats. They pile reed until they can build their houses on top of them in small family groups (4 or 5 houses per island).

The city of Cuzco is about 200 miles away from the Uros Floting islands in a straight line, but this is high in the Andes, so roads are not very straight.