Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, at 3,812 m (12,507 feet) above sea level. It is also South America's largest freshwater lake, with a surface area of approximately 8372 square kilometres.
Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a group of about 43 artificial islands made of floating reeds. These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno.

Amantaní is a small island in Lake Titicaca populated by Quechua speakers. About 800 families live in six villages on the basically circular 15-square kilometer island. There are two mountain peaks, called Pachatata (Father Earth) and Pachamama (Mother Earth), and ancient ruins on the top of both peaks. The hillsides that rise up from the lake are terraced and planted with wheat, potatoes, and vegetables. Most of the small fields are worked by hand. Long stone fences divide the fields, and cattle, sheep, and alpacas graze on the hillsides.

There are no cars on the island, and no hotels. A few small stores sell basic goods, and there is a health clinic and school. Electricity is produced by a generator and limited to a couple of hours each day.

Some of the families on Amantaní offer a meal or overnight stay to tourists, arranged through tour guides. Guests typically take food staples (cooking oil, rice, sugar) as a gift.