Lake Titicaca
The world's highest lake navigable to large vessels and the largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca is located on the border or Peru and Bolivia. Separated into two bodies of water by narrow Tiquina Strait, the lake sits at 3,812 meters (12,507 feet) above sea level.
More than 25 rivers, including 5 major ones, flow into Lake Titicaca and the lake is also home to more than 40 islands. Several of them are densely populated and have become popular tourist attractions for those visiting Peru.
Forty-one of these islands, known as the Uros, are artificial and made of floating reeds, thus their nickname the floating islands. They were built for defensive reasons and can be moved if the need arises. Trips to the Uros Islands, usually lasting two days, are available for purchase from outfitters in the nearby town of Puno. There are also two natural islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca - Amantaní and Taquile.
To many indigenous peoples of Peru, Lake Titicaca which means Rock of the Puma - is a sacred place. It has been long believed that Manco Cápac, the original Inca chieftain, rose from the lake's waters with his sister to form the Inca Empire.