Amantaní Island

Amantaní is the larger and less visited of the two main Quechua islands on the Peruvian side of Titicaca, about ten square kilometres of terraced slopes rising to two summits at around 4,150 metres, each crowned by a pre-Hispanic walled enclosure - Pachatata, father earth, and Pachamama, mother earth - which are opened for a community ceremony in January and otherwise closed, though the walk up to them at sunset is the standard evening activity. There are around ten communities, no vehicles, and almost all visitors stay in family homes as part of the rotating homestay system the island organises. Households take turns hosting, which spreads the income. Evenings usually involve a shared meal and a dance in the community hall with borrowed clothes, which is contrived but good-humoured. Boats take three to four hours from Puno, usually stopping at the Uros on the way.

What you actually see

• The two summits - Pachatata and Pachamama with their walled enclosures.
• The homestays - a rotating system spreading visitors across households.
• The terraces - stone-walled farming across the whole island.
• The sunset walk - the climb to the shrines above the villages.

When to go

April to November. An overnight is the normal visit; day trips are impractical given the boat time. January brings the community ceremony at the summits.

Honest expectations

Basic homestays: cold rooms, simple food, outdoor or shared toilets, and limited electricity. The evening dance with costumes is staged. Three to four hours by boat each way. Steep walking at over 3,900 metres.

Nearby

Taquile is close on the lake; Puno is the mainland port.