Traveling to Lake Titicaca, and at an altitude of over 3,000 m, the train journey across the mountainous terrain of the Puna High Plateau is acknowledged as one of most beautiful railway journeys in Peru.
For 3,500 m, the yellowish-brown grassland of the Wetlands of Puna dominate the landscape of the truly breathtaking high plateau and after several hours, the spectacular journey reaches Lake Titicaca, legendary birthplace of Inca culture.
Located in the centre of the Andes and at an altitude of nearly 4,000 m, Lake Titicaca covers an area of 8,300 square kilometres and has a depth of almost 300 m.
The western area of the lake contains a fascinating artificial island world known as the ‘Floating islands of the ancient people of Uru’. The ‘islands’ are floating mats of dried-out Totora, a reed-like papyrus that grows in the dense areas of the lake’s marshy shallows.
It is no wonder that the Inca people believed that this watery region was a holy lake. In Inca mythology, the ‘Children Of The Sun’, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from the depths of Lake Titicaca to create their glorious and mystical empire.
Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.