In the past, this area was thought to be a fertile valley, but it was home to a number of ancient civilizations, whose traditions live on in the lake’s shores and islands. There are traces of ancient structures everywhere.
But what far surpasses the magic of these ruins are the local inhabitants and their distinctive cultures, who, although many are engaged in tourism today, still maintain a strong connection to their ancestral customs, which can be seen in their ornate and colorful traditional clothing, unique to each tribe and a way of identifying one another. Throughout the area, Aymara and Quechua remain the first languages.
By visiting or staying in a community, one can immerse themselves in real living cultures and their truly communal way of life. If you choose the right time, you can experience a community at its most lively: the region is world-famous for its folk festivals, dynamic and colorful rituals of centuries-old music and dance.
All this history is alive in one of the most unique places on the planet. The fresh air and dancing sunlight make us wonder what is legend and what is reality, and what else could be beneath the surface of this ancient lake and its cultural rituals.
