Amantani

The island of “Mother Earth” and “Father Earth”

Amantani

Amantani

In the middle of the Peruvian part of Lake Titicaca is the picturesque island of Amantani, home to around 8,500 inhabitants and two mountains more than 4,000 m high: Pachamama (Mother Earth) and Pachatata (Father Earth). At the top of the mountains, which are cultivated almost to the top, there are temple buildings dating from the Inca and Tiwanaku cultures, but these are not open to the public.

In Amantani, the clocks are slower: there are no cars on the island and there is only one generator, but it is broken. Nobody misses it, however. Not even the hotels are here! Instead, you can spend the night with some of the families in one of the eight villages, in a very authentic way, just as the locals have lived here for centuries.

Current weather

Pachatata

Agriculture according to the ancient tradition

Due to the climatic conditions, the inhabitants of Amantani can cultivate almost all the year. Potatoes, wheat, quinoa and much more grow in terraced fields.

But that is not the only thing that the people of Amantani earn their living: the island is known for its beautiful textiles, which, like anywhere else in Peru, have bright colors and extraordinary patterns. Especially the hats made of alpaca wool are well known and during a visit you probably can not avoid buying one, after all it can get very cold here at night!

Pachamama and Pachatata

“Mother Earth” is 4130 m, the highest of the two mountains, with “Father Earth” right behind her. Although the ascent is long, but not particularly pronounced, which causes both peaks to popular destinations.

Of course, the old fortifications at the summit also contribute to this. In Pachamama there is an old tower that can be climbed to enjoy an impressive view in all directions. Especially at sunset it is a truly indescribable panorama. But be careful, as soon as the sun is submerged in the water, temperatures drop and darken. Therefore, a jacket and a torch are highly recommended for this trip.

In Pachamama there is an ancient temple that, however, is inaccessible for foreign visitors. But that does not mean there is nothing interesting to see here, because in the museum next door there are many interesting exhibits.

The island festival in January

January 20 is the event in Amantani every year. For this festival, all the inhabitants dispersed in the two peaks of the mountains and looked for a “corridor”. He must be able to run faster than his opponent to a fixed point between the two mountains: Pachamama wins, if there was a good harvest for the year.

But even if you can not go to the island festival in Amantani, there is an attraction every night: the islanders put on their traditional robes (and lend them a little!) And dance. You can relax with a cold beer and talk to the locals. Younger people besides Quechua often speak Spanish and some even a very small amount of English. And that, although there is only one small school in Amantani.

Here you can stay overnight

There are no hotels in Amantani, but around 50 families are allowed to receive visitors. And for that to be fair, the tourists are distributed “in turn” to the houses. You spend the night with the families and you also eat together with them. Because there is no restaurant on the island, just a small shop where you can get drinks and the essentials.

The night stays in Amantani are organized through tourist organizers.

How to get there

Every morning starts from the pier of Puno at 8:20 a ship clock, but on the four-hour boat ride there is a 45-minute break on the island of Uros. Also in the morning, the boat departs from Amantani to Puno. However, there is also a boat that drives over the island of Taquile. This leaves at 8.00 in Amantani, arrives at 9.00 in Taquile and departs at 12.00 in the direction of Puno. Then you have the opportunity to visit the beautiful neighboring island as well.

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