The most famous attraction in Puno and a genuinely strange place. The Uros are a small indigenous group who have lived on the lake for centuries on artificial islands constructed entirely from cut totora reeds — root mat below, layered stalks above, replenished from the top as the bottom decays. There are around a hundred of these islands in the bay just north of Puno, each home to a small family group.
A typical visit lasts an hour or two and is sold by every agency on Jirón Lima. You step off the boat onto a springy floor of reeds, watch a short demonstration of how the islands are built and maintained, look round the houses, and are offered a short ride on a balsa boat — a horse-headed reed canoe — for an extra fee. The experience is undeniably touristic but the islands are real, the people live here year-round, and the basic engineering of the place is fascinating to see up close. Combine with a longer trip to Taquile or Amantani for a fuller day on the water.