Amantani Island

Amantani Island Review

The island of Amantani is 45 km (28 miles) from Puno and almost three hours away by boat from Taquile. Amantani has pre-Inca ruins and a larger, mainly agrarian society, whose traditional way of life has been less exposed to the outside world until recently. Not as pretty as Taquile, Amantani is dusty and brown, though the island is renowned for its homestay programs that bring in boatloads of visitors each day, giving unequivocal insight into the life of the people here. Facilities and food are basic, but cozy. Every tour operator in Puno runs overnight trips here, usually combined with a stop on the Uros Islands and Taquile. Most of the younger generations here speak Spanish and even a smidgen of English, but the older generation speaks only Quechua. Amantani has a population of 3,600 Quechua. Sacred rituals are held in its two pre-Inca temples, dedicated to the earth's fertility.