The unique Islas Flotantes (floating islands) of the Uros people are Lake Titicaca's top tourist attraction. Although their popularity has led to massive over-commercialization, there is still nothing quite like them anywhere else in the world. The biggest island has several buildings, including a school, post office and an overabundance of souvenir shops.
Always a small tribe, the Uros began their unusual floating existence centuries ago in an effort to isolate themselves from aggressors. Today, several hundred people still live on the islands and eke out a living with fishing and tourism. The inhabitants of the most touristed islands have also built rickety observation platforms to survey the surroundings. There used to be a problem with begging and, while this has abated somewhat, you are asked not to give candy to the kids. It's worth noting that more authentic reed islands do still exist; these are located further from Puno, through a maze of small channels, and can only be visited with a private boat. The islanders here continue to live in a relatively traditional fashion and prefer not to be photographed.
