One of the most famous locations in South America, Lake Titicaca is visited by most vacationers to Peru via the port town of Puno. We took a scenic bus ride there from the Sacred Valley, and enjoyed a number of sights and attractions.

Taquile Island is a serene experience accessible by boat.

A small, steep land form with little more than a handful of inhabitants, Taquile Island is an interesting place to spend the afternoon. The locals have a unique tradition where the men are actually the village knitters, and create interesting hats to wear during cooler weather. We landed by boat, and strolled up one of the walking trails past farm animals, children and wild flowers. There are many opportunities for photo ops on the walk, and a small restaurant or two at the top where you can enjoy a lunch of fresh fish.

The Uros floating islands are a must-see attraction while you’re visiting Lake Titicaca.

Similar to the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq, the Uros tribe of Lake Titicaca resides on floating reed islands which they continually replenish. Additionally, their homes and boats are also made of twisted and knotted reeds. Their traditional dress is quite colorful and similar to other costumes you’ll see throughout the Peruvian Andes.

The ancient ruins of Sillustani are a stone’s throw day excursion from Puno.

Worth the visit for the unusual construction and design, the Sillustani archaeological site is near Lake Titicaca and in the neighborhood of a number of village homes that are open to the occasional visitor stopping by. Our day guide had arranged a stop with a family, and we found a few more photo ops within the stone home, including through the antics of one of the children that lived there.

The Yavari is an interesting Puno attraction you can visit from the shore.

Delivered to Lake Titicaca in sections over the mountain on the backs of donkeys, the Yavari is a uniquely historic ship that has been restored for visitation. They even have a post box that you can mail a postcard from. The area near the ship is grassy, and home to a handful llamas which add to the adventure. It’s a little bit outside of the center of Puno, but easily accessible.

The town of Puno itself isn’t exactly picturesque, but there are a few interesting areas, including a public plaza and a local market with great deals on produce and artisan cheeses. The restaurant scene was fairly nondescript, although we did find one hidden gem. La Fonda de Santiago is operated by a woman from northern Italy, who has developed a great menu. The atmosphere at the restaurant is quite charming, and includes an outdoor courtyard with umbrella-shaded tables.

After Puno, we wrapped up our tour of Peru and headed back to Lima, and then back to the States before jumping off to East Asia. However, one could easily cross Lake Titicaca into Bolivia.

Photo Credits: These Lake Titicaca pictures were photographed by the Trek Hound team, and are available through a creative commons  agreement on our sister travel web site, Pictures of Travel Places.

This woman sat alongside of one of the ancient towers at the archeological site of Sillustani, near Lake Titicaca in Peru.

It was a rather gray day when this photo was taken, so her orange dress and hot pink hat really stood out, making her a great photo opportunity.

Sillustani wasn’t a destination we had necessary picked out ahead of time to visit on our trip to Peru. However, we feel it is worth visiting for anyone who might be staying a couple of days in Puno, Peru.

Photo Credit: The team at Trek Hound photographed this and other pictures from Lake Titicaca, which you can access for online publishing use through Pictures of Travel Places, our sister site.

This photo article has been submitted to the June 25, 2010 edition of Photo Friday, on DeliciousBaby.com.

Yes, that’s me in the red tee shirt. What are we all doing in the middle of nowhere you ask? Read on.

With extra time on our hands in Puno during a trip to Peru, we took a day trip out to the ancient ruins of Sillustani. While we were there, our guide led us in an energy exercise. The hubster was kind enough to video the event and upload it to You Tube. It was an interesting excursion and worth the trip if you happen to have extra time on your hands while visiting Lake Titicaca and the surrounding areas.