Perched at 12,556 feet above sea level on the shores of mammoth Lake Titicaca at the southern tip of Peru, the city of Puno has a distinct feel all its own — and the residents aren’t afraid to flaunt it.

From Amantani Island, we catch a ferry to nearby Taquile Island — home to some of the handwoven textiles — in the heart of Lake Titicaca (Peru).

Dominated by agricultural terraces and two ancient-temple-topped peaks, the remote island of Amantani is quite unlike any other island we’ve visited.

Peru’s side of Lake Titicaca is home to the Uru-Aymara people who live across 44 self-constructed floating islands made entirely of reed.