The Uru use bundles of dried Totora reeds to make reed boats (balsas), and to make the islands themselves.

The larger islands house about ten families, while smaller ones, only about thirty meters wide, house only two or three families.

The islets are made of multiple natural layers harvested in Lake Titicaca: The base is made of large pallets of floating Totora roots, which are tied together with ropes and covered in multiple layers of totora reeds.
These dense roots that the plants develop and interweave form a natural layer called Khili (about one to two meters thick), which are the main flotation and stability devices of the islands.
They are anchored with ropes attached to large Eucalyptus poles driven into the bottom of the lake; each floating block of Khili measures approx.
4x10 meters.
Said blocks used to be harvested with Eucalyptus wedges but are now sourced using 1.5m long metal saws custom made for this purpose.

Once the Khili pallets are tied together and anchored, multiple layers of cut reeds are added.
The bottom layer of covering reeds rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top constantly, about every two weeks to three months depending on weather; this is what makes it exciting for tourists when walking on the islands.
This is especially important in the rainy season when the reeds rot much faster.
 The islands last about thirty years.

Each step on an island sinks about 2-4" depending on the density of the ground underfoot.
As the reeds dry, they break up more and more as they are walked upon.
As the reed breaks up and moisture gets to it, it rots, and a new layer has to be added to it.
It is a lot of work to maintain the islands.
Because the people living there receive so many tourists now, they have less time to maintain everything, so they have to work even harder in order to keep up with the tourists and with the maintenance of their island.
Tourism via boats from Puno has become the primary financial income for people living on the islands
The Uru's islands are located at 3810 meters above sea level, and just five kilometers west from the Puno port.
Around 2,000 descendants of the Uru were counted in the 1997 census, although only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands; most have moved to the mainland.
The Uru also bury their dead on the mainland in special cemeteries.

Food is classically cooked in pots by means of pottery stoves; these are placed on flat stones to prevent the flammable reed islands from catching fire.
To relieve themselves, tiny 'outhouse' islands are placed near the main islands with simple toilets installed in them.
The ground root absorbs the waste.

Most islands feature a standardized shower building with tiles roofs, water heating cells and a hot water boiler to allow for warm showers.

Houses on the floating islands are mostly made of reefs too, with some using corrugated metal roofs - but insulation exists only in few of them.
All houses are built on top of an extra 1m layer of dry reefs to prevent Rheumatism.
The Uru use bundles of dried Totora reeds to make reed boats (balsas), and to make the islands themselves.
The larger islands house about ten families, while smaller ones, only about thirty meters wide, house only two or three families.
The islets are made of multiple natural layers harvested in Lake Titicaca: The base is made of large pallets of floating Totora roots, which are tied together with ropes and covered in multiple layers of totora reeds. These dense roots that the plants develop and interweave form a natural layer called Khili (about one to two meters thick), which are the main flotation and stability devices of the islands. They are anchored with ropes attached to large Eucalyptus poles driven into the bottom of the lake; each floating block of Khili measures approx. 4x10 meters. Said blocks used to be harvested with Eucalyptus wedges but are now sourced using 1.5m long metal saws custom made for this purpose.
Once the Khili pallets are tied together and anchored, multiple layers of cut reeds are added. The bottom layer of covering reeds rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top constantly, about every two weeks to three months depending on weather; this is what makes it exciting for tourists when walking on the islands. This is especially important in the rainy season when the reeds rot much faster.  The islands last about thirty years.
Each step on an island sinks about 2-4" depending on the density of the ground underfoot. As the reeds dry, they break up more and more as they are walked upon. As the reed breaks up and moisture gets to it, it rots, and a new layer has to be added to it. It is a lot of work to maintain the islands. Because the people living there receive so many tourists now, they have less time to maintain everything, so they have to work even harder in order to keep up with the tourists and with the maintenance of their island. Tourism via boats from Puno has become the primary financial income for people living on the islands
The Uru's islands are located at 3810 meters above sea level, and just five kilometers west from the Puno port. Around 2,000 descendants of the Uru were counted in the 1997 census, although only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands; most have moved to the mainland. The Uru also bury their dead on the mainland in special cemeteries.
Food is classically cooked in pots by means of pottery stoves; these are placed on flat stones to prevent the flammable reed islands from catching fire. To relieve themselves, tiny 'outhouse' islands are placed near the main islands with simple toilets installed in them. The ground root absorbs the waste.
Most islands feature a standardized shower building with tiles roofs, water heating cells and a hot water boiler to allow for warm showers.
Houses on the floating islands are mostly made of reefs too, with some using corrugated metal roofs - but insulation exists only in few of them. All houses are built on top of an extra 1m layer of dry reefs to prevent Rheumatism.
Uru people