Puno is the departmental capital, three to four hours away by boat. The island is 530 miles southeast of Lima, the Peruvian capital. Its steep contours are etched with pre-Columbian terraces that still yield most of the local crops. A small, but well- preserved Inca ruin sits on the side of the island's main hill. The only electricity comes from generators or batteries, and one central telephone was installed last year.
Residents still gather early in the morning and late in the afternoon to collect water from wells.
Taquile has no cars, or roads for that matter. The entrance to the island is a 600-foot climb up steep stone stairs. There are no horses or burros, not even llamas or alpacas so common elsewhere in the Andes. The farmers keep only a few cattle and small flocks of sheep. The island has neither police nor jail, a reflection of the people's reputation for honesty.