Taquile stands out as one of the most uniquely located places in the Puno region, southern Peru, where ancient customs and traditions of the region are kept alive. Situated amidst the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca, the village of Taquile forms an island known for its preservation of natural resources, ancestral cultural values, and above all, the art of textile weaving, a daily practice for men and women of all ages. 

Until the 1950s, the inhabitants of Taquile were largely isolated from life beyond the lake. This isolation served to strengthen the sense of community among its families. This characteristic is still evident today in the way they organize and collectively make decisions. 

Taquile’s cultural and natural heritage has gained global recognition. Lake Titicaca, surrounding the island of Taquile, was included in the World Heritage List of the 1972 UNESCO Convention, and Taquile’s textile art was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005. The textile tradition in Taquile dates back to the ancient Inca, Pukara, and Colla civilizations and has preserved elements of pre-Hispanic cultures on the high plateau. 

Taquile has worked diligently to promote and document its cultural heritage. In 2015, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the sponsorship of UNESCO, the book “Traditional Textiles of Taquile” was published, systematizing the inventory of traditional garments developed under the Traditional Textile Knowledge Transmission Strengthening Project of Taquile.