Just a word of warning: Follow Marios recommendation of booking your ferry transport directly at the office, and with the colectivo boat (not the tourist one). We got turned around at the port and unfortunately scammed into buying a fake ticket, meaning that when we tried to go back the next day nobody would take us, and we had to buy a new one way ticket to leave the island (although Mario tried his best to help us fix the situation). Mario details how to get to the island in a message after you book, so if you follow his advice you should have no problems :)

We had such a great time with Mario and Julia, and our stay at Isla Taquile wouldn't have been nearly as good without their company. Mario greeted us at the port when we arrived, and later in the day showed us around the island, explaining about inca ruins and answering all our questions about the culture and lifestyle of the people living on the island. Our room was clean and comfortable with many blankets, a table and chairs, and electric outlets (although Mario said only some of the rooms have this as of today). The shower was hot and Julia cooked us delicious food for dinner (additional cost) and breakfast (included in the booking). We also got to see a weaving demonstration by Julia, and bought some beautiful homemade textile crafts from them. There was spotty Entel reception on some parts of the island, but not in the village/accommodation; apparently Bitel works better on the island, but we didn't try it ourselves. We drank the water from the tank at their place with no issue, but they have boiled drinking water for guests if needed. I'd say some knowledge of Spanish is an advantage to get the most out of a stay here, as Mario and Julia speak Spanish and Quechua but not English. All in all an excellent way to get to experience the island and its culture!

Stayed in April 2024

Nothing

Mario and his wife Julia are extremely nice and hospitable people who have explained and showed nearly all the Islands. The location is as well nicely placed near the very small centre.

Stayed in March 2024

N/a

The place is simple, but also so charming; what made our stay special was spending time with Mario and Julia who were amazing hosts. They took us around the island, cooked dinner, showed us weeving process; Julia also took us to her mom’s house to meet baby lamb.

Stayed in June 2023

Nothing !

They were so friendly and helpful! The food was delicious and the bed was comfortable and warm under the blankets

Stayed in August 2022

The property is located 1 minute walk to the main square of Taquile Island and it is extremely clean with nice and big bedrooms. I would like to thank Mario our host that took extremely good care of us: he assisted our arrival on the island and then walked with us around showing the Inca ruins (an unique experience no tour will do) and then came with us to the new boat pick up point. Before finishing this review, I would like to stress that this property is a true experience of life with the community on Taquile island. Please do not book here if you look just for classic tourist hotel style because this is NOT what you will find. A few suggestions for prospective travelers: - bring with you a disposable battery for phone cause in the island there is no classic electrical outlets in the homes - ask Mario to give you contacts for booking speed boat tickets (kollasuyo agency) cause all the tour are 1 day and is difficult to find the way back - enjoy the spirit of taquile and its community with no Wi-Fi with an open mind We truly loved this experience, chatting with Mario and his wife and eating with them. All the best Mario! Maddalena and Daniele

Stayed in August 2022

Everything was amazing! Nothing bad to report.

Mario and his wife are the most friendly and helpful hosts! We absolutely loved our stay at their place and the walking tours of the island that Mario gave us each day. The meals they cooked us were so delicious that I had to ask for the soup recipe when we left. They happily answered all of our questions about the island and their culture. We even got to see Mario dance in the Fiesta de Santiago, which was incredible!

Stayed in August 2022

Nothing.

Our hosts , Mario and Julia went out of their way to make our stay wonderful. They took the time to share with us the customs of their community. They happily gave us a tour of the island. Mario was kind enough to pick us up at our boat and Julia escorted us to our boat when we left. Clean, comfortable and rustic. Excellent location. Mario and Julia are truly lovely people and was our pleasure to have met them.

Stayed in July 2022

Everything was great! My only tip is to only bring a small backpack and leave your big backpack in a hostel in Puno. As you have to walk quite a bit uphill & in altitude to get to the town from the boat. So that's quite intense.

Staying with Mario & Juliana was truly an amazing experience. They are such lovely people, so humble, kind and generous. The island is gorgeous and Mario showed me several places and taught me about their local traditions. The food is great as well. All in all I highly recommend staying with them if you have a chance to visit Taquile. It's a much better option than the touristy Uros islands. This is an honest and real local experience. I loved it!

Stayed in June 2022

We don’t speak spanish, but luckily there were other guest who spoke spanish and translated for us. The stay is about communicating with Mario to get an impression of the island living. So we were really lucky. Nevertheless we can recommend a stay also without spanish knowledge. Of course, then it is different, but I‘m sure, also good. Regarding the stay, there is nothing negative to say. With the right expectations you‘ll have a extraordinary stay on Taquile at Marios place!!

We stayed for one night at Mario‘s place. Mario and his wife are very nice hosts and gave us a welcoming feeling. Our room was in the first flor and they life directly in the groud floor. When you want to go to Taquile, you‘re not looking for luxory spots but for a traditional way of island living. So don’t expect electricity, internet and always warm water. The room has a bed with many warm blankets (we didn’t get cold in may) a table and a mirror, thats it. But you don’t need more. Mario picked us at the port, showed us the accommodations and then we went by foot around the island. Fist at the main square (beautiful view over lake Titicaca) we had lunch and danced with locals, then we went up to the highest spot (you should be acclimated to the altitude ~ 4.000m above see level), to ruins and the walk ended with a beautiful sunset. Then we got dinner from his wife and let the evening end. We slept very good and the sunny morning started with a good breakfast. Not all of us could have a warm shower, it takes some time for the solar panel to heat the water. Afterwards we went to the other part of the island to the beach and the stay ended with another good lunch at Marios place. For us, it was a day off from Peru, and the ‚normal travelling‘. It was just us, the other guests, Marios family and some island people we met. We left the island with very good memories and a stay which we won’t forget for a long time. Thank you Mario for everything!

Stayed in May 2022

the property of Mario is well located and very clean. very confortable. the meals are great and tipical using local products.

Stayed in March 2022

The owners Mario and Juliana treated us like family. The food was really good, tasty, simple and made with homegrown produce from the island by Juliana. Mario lead us to discover every corner of the island with no additional fee and was really helpful and kind. We had a taste of the real life on the island and it has been an unforgettable experience!!!

Stayed in March 2022

We stayed one night with Juliana and Mario. They were very welcoming, they showed us around the Island and explained us their way of living (in Spanish). We stayed in a lovely room with private bathroom (with hot water). Also there were enough blankets during the night so we never got cold. Breakfast was included, but we did also eat dinner at the Hospedaje for 5 dollar. Lunch we ate at a little Restaurant in the Main Plaza. We really enjoyed our time on Taquile. The Island is worth it to spend more than just one day there.

Stayed in February 2022

I can't notice anything negative, just an explanation: The accommodation is of course simple. The house's only source of electricity is a small solar cell, like everywhere else on the island (but a large solar energy system is being built). There is no power socket in the room, but you can charge the smartphone in Mario's apartment (or bring a charged power bank with you).

I enjoyed my stay very much. I had actually only reserved for one night, but I spontaneously extended it. Mario and his wife Julia are very attentive; on all three days Mario took the time to explore the different paths on the island with me, explained a lot and answered my many questions. There was also a warm vegetarian dinner for 20 soles. The property is very close to the central square of the island and the restaurant (only this one restaurant was open at the beginning of November, only for lunch). The beds are comfortable, there are more than enough blankets, and the shower has hot water. My tip: dress warmly at night, lie down on the bench in the courtyard and look at the stars!

Stayed in November 2021

It was an amazing stay at Taquile island, far better than visiting it with a tour in few hours. Taking the boat from Puno is easy (around 7am). On its way to Taquile, it goes to uros Island such that you do not miss it. At our arrival at Taquile, Mario is there to welcome us and guide us to his habitation with guest rooms. Very confortable in regard to the island standard. Nice lunch on a high terrace with wonderfull view on the lake, then Mario guides us in a small walk to discover his island, its traditions, its Inca ruins... Always willing to share his amazing traditions. He and his wife welcome us for a very good dinner. The day after, another walk to continue exploring the island, then he accompanies us to the boat that brings us back to Puno. Wondefull stay, Wondefull people, wonderfull traditions!

Stayed in September 2021

Nothing. The overall experience was great.

The kindness of the hosts, Mario and Juliana, and the time shared together to visit the island or discuss about Taquile history and culture. Food was also great thanks to Juliana' cooking talents!

Stayed in August 2021

That I only spent two nights there.

Exceptional, Mario and his wife are kind, helpful, and have created a comfortable, clean place in a great location. Will be back soon.

Stayed in July 2021

There are no comments available for this review

Stayed in October 2022

There are no comments available for this review

Stayed in August 2022