With its music, dance and craft demonstrations, the Pariti Island culture festival brings people together to take part in an interesting event.
Every year, in September, members of the Pariti Island community organise a cultural event open to everybody.
The Pariti Island culture festival is an opportunity to experience traditional Andean music and dancing. Some of the most typical dances are the chaway anata, performed as a sign of gratitude for a good harvest, or the qarqawi, another harvest dance during which the k'usillo, a merry and playful character makes an appearance to cheer up the participants.
The Pariti festival, however, is not just about dancing and music. At the event the local farmers also display their produce and seeds and explain traditional cultivation methods and techniques. Besides selling their wares, the people also practice ancient forms of barter, which makes for another interesting insight into the local culture and customs.
Visitors can also taste a range of typical foods and dishes made with locally sourced produce, such as the quinoa-based delicacies p´isqi, q´ispiña, phisara, accompanied by cheese and chili. Fish is used to prepare wallaqi, trout, fried fish and the delicious, tiny ispi. Fish dishes are accompanied by beans, corn, potatoes, dehydrated potatoes, goose and muraya.
At lunchtime it is traditional to participate in an apthapi, the custom of sharing food among the diners, as a form of conviviality rooted in an ancient past. The women bring the food that will then be shared in their aguayo, the cloth they normally use to carry children or objects.
Contact us to take part in the Pariti festival and experience the most authentic cultural expressions of our lands – dance, music and food – with us.
Where
Isla Pariti, municipio de Puerto Pérez, departamento de La Paz.
How to get there
By private transport
From La Paz or El Alto head towards Batallas or Pucarani, to access the dirt road passing the Quehuaya community to the boats in front of Pariti Island. From this point, request to cross the Totorales Labyrinth via rowing boat to Pariti Island.
By public transport
From the interprovincial terminal of El Alto, take the community minibus to Quehuaya. From Quehuaya walk about 15 minutes to take the boats to Isla Pariti.
Additional Info
You will be able to acquire crafts and souvenirs made of the cattail plant, sheep's wool and ceramics.
