Once thought to be a fertile valley, the zone was home to an array of ancient civilizations, the traditions of which are still alive and well on the banks and islands of the lake. Traces of ancient structures are everywhere throughout the zone. But far surpassing the magic of these ruins are the local people and their distinctive cultures, who, although many are involved in tourism today, still maintain a great connection to their ancestral ways, which can be seen in their ornate and colorful traditional dress, unique to each tribe and a way of identifying each other. Throughout the zone, Aymara and Quechua are still first languages. Visiting or staying in a community, one can sink in to the real living cultures and their truly communal way of life. If you time it right, you may experience a community at its most lively—the region is world famous for its folkloric festivals, dynamic and colorful rituals of centuries-old music and dance.