Puno was the territory of the Tiahuanacos (800 A.D. – 1200 A.D.) who were the highest cultural expression of the Aymara people that established themselves in what is today Peru and Bolivia. The Incas took over these lands in the fifteenth century, and the Spanish, attracted by the mining industry developed there, left an important Colonial legacy throughout the entire area.
Today, the city of Puno (3,287 masl), which lies on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is the folklore capital of Peru and the site of the Feast of the Virgen de la Candelaria. In the outskirts, you can visit the spectacular Chullpas de Sillustani, a complex of impressive burial towers built by the Kollas, Juli, famous for its beautiful Colonial churches, Lampa with its vice royal church built between 1675 and 1685, Llachón, a community that still maintains its centuries old customs and cultural expressions, and Pucará, known for its pre-Inca pottery and for the “toritos de Pucará” that the artisans of today create from clay.
The lake contains numerous islands whose inhabitants continue to live as their ancestors have in custom and tradition. The Uros an example of this; this people group lives on “floating islands” that they have artificially made entirely of totora reeds, and they navigate in their traditional boats also made out of totora reeds. Taquile, Suasi, and Amantaní are knows for their kindness of their residents, their ancestral skill in weaving, their pre-Columbian constructions, and lovely countryside. The Titicaca National Reserve (36,180 hectares) protects extensive stretches of totora reeds and various species of plants and animals.
Province of Puno
Cathedral of the City of Puno Downtown. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. and Sun. 7:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Sat. 7:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M The cathedral was built in the seventeenth century and the Peruvian architect Simon de Asto sculpted its façade. This Spanish Baroque church includes Andean elements that give the monument its mixed character.
Conde de Lemos Balcony Intersection of Calles Deustua and Conde de Lemos. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. 8:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Built around 1668, it is said that Conde de Lemos was lodged in this house when he arrived to stamp out the rebellion. Today, it is the cultural complex of the National Culture Institute of the Department of Puno and it contains an art gallery.
Deustua Arch Jiron Independencia, block 2 Constructed with cobblestones, it was erected by the people of Puno in memory of the patriots who fought for the independence of Peru.
Huajsapata Hill 4 blocks from the Main Square, west of the city Huajsapata means “witness of my love”. It is a natural lookout dominating the city and Lake Titicaca. At the top, there is a monument to Manco Capac, founder of the Inca Empire. They say that there are caverns and subterranean pathways in the hill that connect Puno to the Koricancha Temple in the city of Cusco.
La Casa del Corregidor (Chief Magistrate’s House) Jiron Deustua 576. Telephone: (051) 35-1921 / 35-3979. Visiting hours: Wed. – Fri. 10:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. Sat. 10:00 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. It is a seventeenth century Colonial mansion where Puno art exhibitions take place. There is a coffee bar, a library, and an Internet and video club. Cultural activities are organized and information on rural tourism is also available there.
Kuntur Wasi Lookout 2 km / 1 mile from downtown Puno (10 minutes by car) Kuntur Wasi means “house of the condor” and offers an unsurpassed view of Puno and Lake Titicaca. You must climb a large flight of steps to get there.
Puma Uta Lookout Park 3 km / 2 miles northwest of Puno (20 minutes by car) The park features a puma shaped stone monument – symbol of the lookout since this animal is a guardian related to the protection of the Andes – built on a fountain that symbolizes Lake Titicaca. There are many recreational areas.
Bahia de los Incas Ecotourism Seawall 8 blocks from the Main Square, on the shores of Lake Titicaca It is a pedestrian walkway offering a beautiful view of Lake Titicaca where you find the solar clocks and calendars called Sukankas or Intihuatanas. The pre-Inca cultures used them to determine where the ceremonial and sacrificial rituals were going to take place. They also used them to establish the territorial boundaries of the communities.
Yaravi Ship Museum Avenida Sesquicentenario 610, Sector Huaje (Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca Pier). Telephone: (051) 36-9329. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 5:15 P.M.- Free admission It is an iron ship built in Great Britain in the 1860’s that was transported from the Pacific coast to the High Plateau in pieces – 2766 in total. Inside, different accessories of the ship compartments are exhibited as well as documents, archives, historical maps, and models of that time.
Titicaca National Reserve This Protected Natural Area was created in 1978 in order to preserve the natural resources characteristic of Lake Titicaca and the highland ecosystem. It covers an area of 36.180 hectares.
In the reserve, dozens of birds, fish, and amphibious species have been registered like flamingos or parihuanas, Andean geese, seagulls, Titicaca grebes, chullumpis, and Andean lapwings as well as numerous endangered species. You will find twelve varieties of aquatic plants representative of the lake flora, the most remarkable being the totora reeds and algae.
Lake Titicaca 10 blocks from the Main Square This lake is very important in Andean mythology since, according to legend, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, children of the sun god and founders of the Inca Empire, emerged from its waters.
Peru and Bolivia share sovereignty over this navigable lake, the highest in the world (3810 masl / 12.497 fasl). It covers an area of 8559 km2 (3305 miles2), a maximum depth of 283 meters (928 feet), and the average water temperature varies from October to May between 9ºC (48ºF) and 11ºC (52ºF) and from June to September between -7ºC (19ºF) and -10ºC (14ºF). Moreover, the lake tempers the area since without its presence, there would not be life at that altitude.
On the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, there are several islands; the natural islands include Amantani, Taquile, Soto, and Anapia, and the artificial islands are the ones that the Uros people have built, each one offering different attractions. Along the shores of the lake, totora reeds grow where different birds and fish like the carachis, ispis, bogas, umantos, suches (an endanger specie), silverfish, and trout call home. All these species are native of the area and are prized for their high nutritional value.
Floating Islands of the Uros 5 km / 3 miles west of the Puno harbor (20 minutes by boat) The Uros Islands (3810 masl / 12.497 fasl) number around 20 and are located in the Bay of Puno. Three to ten Uro-Aymaras families live on each one. They roof their houses with totora reed carpets, although some families have replaced their traditional roofs by metal ones. The largest Islands are Tupiri, Santa María, Tribuna, Toranipata, Chumi, Paraiso, Kapi, Titino, Tinajero, and Negrone.
The Uros call themselves Kotsuña, “the lake people”, and their origins go back to eras before the Incas. They hunt wild birds and maintain traditional fishing methods, especially those used for the carachi and the silverfish. The men are skillful handlers of the totora reed boats, and the women are expert knitters.
The characteristic cold and dry weather of the region is tempered in this area thanks to the constantly evaporating water of the large lake.
Amantani Island 36 km / 22 miles northeast of the Puno harbor (3 hours and 30 minutes by boat) Located at 3187 masl (10.453 fasl), Amantani covers some 9 km2 (3.5 miles2). The flora is characterized by the presence of bushes like the muña, the kantuta, the sage, the tola and the patamuña. Eight communities live on the island and make their living from growing potatoes, corn, oca, quinoa, lima beans, and green peas, and their most representative handcrafts are textiles and stone carvings.
Among its natural attractions, there are two lookouts on the highest part offering a view of the entire lake, some pre-Hispanic remains, ceremonial centers and a mummy cemetery.
Taquile Island 35 km / 22 miles east of the Puno port (3 hours by boat) Its approximate size is of 6 km2 (2 miles2) and the altitude between the port and the town varies slightly from 3810 to 3950 masl (12.497 to 12.956 fasl). The maximum temperature there is 23ºC (66ºF), and the minimum is 7ºC (37ºF).
Pre-Inca vestiges are found in the highest part of the island. During the Colonial period and up to the first years of the twentieth century, it was used as a political prison, until the island became property of the Taquile people in 1970.
The town of the same name, Taquile, is characterized by its friendly inhabitants, who maintain their customs and traditional clothing. They distinguish themselves by their detailed, fine, and colorful textiles with symmetrical decorations and symbols that reflect their way of life, customs, and Andean beliefs.
Chucuito 18 km / 11 miles south of Puno (15 minutes by car) It is also known as the Royal Treasury City because it used to be the tax collection center during the Colonial era. It features a main square and the Renaissance churches of Santo Domingo (sixteenth century) and La Asuncion (seventeenth century).
Cutimbo Archeological Complex The turnoff to the complex is located near kilometer marker 17 of the Puno-Moquegua Highway, south of Puno (20 minutes by car). It is a pre-Hispanic cemetery that belonged to the Lupaca and Colla Lordships. Although there is evidence of 8000 years old rock-art, the main structures date from 1100 A.D. to 1450 A.D. There are also Inca archeological remnants. The chullpas or pucullos, large fortified burial towers, overlook the landscape.
Sillustani Archeological Complex 34 km /21 miles north of Puno (35 minutes by car) This complex stands on the shore of Lake Umayo. It is famous for its chullpas, large circular fortified burial towers for the main leaders of the early villages of the Collao plateau. Some are 12 meters high (39 feet), and remarkable for their shape, thinner at the base and wider at the top. Close to the archeological complex is the site museum where different pieces from the Colla, Tiahuanuaco, and Inca cultures are preserved.
Llachon 74 km / 46 miles northeast of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca (2 hours by car) This community of around 1300 inhabitants still maintains its customs and native cultural manifestations, and its main activities are farming, cattle breeding, fishing, and handicraft. Llachon can be reached by motorboat from Puno harbor and from the Islands of Taquile and Amantani or by land from Puno or Juliaca. The place offers experimental tourism, “living tourism”, allowing visitors to stay with families of the community.
Province of Chucuito
Juli 79 km / 49 miles south of Puno (1 hour and 20 minutes by car) The Dominicans founded this town in 1534, but they were later expelled by the Jesuit missionaries that settled in Juli during the Vice-Royal period. The priests turned the city into a strategic center for the preparation of the missionaries who would go to Paraguay and Bolivia.
Known as the “Little Rome of America” for its temples, the most notable attractions are the churches of San Juan de Letran, San Pedro Martir, and Santa Cruz de Jerusalén, and the Inquisition House or Zavala House. Inside the churches, you can see stone sculptures, woodcarvings, paintings, and oil paintings by eminent artists like the Jesuit Bernardo Bitti.
Pomata 105 km / 65 miles south of Puno (1 hour and 30 minutes) In Pomata, the must see attractions are the mixed style Church of Santiago Apostol and the incredible panoramic view of the lake and the Copacabana Peninsula.
Province of San Antonio de Putina
Putina Hot Springs 137 km / 85 miles north of Puno (2 hours and 30 minutes by car). Visiting hours: Tue. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. The waters have an average temperature of 39ºC (102ºF) and a high percentage of sodium chloride, magnesium, and zinc. Its inhabitants believe they are good for rheumatic and skin diseases. In Cala and Picotani, other surrounding villages, you can see South American camelids like vicuñas or alpacas. In the area of Bellavista, there are also forests of Puya Raimondis
Province of Lampa
The Province of Lampa was founded by the Aymaras during the pre-Inca period, and there are archeological vestiges with rock-art throughout the province like the Cave of the Bull and the Coyllata Cave, respectively 4 and 10 km (2.5 and 6 miles) from the city of Lampa.
Lampa 80 km / 50 miles north of Puno (1 hour and 30 minutes by car) Lampa is the capital of the province, and it is known as the “Pink City” for the color of its walls. There, you find vast forests of queñua trees, Puya Raimondis, and chinchilla breeding grounds among other attractions.
Pucara 107 km / 66 miles north of Puno (1 hour and 45 minutes by car) Pucara is famous for its pottery, especially the well-known “Toritos de Pucara” (Little Bulls of Pucara). The Pucara Stone Museum, displaying a group of stone monolith-like sculptures, steles, zoomorphic sculptures, ceramics, and other objects, is also worth a visit.
Archeological Complex of Kalasaya 1 km / 0.6 mile from Pucara (5 minutes by car) Ceremonial center of the Pucara culture, which reached its peak between 250 B.C. and 380 A.D., the complex was built around 200 B.C. Two sectors can be distinguished: a ceremonial area composed by nine pyramids, and an urban zone
Province of Yunguyo
Wiñaymarca Archipelago – Anapia Island 128 km / 80 miles from Puno (2 hours and 30 minutes by car) you reach Yunguyo. From there keep driving to the Port of Punta Hermosa (30 minutes) and take a motor boat to Anapia Island 18 km / 11 miles (2 hours and 30 minutes).
Located in the Wiñaymarca Lake or “Minor Lake” of the Lake Titicaca complex, the island archipelago is inhabited by people who maintain their native customs, fishing being one of their main activities. There are ecological plots of native flora unique to the region, abundant fauna, and sand and pebble beaches. Yuspique Island, the biggest of the archipelago, is used by the people of Anapia to breed vicuñas.
You can see crops, vicuña breeding grounds, and archeological remnants, as well as practice trekking, try typical lunches, go on boat rides, and listen to folkloric music. The local customs are rich and the most outstanding include the Challa, or payment to the earth, the Casarasiri, the town traditional marriage ceremony that lasts three days with the participation of the entire community, and the Rutuchi, or “hair cut”, given to newborns in the presence of their godfathers who usually give money as a gift.
Province of Melgar
District of Ayaviri 137 km / 85 miles from Puno (2 hours and 45 minutes by car) In Ayaviri, you can visit the mixed Baroque Church of San Francisco of Assisi, the Pojpojquella therapeutic hot springs (5 blocks away from the main square), and Tinajani (13 km / 8 miles from Ayaviri), an odd geological site that consists of gigantic strange anthropomorphic, tower-like, animal-like, and house-like formations.
Province of Moho
Moho Considered the “Garden of the Altiplano” because of its warm microclimate and variety of roses, Moho has diverse archeological sites and natural and cultural attractions. In the surrounding areas, you find the town of Conima, the Church of San Miguel Arcangel, built in 1825 with an interior image of the Archangel, patron saint of the town of Conima, and the monolith of Huata, 5 km away (3 miles).
Community of Cambria and Suasi Island (3810 masl / 12.497 fasl) 157 km / 98 miles northeast of Puno (3 hours and 30 minutes by car) Cambria is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca and you can participate in farming activities with the people, fish, and watch artisans create textiles there. There are also nice walks to take around the town. From this community, there are row-boats taking passengers to the Suasi Island (approximately 20 minutes), which features a lodge built with stones, wood, straw, and totora reeds from the region and completely ran on solar energy.
This island is 43 hectares in surface and houses a great variety of plants and wildlife. You find aromatic, medicinal, and grass plants, natural pastures, bushes, and trees. There are protected areas for birds, such as choccas, cormorants, ducks, grebes, hummingbirds, caracaras, Andean ibises, etc. There are also vicuñas and vizcachas, as well as potato, oca, quinoa, corn and lupine farming plots.
Useful Information
Altitude Capital: Puno (3827 masl / 12.553 fasl) Lowest point:820 masl / 2690 fasl (Lanlacuni Bajo) Highest point: 4725 masl / 15.498 fasl (San Antonio de Esquilache)
Climate The city of Puno is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and its climate is cold and semi-dry. The rainy season starts in October and ends in April. The annual average maximum temperature is 14ºC (58ºF) and the minimum is 3ºC (37ºF).
Access Routes By land: Lima – Arequipa – Juliaca – Puno: 1324 km / 823 miles (18 hours by car) By air: Regular flights to Juliaca from Lima (1 hour and 45 minutes, with a stop in Arequipa) and from Arequipa (25 minutes). By train: Cusco – Puno: 384 km / 239 miles (10 hours)
Distances From The City Of Tacna Juli (Province of Chucuito) 79 km (49 miles) / 1 hour and 20 minutes Ilave (Province of El Collao) 54 km (34 miles) / 1 hour Huancane (Province of Huancane) 99 km (62 miles) / 2 hours and 30 minutes Lampa (Province of Lampa) 80 km (50 miles) / 1 hour and 30 minutes Ayaviri (Province of Melgar) 137 km (85 miles) / 2 hours and 45 minutes Moho (Province of Moho) 138 km (86 miles) / 3 hours Putina (Province of San Antonio de Putina) 124 km (77 miles) / 3 hours and 30 minutes Juliaca (Province of San Roman) 44 km (27 miles) / 45 minutes Sandia (Province of Sandia) 272 km (169 miles) / 9 hours Yunguyo (Province of Yunguyo) 128 km (80 miles) / 2 hours and 30 minutes Azangaro (Province of Azangaro) 148 km (92 miles) / 2 hours and 15 minutes Macuzani (Province of Carabaya) 255 km (158 miles) / 7 hours)
Overland Transport Bus Station. Jiron Primero de Mayo 703, Barrio Magisterial, Puno. Telephone: (051) 36-4733. Attention: Mon. – Sun.8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Terminal Zonal. Avenida Simon Bolivar, Puno. Attention: Mon. – Sun. 4:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
TRAIN STATION Peru Rail Corporation. Puno: Avenida La Torre 224, Puno. Telephone: (051) 35-1041 / 36-9179 Juliaca:Plaza Bolognesi 303, Juliaca. Telephone: (051) 32-1036. E-mail:
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Web site: http://www.perurail.com Attention: Mon. – Fri.7:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.; Sat. – Sun. 7:00 A.M. -11:00 A.M.
Health Centers Puno. Manuel Nuñez Butron National Hospital, Avenida El Sol 1022. Telephone: (051) 36-9696 / 35-1021 / 36-7777. Attention: Mon. – Fri. 7:30 A.M – 2:30 P.M. Juliaca. San Roman. Carlos Monge Medrano Hospital, Kilometer marker 2 of the Huancane Highway. Telephone: (051) 32-1750 / 32-1131 / 32-1370. Attention: Mon. – Fri. 7:30 A.M – 1:30 P.M.
Local Police Puno. XII Police Region. Jiron Deustua 530. Telephone: (051) 35-3988. Attention: 24 hours Puno. Tourism Police. Jiron Deustua 558. Attention: 24 hourS Juliaca. National Police of Peru. Jiron San Martin and Jiron Ramon. Telephone: (051) 32-2091. Attention: 24 hours
Puno was the territory of the Tiahuanacos (800 A.D. – 1200 A.D.) who were the highest cultural expression of the Aymara people that established themselves in what is today Peru and Bolivia. The Incas took over these lands in the fifteenth century, and the Spanish, attracted by the mining industry developed there, left an important Colonial legacy throughout the entire area.