Tourism in Puno

The main tourist attraction of Puno is Lake Titicaca. This is the world’s highest navigable lake. It is 193 KM long and 64 KM wide, with a maximum depth of 300 meters. The amazing landscapes and impressive snow-capped mountains of the Cordillera Real are not to be missed. It is said that the Uros (group of people that live on reed islands near in the middle of Lake Titicaca) are descendants of the oldest race in the world.

In Puno, don’t miss great monuments like: the Cathedral, the Conde de Lemos’s Balcony, the Arch Deustua, the Municipal Paintings Room, the Dryer Museum and the Popular Art Museum. Just 30 KM away from the capital are the Chullpas of Sillustani, which are tombs of the Hatuncollas’ leaders (great men), and many other vestiges of ancient cultures that inhabited the region.

The Department of Puno has always done its best to remain loyal to Peru, while keeping peace with Bolivia in order to rationally and fairly use the resources of Lake Titicaca.

Folklore in Puno

The folklore of Puno is characterized by the variety of its musical expressions which comprise dance, music and Peruvian traditions. The most important Puno dances include wifala de asillo, carnival of Ichu, Llamerada, Pujllay de Santiago, tuntuna, khashua de Capachica, machu-tusuj, kcajelo, diablada and pandilla punena.

In this region the folklore is manifested in two big ways, one in the customs and ancestral rites in the forms of life of some towns, among those highlight the communities of the Uros, Taquile and Amantani, and the other one in its artistic manifestations.

Expert artisans and indigenous weavers elaborate art objects of captivating beauty by hand. Puno has been denominated the “folkloric capital of Peru” by the wealth of its artistic and cultural expressions, especially through the dance and music. There are registered more than 300 autochthonous and religious dances, from the 1,500 existing in the national environment.

Best of Puno

Lake Titicaca
Situated 10 blocks from Puno’s Main Square and about 7 minutes walk, Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world (3 810 masl), with an area of approximately 8 560 km2, a length of 194 km and an average width of 65 km In places where its depths exceed 25 m, its colors range from deep blue to, in its shallow reaches, the pale green of aquatic plants.

Uros
Located 4 km from Puno and about 20 minutes motorboat ride. The original inhabitants of these floating islands are said to descend from one of the most ancient peoples of the Americas. Their dwellings made of totora reed are built on the surface of Lake Titicaca.

Taquile
Located 35 km from the city of Puno and about 3 h motorboat ride. This island is treasured for its great ethnic and cultural value. Their people mantain their ancient cultural traditions, especially their weaving. Tourists wishing to stay the night are lodged in the homes of local families.

Amantani
Located 37 km from the port of Puno and about 4 h 30 minutes motorboat ride, this island is also important for its ethnic and cultural value.

Sillustani
Located 28 km north of the city of Puno and about 30 minutes drive, on the shores of Umayo Lagoon, this island houses archaeological monuments in the shape of conical stone towers called chullpas, with varying heights from 10 to 13 m.

Attractions of Puno

The Cathedral

This is a baroque style church built of stone in the 18yh century by Peruvian architect Simon de Asto. His name is engraved at the entrance, qhere one can also appreciate carvings of mermaids playing a small Andean guitar called the charango. Once inside, there are gold leaf altars and paintings of the School of Cusco .

San Juan Bautista Chruch

This church dates back to the 18 th century. Its is the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Candlemas, the very much veneered patron of Puno. Her sweet image appears on the main altar; and t the rear, one can enjoy her more then one hundred elaborate robes and cloaks. February 2 of each year is the main day of the festivities celebrated in her honor.

The Carlos Dreyer Municipal Museum

Exhibits include pre-Hispanic and Colonial art works, including ceramics and silverworks, knits, tone sculptures, as well as gold, silver and copper works.

The Typical Dress Museum

Organized and run by the Deparment’s Folklore Federation, it houses samples of artisan knits and a collection of the innumerable typical dresses of the region, many of which are beautifully embroidered with ribbons and stones of different colors.

Yavari floating - museum

This museum has been set up in an old ship built in england in 1862, from where it was sent to arica by sea, to then taken by train to tacna . Once in this city, it was disassembled and its parts were carried on mule back to lake titicaca. The museum show permanent exhibits referring to the lake fleet used worldwide.

Huajsapata park

This is another point from where one can watch the city. It is situated on huajsapata hill, three blocks away from the main square . It is this park which highets point features a monument erected in th honor of the first inca, manco capac.

Deustua arch

This is a monument made of carved stone, built in 1847 by the people of puno, to commemorate the casualties of the battles of junin and ayacucho. On one side of the arch there is the watch spot of deustua, one of two points from where the city can be easily watchad.

Home of viceroy the count of lemos

This is the mansion where viceroy count of lemos stayed in 1668 during his visit to puno to quiet down the people and found the city. It has a very interesting colonial style balcony.

Attractions surrounding areas

Lake titicaca

The highest navigable lake in the world, it is situated east of puno, at 3,810 m.a.s.l. Its is 194 km long at its longest section and 65 km wide, on average. It is the habitat of birds, such as the parihuanas (phoenicopterus chilensis); of fish, like the carachi (of the orestias spp species), suche (trichomycterus punctulatus or trichomycterus rivulatus) trout and peruvian silverside; and of totora (cattail or reed) a water weed which can be as high 3 m. Tall.

Totora is used by the uros as material in the construction of houses and rafts, and as baby food - the lower portion of the stem is called ch’ullu - as it is a very good source of iodine. It must be montioned that a section of the lake (36,108 ha) was declared the titicaca national reserve in ocober 1978, in order to preserve its natural species and its scenic beauty. From the lake port of the city of puno , there are excursion trips to the islands of the uros, taquile and amantani.

The islands of the uros

The uros are a people who live on approximately 40 floating islands, made mainly of totora (cattail or reed). These islands occupy a large part of the titicaca national reserve, from the bay of puno to the peninsula of capachica . The uros group themselves under the highest moral and religious authority: the grandfather. They mainly live off hunting and fishing, but they are also known for their high skills knit totora, which they use in making their rafts and their houses, as well as handicrafts.
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Province of Puno

The province of Puno is embedded in the extense plains of El Collao at the shore of Titicaca Lake. South-east region of Peru. The view of the city is severe and Andean; its houses with gray tin roofs stress its austere aspect. At present, it is an important agricultural and cattle-holding region. And it has a great archeological and touristic potential.

The real wealth of the zone is in the natural beauty that surrounds the city, in the beautiful waters of the Titicaca (decorated with its floating islands), in the Tower of Tinajani (with its huge stones that make it resemble a city) and in the old pre-incaic monuments (chullpas of Sillustani).

Besides, Puno is the folklore capital of Peru for the variety and beauty of its music and dances (it has more than 300 different dances, among which: La Diablada, La Morenada, La Llamerada, La Marinera Punena and La Pandilla Punena.

It is interesting to visit:

- The Cathedral
- Balcony of the Conde de Lemos
- Museum Carlos Dreyer
- Popular Art Museum
- Little Hill Huajsapata
- Pino Park
- Handycraft Markets from the Cahuide St. and Laykakota Av.

History of Puno

Being the birthplace of the Tiahuanaco Culture, one of the most important pre-Hispanic cultures and the utmost expression of the Aymara people, Puno is considered to be a town of legends.

According to one of them, manco Capac and mama Ocllo, who received instructions from their father, the Sun God, to found the tahuantinsuyo Empire, merged from Laka Titicaca. The Inca Empire was divided into four regions - or suyos - one of them being Collasuyo, which spread over the entire Plateau of Collao, including Puno.

When the Spaniards reached Cusco in the mid 16 th century, they beard of the great mining wealth of this region, especially gold and silver. The bloody battles ensuing in the 17 th century over th possession of the Laikakota Mines (9km west from the City of Puno ) forced the Viceroy, Count of Lemos, to travel to the area and to pacify it, resulting in the founding of the present City of Puno , capital of the department. Founded on November 4, 1668 , it was named San carlos de Puno.

With the passing of time, in their effort to evangelize the native people of the peruvian altiplano, Spanish priests erected beautiful churches, with artists from Puno implanting their original style.

Getting to Puno

By air, flights from Lima, Cuzco and Arequipa via Aero Continente and other domestic airlines arrive daily at Aeropuerto Manco Capac in Juliaca, 31 miles (50km) north of Puno. If you’re with a tour, the agency will arrange transfers to Puno; else you may take a taxi, or the cheaper shuttle bus.

By train, you have a choice of the 10 hour night, Pullman class train between Arequipa and Puno. ENAFER keeps the cars locked so you can sleep, although the ride might be rocky and rough. By day, the trip across the altiplano offers great scenery and stops to allow photos at the highest point. This trip takes about 12 hours, with a stop in Juliaca. Watch your belongings.

You’re better off to avoid the first and second class cars and take the Turismo Inca car, which is comfortable, and offers food and drinks. At certain points, the conductors might ask you to lower the shades. Unfortunately, some people throw stones at the train windows as Andrys tells you in her Peru Journey page: Peru - From Train Window - Puno to Cuzco

Although the lake crossing to Bolivia was the main way of travel in Inca and colonial times, today there is no direct crossing. Now you will first take the bus to Copacabana, then the hydrofoil to Huatajata and on to La Paz by land. There are ample boats for the trip to the Floating Islands, or to fish for the local trout and pejerey.