CITY OF PUNO
The city of Puno is a place full of attractions such as the home of Lake Titicaca, from where legend has it that the children of the Sun, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from its waters and were responsible for founding the Inca Empire.
The history of the city of Puno is related to that of ancient Peru. The city of Puno and Lake Titicaca are destinations that can be visited all year round, it has pre-Hispanic archaeological sites of circular constructions called chullpas from their origin.
LOCATION
The department of Puno is located in the southeast of the country, bordering the cities of Arequipa and Cusco. It is the fifth largest department, after Loreto.
HOW TO GET TO PUNO?
Here we give you the two options of how to get to Puno:
- By land. – To arrive to this city we must know that Puno is connected with Arequipa, Cusco and Moquegua, from the city of Lima you arrive with a stopover in Arequipa where the trip takes 17 hours approximately.
- By air. – Puno has an international airport called Inca Manco Capac, located in Juliaca, which receives flights from Lima, Cusco and Arequipa. The airport is just over an hour from Puno.
- By rail. – It is one of the most striking routes, where you can live a beautiful experience due to its landscapes throughout the journey from the city of Cusco to Puno, with a trip of approximately 10 hours.
CURRENCY
Sol ( S/ ). is the official currency of Peru.
CLIMATE
The climate of the city of Puno is cold and dry, with a rainy season of 4 months. The average temperature is 9°C, with warm days of 24°C and cold nights with temperatures of 2 to 3°C.
TRANSPORT
Public transport in the city of Puno includes buses, taxis, trams, trains, suburban railways and bicycles.
ACCOMMODATION
Here you will have two options, to stay in a hotel in the city with all the comforts and electronic services, or in a lodge in the camps which are generally rustic.
WHAT TO DO IN PUNO
1.- Plaza de Armas and Cathedral of Puno
The Cathedral of Puno is located in the Plaza de Armas, which was built over a ceremonial place “Supay Kancha” which means the circle of the Devil. The interior of the front of the cathedral is made of silver and contains magnificent paintings of the Cuzco school. In the city of Puno you can visit the following places:
- The viewpoints surrounding the city and Kuntur Wasi or Puma Uta which offer a beautiful view of Puno, Lake Titicaca and its surroundings.
- The Palace of Justice Puno, which is a two-storey building with a beige façade and red decorations.
- The church of San Juan Bautista, which contains the image of the patron saint Virgen de la Candelaria, and has three altars.
- Lithic Museum of Pukara, which in its interior houses ceramics, sculptures such as monoliths, stelae and zoomorphic figures, the sculpture that stands out is that of Hatunñaqac.
2.- Uros floating islands
The island of Uros is a totora reed platform, built with reed called totora that grows on the surface of Lake Titicaca. It is one of the artificial floating islands, its inhabitants are called the Uros, an ancestral people currently concentrated on the Collao plateau and in Peru. The floating islands are located in the bay of Puno.
3.- Taquile and Amantani Islands
The islands are a surface of land located on Lake Titicaca, whose inhabitants are basically dedicated to agriculture.
- Taquile Island. – located on Lake Titicaca with an area of 5.72 km, which is inhabited by Quechua families, who are mainly engaged in agriculture and fishing while women are engaged in weaving. The island of Taquile is located 35 km, 3 hours by boat from the port of the city of Puno.
- Amantani Island – It is located on Lake Titicaca and its inhabitants are Aymara who basically work in agriculture. They are concentrated in the village of Amantani. As in Taquile, the inhabitants offer an experiential tourism in the native communities.
4.-Chullpas of Sillustani.
The chullpas are located 34 kilometres from Puno, in the Umayo lagoon. Sillustani has around 90 chullpas with the shape of an inverted cone. According to the history they tell that the corpses before being placed in the tombs, these were mummified in fetal position this were the maximum representatives of the Inca empire.
5.- Island of the Sun
The Island of the Sun is located in the city of Copacabana, approximately three hours from Puno. The recommended sites to visit are the ruins of Challa, the temple of Pilcocaina, and you can visit the submerged city. And many other interesting sites from which you will take a valuable historical souvenir.
