Trekking & Adventure Travel Specialists

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.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF CAPITAL

Lago Titicaca . It is the highest navigable lake in the world. It has an area of 8560 km2 and a maximum depth of 227 metres and further emphasizes the transparency of its waters. There are 36 islands, the most important Taquile and Amantani. It houses large numbers of birds (like flamingos, huallatas, keles and tiquis), as well as varieties of fish (carachis, pejerreyes, trout, ispis and suches, among others) .. It is the highest navigable lake in the world. It has an area of 8560 km2 and a maximum depth of 227 metres and further emphasizes the transparency of its waters. There are 36 islands, the most important Taquile and Amantani. It houses large numbers of birds (like flamingos, huallatas, keles and tiquis), as well as varieties of fish (carachis, pejerreyes, trout, ispis and suches, among others).

The island floating Uros. Set of 40 major islands floating totoras, where the inhabitants continue to live as their ancestors, one of the oldest towns in America, maintaining their customs and idiosyncrasies.

Esteves Island . With a first-class hotel from where they appreciate beautiful landscapes.

Taquile Island . Its population is engaged in agriculture and have developed a unique form of tourism communal through which its inhabitants share their food, shelter, custom and traditions.

Amantani Island . At its highest hills there are archaeological remains that were centers of worship and worship.

Chullpas of Sillustani . Archaeological Zone at 34 kilometers from the capital. One of the largest cemeteries in the world. It rose about 4.000 meters s.n.m. In an esplanade that surrounds the beautiful lagoon Umayo. The chullpas are gigantic funerary monuments built by the Colla; are square and circular buildings exceeding 12 meters in height.

The Cathedral . Completed the building in the eighteenth century, highlighted by the quality of its structure and carved in stone.

Huajsapata of Cerrito , whose top there is a monument to Manco Capac. From there it is appreciated throughout the city of Puno and Lake Titicaca.

Other attractions, are the Municipal Museum Dreyer, the Casa del Corregidor, the Casa de Conde de Lemos, Fort San Luis de Alba and the Shrine of Chancharani. (SOURCE TRAFFIC PERU)