Puno, The City of Peruvian Titicaca

Puno and Titicaca Lake. Image: Esmée Winnubst.
Puno and Titicaca Lake. Image: Esmée Winnubst.

Peru is a country that has beautiful lakes throughout various parts of its territory. Among the cities that have a lake, Huaraz and Puno are worth mentioning. The latter has direct access to the large lake of Titicaca, which is located on the border between Peru and Bolivia, in the Andes region.

In order to point out all the positive points of this Peruvian region, we made this brief article especially for you. Here we will cover the main information that you should take into account before visiting this Peruvian city. Keep reading and check it out!

Top Attractions In Peruvian Titicaca

These are the main attractions of Puno:

  • Mirante el Condor;
  • Uros Floating Islands;
  • Taquile Island;
  • Puno Cathedral;
  • Culture.

Mirante el Condor

Image: Paul Summerns, Unsplash.
Image: Paul Summerns, Unsplash.

The Mirante El Condor is where you can get the most beautiful view of the city of Puno. The lookout gets its name from the possibility of seeing some condors, the region’s symbol tree.

Thus, for those who spend the night in Puno, it is worth waiting until sunset in the city. At the end of the afternoon, start moving towards the viewpoint to contemplate the beautiful landscape that the sunset forms in the city.

Also, the tip that remains is to go to the viewpoint by taxi, since there is not a wide variety of bus lines that take you to the region. Upon arriving at the site, you need to climb 620 until you reach the lookout. In the end, all the effort is rewarded by the beautiful local landscape!

Uros Floating Islands

Image: pululante, Flickr.
Image: pululante, Flickr.

A postcard of the city of Puno and Lake Titicaca, these floating islands are located 20 minutes away from the city of Puno by boat. The presentation of the place is usually performed by a native speaker of the local language.

Therefore, it is important to take a translator guide (to translate the subject into Spanish). The visit can be made both in modern boats and in traditional boats, used for centuries by local people to move around Lake Titicaca.

Taquile Island

Image: Jeison Higuita, Unsplash.
Image: Jeison Higuita, Unsplash.

Like the artificial islands, Taquile is worth mentioning. It has just over 2,000 inhabitants, but operates almost autonomously from Peru, which gives the impression that there is a country of its own, breathing its own culture.

In this way, the cuisine, habits and clothing are very different than in Puno. Located at high altitude, the most suggested program is muña tea, quinoa soup and Inka Cola (the best selling soft drink in Peru).

Puno Cathedral

This is the main building in the city and directly shows the influence of the Spanish conquerors in the formation of the city. In baroque style, the church stands out for its sumptuousness.

In addition, elements of other local styles make it very different from the churches we know in other regions of South America. Therefore, it is worth visiting this building to discover the city of Puno.

Culture

Image: Willian Reis, Unsplash.
Image: Willian Reis, Unsplash.

As you can imagine, the local culture is quite traditional, influenced by the various indigenous peoples who inhabited the region before and after the arrival of Spanish rulers. In addition, being the cradle of the Inca civilization, much of its culture is still in different elements.

In this way, in the clothes, in the construction of their houses, in the boats that make the journey across Lake Titicaca, in the food, in the music, the Inca culture is present. However, it is worth noting that this is not the only culture to influence the region.

Therefore, Puno, despite not being the most sought after destination by tourists arriving in Peru, deserves your attention when preparing your itinerary around the country. Lake Titicaca, culture and history are enriching elements of the trip. And you, what are you waiting for to meet her?

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