PUNO
Located at 12,530 feet. The department of Puno is very rich in archeological remains and historic monuments, as a meeting of there cultures took place on the banks of lake titicaca, the Aymara, the Quechua and Spanish, the combination of which comes evident in their artistic and cultural expressions.
This unequaled legacy has resulted in Puno being recognized as the Folklore Capital of Peru.

LAKE TITICACA
It is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is located at 3827 mt. (12,550 ft) with a surface area of 8,560 km2 (3,305 sq.miles) and a maximum depth of 227 mt (475 ft) near Soto island.
This mystical lake is the place where according to an oral tradition, the first Inca Manco Capac and his companion Mama Ocllo, sent by their God: The sun came out to found the Tahuantinsuyo which was divided in four regions. Puno is located in the collasuyo, the Collao Plateau, which is actually between Peru and Bolivia.

The lake’s islands form a special attraction. There are thirty islands, of which Uros, Taquile Amantani, Soto and Suasi stand out in the larger section of the lake. In the smaller section, on the border with Bolivia, is the beautiful Anapia archipelago. The Bolivian sector contains the marvelous isles of the Sun and Moon the second of which contains Inca ruins. On some of these islands the local communities are developing projects for putting up visitors and sharing with them their daily lives, their textile tradition and their farming.

FLOATING ISLANDS OF THE UROS
These are a group of 40 big island like packs of floating totora, (reeds), located within the titicaca National Reserve, where the Uros, dwellers of the lake, continue to live like their ancestors did, preserving their customs and idiosyncrasy but above all, their own system of Communal life.
The Uros descend from one of the oldest cultures in America. Their main occupations are hunting, fishing and stuffing small animals for their selling as souvenirs. They are renowned for their great skill in the wearing of the totora reed.

TAQUILE
The Indians of Taquile, about four hours by boat from Puno, have made their vivid color schemes and weaving designs par of the regional folk-art and ther island is one of the most prosperous points in the region. They have developed an original form of communal tourism, in which visitors share their homes, food customs and traditions.
People of Taquile are renowned for their waving and handicraft. They have a folklore museum and one of ancient textiles; these people continue to live according with old Inca traditions and laws.

AMANTANI
Five-hour motorboat trip from Puno. On their two highest hills “Pacha Tata” and “Pacha Mama” there are several archeological remains including centers for worship and cult.
Although there are no hotels available in Taquile or Amantani islands, their communities are rather well organized as to provide visitors with suitable lodging in their homes.

CHULLPAS OF SILLUSTANI
At 34 km (21 miles) from the city of Puno, provide some of the best necropolis in the region. These consist of circular stone towers, the Chullpas which overlook a small lake, are huge funerary monuments built by the Collas to keep their mortal remains. These circular structures exceed the 12 meters high (40 ft), and the way they were built challenges the laws of equilibrium since they have a smaller diameter in the base than they do at the top.
During Spanish times they were destroyed because they were associated with idolatry.

Basic Information:
Climate: Cold and semi-dry. The average temperature of the year is 9ºC (41ºF) which can descend to 2ºC (10ºF)during winter.
The rain saison is from December to March.
Altitude: Puno 3870 m.a.s.l.
Access: By air, there are regular flights between Manco Capac airport in Juliaca, and Lima and Cusco.
By land, there are roads communicating Puno with the cities of la Paz (Bolivia), cusco, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna.
And Railroad service From Puno to Cusco.