Puno travel guide

On the northwest shore of Lake Titicaca, Puno (3855 m) is a major folklore centre and a great place to buy handicrafts, particularly those amazingly tactile alpaca jumpers and hats. It also has a rich tradition of music and dance and is a good place to enjoy a number of Andean festivals, some wild, some solemn. Puno is capital of its department and, while it isn’t the most attractive of cities, it has a certain vitality, helped by the fact there is a large student population. Puno sits on a bay at the northwest end of the lake. The Bahía de Puno is only 3 m deep and a channel is dredged to the exit into the open water of Titicaca.

The port and lakeside quarters are several blocks from the centre, whose focus is the Plaza de Armas. The impressive baroque exterior of the cathedral (0800-1200, 1500-1800) completed in 1657, belies an austere interior. Just across the street from the cathedral is the famous Balcony of the Conde de Lemos, on the corner of Deústua and Conde de Lemos, where Peru’s Viceroy stayed. Also here is the Museo Municipal Carlos Dreyer (Conde de Lemos 289, Mon-Sat 0900-1930, Sun 1400-1930, US$5 includes 45-min guided tour). The museum combines municipal collections with the private collection of pre-Columbian artefacts bequeathed to the city by their owner, Sr Carlos Dreyer. In the same block is the Casa del Corregidor (Deústua 576, T051-365603, http://www.casadelcorregidor.com.pe, Tue-Fri 1000- 2200, closed for lunch on Sat). One of Puno’s oldest buildings, it has been converted into Puno’s most important cultural centre; check website for exhibitions. It also has a great café and a fair trade shop selling handicrafts.

A short walk up Independencia leads to the Arco Deústua, a monument to those killed in the battles of Junín and Ayacucho. Nearby, is a mirador giving fine views over the town, the port and also the lake beyond. The walk from Jirón Cornejo following the Stations of the Cross up a nearby hill, with fine views of Lake Titicaca, has been recommended, but be careful and don’t go alone. The same applies to all the hills around Puno: Huajsapata is known for music and folklore gatherings; Azoguine and Cancharani are higher, with good views and sacred associations. To get to Azoguine you go through Barrio Las Cruces, which is very dangerous.

Avenida Titicaca leads to the port, from where boats go to the islands. From its intersection with Avenida Costañera (a new, coastal road) towards the pier, one side of the road is lined with the kiosks of the Artesanos Unificados de Puno, selling crafts. Closer to the port are food kiosks. On the opposite side of the road is a shallow lake where you can hire pedal boats (US$0.70pp for 20 mins). At the pier are the ticket counters for transport to the islands. On the way from the centre to the port is the Museo Naval (Av El Puerto y Av Sol, Mon-Fri 0830-1230, 1430-1700, free) . Here you can find a small exhibit on navigating on Lake Titicaca. The Malecón Bahía de los Incas, a lovely promenade along the waterfront, extends to the north and south; it is a pleasant place for a stroll and for birdwatching with views of the lake. The section to the north connects the port with Av Floral at the north end of the bay. The section to the south follows the bay to the Terminal Terrestre and on completion will continue to the suburb of Salcedo, 4 km from the port. The bay by Puno is very polluted but several plans to build a sewage treatment plant have foundered.

The MN Yavari (berthed near the entrance to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Hotel, you have to go through the hotel to get to the ship, 0815-1715, entry free in daytime, but donations of US$6 encouraged to help with maintenance costs) is the oldest ship on Lake Titicaca and is now a museum. The iron-hulled ship, now painted in her original livery of black, white and red, was built in England in 1862 and was shipped in kit form to Arica. From Arica, the two ships went by rail to Tacna from where the 2766 pieces were carried by mule to Lake Titicaca. The journey took six years. The Yavari was eventually launched on Christmas Day 1870 and on 14 June 1871 sailed on her maiden voyage. To get there you can go by taxi, bus or trici-taxi, but the most charming way is by boat from the port, about US$2 return, including a wait. For general information, volunteering, donations, etc, visit http://www.yavari.org.

Hull (UK)-built MS Ollanta, sailed the lake from 1926 to the 1970s. PerúRail has restored the vessel with a view eventually to starting cruises, but it is not currently open to the public nor operating. Berthed next to it is another old ship, the MN Colla, (Barrio Guaje, beyond the Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inka, T051-368156, daily 0800-1700) built in Scotland and launched on the lake in 1892. Its museum is similar to that of the Yavari....read more