Updated September 2022.
Folk Capital of Peru
Peru’s folkloric capital, melding the northern Quechua and the souther Aymara, the two ancient Andean civilizations around the region, with Colonial influences. It is located right beside Lake Titicaca, the world's largest high-altitude lake and the world's highest navigable lake and serves as one of the most important places to visit.
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Puno
Puno is a sprawling city with a lot to see, but one should be wary of the elevation. Located at 12,500 feet, one may feel the impacts of altitude sickness, especially heading to some of the higher located places.
- Cathedral of Puno in the Plaza de Armas
- Iglesia de San Juan Batistia: The sanctuary of Mamita Candelaria, Puno’s patron saint and known for beautiful carvings
- Parque Huajsapata: Statue of Manco Cápac, the first Inca
- Museo Carlos Dreyer: Artwork from pre-Colonial and Colonial times
- The Condor:
Lake Titicaca
The famed lake has 60% of its waters in Peru and 40% in Bolivia. There are a multitude of islands in the middle of the lake, housing ~4,000 people. By boat, most of these islands are only about 30 minutes away from the shore.
Lake Titicaca Legends
- Lake Titicaca is hailed in Inca mythology as the birthplace of the civilization. Supposedly, the Manco Cápac, the son of the Sun and Mama Ocllo, the daughter of the Moon, emerged from the lake and founded the empire.
- The Uros people considered themselves older than the sun, couldn’t drown, nor be struck by lightning. They lost their powers once they mixed with the other tribes around the area
Islas Uros
The Uros islands consist of over 40 floating islands which are constructed by layering totora reeds on top of root clods. They built these islands to escape from the Inca Empire invasion, retreating into the lake atop their built islands. To ensure they continue to float, totora reeds are layered every 20 days as the bottom reeds disintegrate. Each island has a watchtower to watch out for invaders, and all the houses are rather simple in design.
Originally, these islands were built in the middle of the lake, but they moved and rebuilt their islands after a storm in 1986. Due to their closer proximity, the islands now provide lodging for tourists on the lake. The Peruvian government has also provided resources, such as solar panels, health centers, and schools to the Uros to help them learn more about the modern age, but their ancestral traditions are still kept alive.
The caballitos (traditional boats) were also made from the totora reeds. They are shaped like canoes but usually have prow decorations, most notably puma heads to honor the sacred animal. In fact, Titicaca translated from Quechua means "Puma Stone".
The totora reeds also serve as sustenance to the Uros people, helping people fight off rheumatism and arthritis, which is cobined with the fishing and hunting practices.
Originally, these islands were built in the middle of the lake, but they moved and rebuilt their islands after a storm in 1986. Due to their closer proximity, the islands now provide lodging for tourists on the lake. The Peruvian government has also provided resources, such as solar panels, health centers, and schools to the Uros to help them learn more about the modern age, but their ancestral traditions are still kept alive.
The caballitos (traditional boats) were also made from the totora reeds. They are shaped like canoes but usually have prow decorations, most notably puma heads to honor the sacred animal. In fact, Titicaca translated from Quechua means "Puma Stone".
The totora reeds also serve as sustenance to the Uros people, helping people fight off rheumatism and arthritis, which is cobined with the fishing and hunting practices.
