- Altitude: 3830 mts. / 12562 feet over sea level
- Weather: Dry and cold, sunny days and cold nights
- Temperature: 40º-70ºF / 5°-20º C aprox.
- Rainy season: From November to March
- Accessibility: Air – land – train
Located on the Altiplano, in the Andes of Southern Peru, Puno is home to the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca (4000 meters (13,123 feet) above sea level), and to endless archaeological testimonies and ancient cultures which have remained alive despite the passage of time and the encroachment of modernity.
Lake Titicaca is and has been a source of life for its inhabitants, and has made its mark on their destiny. Centuries ago, it was home to the Tiahuanaco culture (100 to 700 B.C.), one of the most influential pre-Incan cultures that dominated almost all of what is now Peru. To walk along the shores of Lake Titicaca, or to sail its waters, is to reconnect with an unchanged past, influenced by the countless legends that spring forth from its waters and to which the origins of the Inca Empire are attributed.
Puno is a region full of contrasts, where ancient history and traditions blend in with the rugged mountain geography. Some prominent attractions in the area are the Chullpas de Sillustani (Sillustani funerary towers), the pink city of Lampa, and the colonial temples of Juli and Pomata. The lake’s beautiful islands, among them Los Uros, Taquile, and Amantaní, are home to native communities that welcome those travelers who wish to spend time with them and learn about their ancestral customs, or Suasi, a private island where time feel non-existent and nature plays with your senses.
Puno is also considered the capital of Peruvian folklore, reaching its utmost expression in February, in the feast Our Lady of Candelaria, in which music, dance, legends and traditional dress come together in a most colorful celebration.
