Puno Tourist Places to Visit in Puno, Peru, America

Puno Tourist Places to Visit in Puno, Peru, America

Puno is the capital city of both Puno Region and Puno Province situated in the southeastern Peru with around a distance of 1265 km southeast of the national capital, Lima. Puno is popularly called as the ‘folkloric capital of Peru’ because of its typical dance and musical events and Puno is also noted for its numerous colonial era well preserved churches.

Geography of Puno:

Puno is positioned on the shore of Titicaca Lake at the coordinates of 15°50′36″ S 70°01′25″ W, about 3,830 meters above sea level. Puno enjoys an average temperature of 15° C throughout the year.

History of Puno:

Puno was initially founded with name ‘San Juan Bautista de Puno’ as the capital of the Paucarcolla province by Viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro in 1668. In the honor of the last Habsburg ruler of Spain, Charles II, it was renamed as ‘San Carlos de Puno’.

Connectivity to Puno:

Inca Manco Capac International Airport serves Puno, is located in Juliaca about 43 km from Puno city with connectivity to Lima, Arequipa and Cusco.

The airlines that serve IMCI Airport include Star Perú, LAN Perú and Avianca. There are taxis always available at IMCI Airport taking around 1 hour to reach Puno from the airport.

Puno is connected with Cusco by train. Taxis, buses and rental cars are helpful for local travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Puno:

Puno is internationally renowned for its typical dance and music styles and the major dance styles include the Ichu Carnival, the Pujllay of Santiago, Wifala de Asillo and the Kcajelo.

There are many traditional shops in Puno offering siku and charango (musical instruments), Toritos de Pucara (ceramic products) and llama and wool clothes as well.

List of prominent restaurants in Puno is as follows:

Mojsa Restaurant
Balcones de Puno
Pizzeria Andina
Ekekos Restaurant Pizza

Things to do in Puno:

Boat riding
Shopping
Walking
Historical sites

Tourist Attractions in Puno:

Lake Titicaca:

Lake Titicaca is the primary attraction of tourists who wish to visit Puno because the city is located on the shore of the lake. It is considered as the largest lake in South America in terms of volume of water. Lake Titicaca measures a length of 190 km and width of 80 km with a surface area of 8,372 sq. km, must visit, don’t miss.

Plaza de Armas:

Plaza de Armas is the prime attraction within the city of Puno as it is home to a colonial period cathedral and other historical buildings and orchid plants. During night, it is heaven on the earth.

Puno Marina:

Puno Marina is a picturesque as well as relaxing point reachable by taxi or rental car or bike. Tourists can spot some colorful boats at the marina and also can enjoy jolly boat riding there.

Other places of interest near Puno include:

Taquile Island
Sillustani
Puno Catedral
La Casa del Corregidor
Uros Floating Islands
Suasi Island
Templo de Santiago Apostol en Lampa
Chucuito
Luquina chico
Coca and Costumes Museum
Museo Carlos Dreyer
Uros Tupirmarka Lodge

Ideal time to visit Puno:

The best time to travel Puno is during the months between May and October.

Accommodation options in Puno:

Most of the luxury hotels in Puno are sited near the shore of Lake Titicaca offering world class amenities and services. The major hotels in Puno are listed below: