Puno Beyond Lake Titicaca

© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
PUNO
Beyond Lake Titicaca
PUNO
Beyond Lake Titicaca
High up in the Peruvian Altiplano at 2.3 miles (3.8 kilometers) above sea level where llamas and alpacas graze
on open hillsides and drifting winds across the land seem
to whistle the songs of the old eras, you will find the small
city of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
This body of water is as enchanting as it is functional, serving as the highest navigatable lake in the world and connects Peru with Bolivia.
Around, the countryside is pocked with small villages are
still alive with centuries-old customs, festivals, dances, music, traditions, faith, and devotion—all of which are best
exemplified in the annual Virgin of Candelaria celebration. For the Quechua-speaking local people, as rugged
in character as the agrarian landscape around them but
always supremely kind in true Andean style, life and death and everything in between has always been centered
around the immortal spirit of Lake Titicaca.
Enrique Velasco
Director
To / A
Cusco
N
KEYS / LEYENDA
International limit / Límite internacional
Departamental limit / Límite departamental
Railroad / Vía férrea
Paved road / Vía asfaltada
Non paved road / Vía sin asfaltar
Protected area / Parque Nacional
Area urbana / Área urbana
Airport / Aeropuerto
AZANGARO
Pucara
Archeological / Sitio arqueológico
HUANCANE
Tinajani
Tourist attraction / Atractivo turístico
LAMPA
National Reserve / Reserva Nacional
del Titicaca
MOHO
Cambría
JULIACA
Suasi Island /
Isla Suasi
Península
Capachica
Capachica
Amantani
Ccotos
Sillustani
National Reserve / Reserva Llachón
Nacional del Titicaca
Uros
Lluquina
Taquile
Grande
PUNO
Chucuito
Sun Island /
Isla del Sol
Moon Island /
Isla de La Luna
ILAVE
Huatajata
Copacabana
JULI
YUNGUYO
POMATA
Anapia
LIMA
Zepita
DESAGUADERO
LOCATION/
UBICACIÓN
Tiwanaku
PUNO
When the city dances
Every February, the city of Puno erupts in color, music, and debauchery during the Virgin of Candelaria celebration which manifests
Catholic traditions with the deepest elements that reflect the Andean
worldview. This is one of the largest festivals held annually in South
America, third only to Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival and Bolivia’s Carnival of Oruro, and lasts 4 principle days although the parties can
endure up to 2 weeks total. All efforts are made to honor the patron
saint of Puno, the Virgin of Candelaria herself: more than 200
regional dances, elaborate handmade costumes and vibrant masks
that take as many hundreds of Nuevo Soles as hours to create, and
over 75,000 local Quechua and Aymara ethnic people are involved
during the whole year are involved in the production.
In 2014, Puno’s Virgin of Candelaria festival was named by
UNESCO an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
From the moment you step into Puno’s streets during the Candelaria, you will hear drums, trumpets, and bells roaring in harmony
with the laughter and cries of street partiers. Dancers exhibiting
their skills, sometimes up to 1,000 in number and covering over 3 kilometers at a time, typically do so in devotion to their beloved saint,
especially if they are fulfilling a promise or asking for a blessing.
Even though visitors from around the world are wholly welcomed to
this carnival, it retains every bit of its unspoilt soul.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
Juli & Pomata
Old but hardly forgotten
Juli, found on the banks of Lake Titicaca, is the capital of the
rural Chucuito province and its inhabitants today are mainly of
Aymaran descent and still speak their native language. Because
of the 4 architecturally significant churches in this small village, mainly dating to the Spanish colonial eras, Juli is nicknamed
“The Little Rome of the Americas.” In particular, the white granite stones of the Temple of San Pedro Martir shine under the
bright Andean sun, and the intricate murals within the Church of
Our Lady of the Assumption are proud works of renowned mestizo artists Bitti and de la Puente from the late 1500s. If you find
yourself in Juli on a market day, you will be treated to a fantastically authentic regional experience.
Nearby Pomata is equally impressive in a different way, nicknamed “The Philosophical Balcony of the Altiplano.” Because of
its strategically high location, the ancient people were able to fight hard to retain their lands, even against the mighty Inca Empire. We will make sure to stop by the Temple of Santiago Apostle
to see its especially impressive façade and stone dome.
After your visits, enjoy a fine picnic prepared with both regional
staples and delicacies overlooking the grand landscapes and constructions of this remote area.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
LLACHON
A town to get lost in
Despite its high location at 3,820 meters above sea level on the Peninsula of
Capachica, the small village of Llachon
offers a pleasant temperature year round
and a tranquil corner of Lake Titicaca. Get lost in this lovely town’s natural
streets and perhaps catch a glance of
a local woman working her loom with
bright threads and yarns to create woven pieces so reflective of Andean motifs
and its own community heritage. For
those so inclined to dive deeper into the
indigenous Quechua culture, homestays
are best arranged in Llachon where the
residents are happy to share their ways
with the curious.
Learn to maneuver classic recipes in a
typical family kitchen nestled under a
totora reed roof and see what it is like
to wake up to a flush sunrise over Lake
Titicaca.
Back outside, you will that the lack of
wind and waves also makes Llachon an
ideal spot in the region to indulge in
kayaking excursions on the lake, as well
as boat rides to Amantani and Taquile
islands and beyond to Puno.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
LAMPA
The pink city
The Pink City inspires with its tinted
buildings. As you look around this compact Altiplano town, see how architectural heritage blends with the residents’
deep faith.
In the Municipal Palace as well as the
Municipal Library, you will find two of
the three only replicas of Michelangelo’s
Pietà statue that have been authorized
by the Vatican. These two renditions of
La Piedad, as they are called in Lampa,
are made of different materials: one is of
plaster and the other from a mold.
They are so accurate in adaptation that
when a madman damaged the original
piece in Italy, restorers visited this Peruvian village to take photographs and
measurements before making repairs.
As well, Lampa boasts typical homes
which reflect the needs and accommodations fit for the mining and agricultural
families of the area. Casona Frisancho is
an exquisite example of these such constructions, with over 300 years of history
first owned by the Spaniard Don Fermín
de la Vara y Pancorbo.
The large rooms which allow in plenty
of sunlight keep these signature homes
warm and original furniture pieces allow
you to reimagine the beginnings of Lampa’s modern history.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
TINAJANI
Off-the-beaten track
To visit Tinajani is to flirt with the Andean range in one of the least visited
destinations in Peru.
On most days, the landscape is dry but
rich, full of high altitude grasses and
fields as well as alpacas, sheep, camelids,
and cows grazing lazily.
dance of Peruvian feathergrass plants
reach astounding sizes here, up to 14
meters (45 ft) at a time, and are known
to live up to 100 years. Open grassland
never looked so impressive as here where
it is suggested that the world stretches
forever in all directions.
Not far away, the Tinajani canyon and
The Puyas de Raymond is perhaps the
its rock forest intimidates with its ancient
most popular draw to this off-the-beaten- formations that loom overhead, creating
track corner of the country. The abunimposing cliffs and visuals that plunge
into the unforgiving ground.
Bring out the silly side in you and search
for the faces and figures in these anthropomorphic stone figures while also learning about the local legends that have
originated in this space. And if you are
lucky, you might even see some of the
tombs from long-ago cultures that once
called the high plains their home.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
AMANTICA LODGE
A luxurious private retreat
On the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca is the unforgettable
Amantaní Island. Its rustic charm of the past centuries resonates
into today where only 800 families live and no cars rumble down
the streets, giving way to a peace and quiet unlike any other.
Amantica Lodge is the premier accommodation on the is-
land and offers only 2 exclusive suites (one with matrimonial bed,
the other with two twin beds), crisp and tasteful furnishings, and
comfortable shared services.
Panoramic windows allow bountiful amounts of light into each
room and of course present movie-like scenes that overlook the
shimmering cerulean lake and snowcapped Andes far beyond.
A number of participatory excursions are available during your
stay at Amantica Lodge such as trout fishing, private cooking
courses to learn how to make healthy and locally inspired meals,
taking part in medicinal and healing ceremonies, visits to a community school, typical music and instrumental instruction, hikes
around nearby shore villages, kayaking, and more.
At night, be sure to take a moment to enjoy your private outdoor
patio space where a million and one stars quietly twinkle above
you in this most remote and astounding of destinations.
© Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru
SUGGESTED itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVAL IN PUNO
Greet and transfer to the hotel
Overnight in Puno
Day 2: PUNO
Breakfast
Morning excursion to Pomata and Juli
Box lunch on route
Return to Puno
Puno city tour including a visit to workshops that
produce costumes and masks for La Virgen de la
Candelaria festivity
Overnight in Puno
Day 3: PUNO
Breakfast
Full day visit to Llachon
Private boat transfer to Amantica lodge
Overnight in Amantani
Day 4:
PUNO
Breakfast
Activities in Amantani Island:
- Trekking to Pachatata
- Coca leaves reading by a shaman
- Interactive cooking classes
Return to Llachon on a private boat
Box lunch on route
Private road transfer to Lampa city
Overnight in Lampa at Casona Frisancho
Day 5: DEPARTURE
Breakfast
Morning visit to Lampa
Box lunch on route
Excursion to Tinajani canyon
Transfer to Juliaca airport
Overnight in Lima
Coltur Peru
Av.Reducto 1255, Miraflores, Lima-Peru
P. +(51.1) 615.5555
F. +(51.1) 446.8073
peru@colturperu.com
www.colturperu.com