By rail
Puno station, the tourist train from Cusco across the altiplano
South America · Peru
Puno, Peru
The folklore capital on the shore of Lake Titicaca
Getting there
By air
Juliaca (JUL), ~45 km north of Puno
Best time to visit
May to October — dry and sunny days, cold nights; the Virgen de la Candelaria festival fills February
Don't miss
The Uros floating islands
Taquile Island
Amantaní Island
Sillustani
Puno Cathedral
Mirador Kuntur Wasi
Things to do
Boat trips to the Uros reed islands and Taquile
A homestay on Amantaní
The Sillustani funerary towers
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Warm layers for the altitude and the lake wind, sun protection, altitude medication, small cash for the islands
A quieter corner
The Yavari, a Victorian iron steamship carried up to the lake in pieces, moored by the bay
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Puno?
May to October — dry and sunny days, cold nights; the Virgen de la Candelaria festival fills February. What to pack: Warm layers for the altitude and the lake wind, sun protection, altitude medication, small cash for the islands.
How do I get to Puno?
Fly into Juliaca (JUL), ~45 km north of Puno.
What is there to do in Puno?
Boat trips to the Uros reed islands and Taquile, a homestay on Amantaní, the Sillustani funerary towers. A quieter find: The Yavari, a Victorian iron steamship carried up to the lake in pieces, moored by the bay.
What should I eat in Puno?
Trucha (lake trout), quinoa soup, chairo stew, chuño potatoes.
About Puno
- Lakeside
- Mountains
Where it is
Puno is a city in south-eastern Peru on the western shore of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, at about 3,800 m on the altiplano near the Bolivian border.
History
Founded by the Spanish in 1668 as San Carlos de Puno near silver mines, the city grew on the lake trade and later on the railway from the coast. The Uros people had lived on their reed islands in the bay long before, and the Sillustani funerary towers nearby were built by the Colla people before the Incas.
People
Puno calls itself Peru's folklore capital: Quechua and Aymara are spoken beside Spanish, and the Candelaria festival each February brings thousands of dancers and brass bands into the streets. On the islands, Taquile's men knit and the Uros build their homes from totora reed.
Known for
- Lake Titicaca and the Uros floating islands
- Taquile and Amantaní islands
- The Sillustani funerary towers
- The Virgen de la Candelaria festival
Did you know?
The Uros islands are made entirely of layered totora reeds and rot from below, so new reeds are laid on top every few weeks to keep each island afloat.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.