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Puno Puno is one of Peru's foremost tourist destinations and one of the most interesting spots on the continent. Few cities lie by the shores of such an extraordinary body of water as Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. Legend has it that Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, the mythical founders of the Inca Empire emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca. The area also gave rise to one of the greatest pre-Inca civilizations, the Tiahuanaco, the maximum expression of the ancient Aymara people. Puno, founded in 1668, is a city rich in local mestizo art, the fusion of native and Spanish styles in its colonial balconies, weavings and pottery. |
However, a greater attraction lies a mere 10 blocks away from the main square: Lake Titicaca, which covers an area of 8,560 square kilometers (5,3219 square miles), and where local fishermen row across the lake on totora or reed rafts. Visitors may rent motorboats to explore the dozens of islands that dot the lake; each of them with their own characteristics and peculiarities. The floating islands of the Uros, whose natives are descendants of one of the oldest tribes in the Americas, feature typical native huts made from reeds. The Taquile Island inhabitants meanwhile still use traditional weaving techniques that tourists are able to learn if they are willing to spend the night and experience the traditional hospitality of the locals. Nearby Silustani is also an interesting destination to explore the chullpa stone burial towers of the Tiahuanaco culture | |
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