Puno and Titicaca

                                                                                                                                                         The world's highest navigable lake, 3,856 meters above sea level. Its strategic location between Cuzco and La Paz makes Puno an obligatory step for tourists travelling between Peru and Bolivia.
Inca legend says Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, the founders of the Empire, arose out of the waters of Lake Titicaca and walked to Cuzco where they established the capital of the Inca Empire, Manco Capac being the first Inca.

Considered the folklore capital of Peru, Puno, founded in 1668, is immensely rich in music, dances, customs and legends.

One of the most symbolic celebration in Puno is the Festival of the Virgin of Candlemas, which is held during the first half of February. Different groups of dancers compete in a colorful dance, the "Diablada"("deviltry"), famous for its costly masks and costumes. Puno has more than 300 groups of native dancers.

Among the principal tourist attractions are the Uros, an Indian community that lives on the floating islands made of totora reeds on Lake Titicaca. These men called "Kot Suns" (masters of the lake), live basically on fishing, hunting birds and vegetables they grow on the lake itself. When tourists visit the islands, the native children interrupt their schooling and greet them by singing well-known songs in different languages such as English, French, German, etc.

The Chullpas de Sillustani are mysterious circular towers approximately 40 feet high made of stone by the pre-Inca Tiahuanaco civilization. A great many funerary bales have been found inside them, which gives rise to two main theories: They were either tombs or places to live in. We still do not know the exact use made of these buildings since in ancient Peru the people of the Andes buried their dead below their homes.

It seems that time has stopped on the beautiful island of Taquile Lake Titicaca. Here you can see how they lived hundreds of years ago: the houses, the customs and language. If possible we recommend spending a night on the island where the people themselves will give you lodgings. Taquile is world famous for the quality of its exquisite textiles. This tour can be combined with a visit to the Uros.

Altitude: 3,830 mts. / 12,562 ft. above sea level
Climate: Dry. Cold, sunny days and cold nights
Temperature: 40-70oF - 5-20oC approx.
Rainy Season: December to March