The city of Puno is, located in southeastern
Peru, on the shores of the Lake Titicaca, and it also shares the border with
Bolivia. This is an interesting place to visit due to its culture and
archeological sites.
Lake Titicaca and its islands are the main
attraction. This spectacular blue lake is considered the largest in Sout
America and the largest in the world above 2,000 meters above the sea level.
This area is considered a sacred place of the Incas.
According to Andean legend, Lake Titicaca was
the birthplace of civilization. There, Wiracocha (creator god) brought the
light. The Sun, Moon, and stars were taken out of the lake by this god and
later they take their place in the sky. With the time the Sun and Moon had two
children and these people were sent out from Titicaca to the four corners of
the earth. The Inca legend believed that one of the sons; Manco, was the first
Inca.
The birthplace of the Sun, Moon, and Manco is
on the Bolivian side of the lake, and the islands are named Sun and Moon.
However, there are several islands that be
accessed from Puno. The most popular of these are Uros, Taquile, and Amantani.
You can take a tour with one of the several tour operators.
In
addition, there are pre-Hispanic archaeological sites with circular
constructions named “chullpas”; and churches, which are characterized by their
distinctive colonial architecture.
Puno is a melting pot of cultures, the Aymara,
from the south, and the Quechua, from the north. The inhabitants are proud of
their Quechua and Aymara past. Puno has earned the title of Folkloric Capital
of Peru thanks to their folkloric tradition that can be seen every year in the
form of dances and rituals during the Candelaria festival.
Puno is a city with legends, archeological sites, a multicolored festival,
and the home of the largest lake in South America.