Puno

Introduction

View of Puno from the Hill

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It is odd to arrive at an international port that is over 3,860 metres high. But that is how high Puno is located. This small town has an odd mixture of international port, tourist centre and Andean meeting place. Being the only easy way to access Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side the town attracts many tourists. Although the lake is the main draw there are also some nice hikes to be found just outside of town and the main shopping street has several nice restaurants. The town was founded in 1668 and several of the churches around town date back to the 18th century and are worth a visit.

Sights and Activities

• Lake Titicaca is the main attraction in, or actually around, town. It is possible to arrange half day to multi day island tours at the harbor or the countless travel agencies in the city centre.
• Shopping there is a large Andean crafts market located right at the harbor that features good deals on crafts. It also has several small food stalls that are the only place to eat near the harbor.
• Kuntur Wasi is a great hike that takes about an hour or two depending on your shape. Just follow the road up the hill to the large statue of the condor, eventually it will take you to the base of 700 steps. At the top of this hike is a great view of the entire city and the lake.

Getting There

By Plane

Something Erupting

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Inca Manco Cápac International Airport (IATA: JUL, ICAO: SPJL) is the nearest airport to Puno about an hour away in Juliaca. It has regular daily flights to Lima with LAN Peru, Star Peru and TACA Peru. Except for the latter one, they fly to Cusco as well, and LAN flies to Arequipa. It is possible to arrange flights in Puno at the different airline companies. It is also possible to arrange taxis and share taxis to the airport from Puno at any of the travel agency's in town for a reasonable cost.

By Train

It is possible to take the tourist train to and from Cusco. It departs Puno at 8:00am daily and arrives at Cusco at 6:00pm.

By Bus

Remember if arriving by bus from any direction it will go over several mountain passes that are very high and cold year round. If traveling during the winter some of the 1st class bus companies have been known to forget to turn on the heat. Always brings extra warm clothes on the bus with you or a sleeping bag just to make sure you don't have the coldest bus ride ever.

By Boat

It is possible to take a ferry over to Bolivia from Puno but most people take the bus because it is cheaper.

Eat

There are several restaurants of varying degree on the main shopping street off of the cathedral square. Some of these places feature great alpaca dishes including amazing kabobs!

Sleep

Budget

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Check the Serpost website, the national postal service (a private company), for more information about prices and options regarding the sending of postcards, letters and parcels. The post service is relatively efficient and post offices can be found in most cities and (larger) towns. Post offices generally are open from 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Saturday and some are open on Sundays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Postcards are available from street vendors and shops at any touristy area, and stamps are generally available as well, though sometimes only at the post office itself. It takes at least 10 days to send a postcard to North America and prices start at S/5.5. To Europe it is S/7.8 and it takes even a bit longer, around 2 weeks. For little extra money, you can choose 'expresso' services. For large parcels and quantities, you can use both Serpost or a company like DHL which is faster and offers the same prices, though it is still relatively expensive. UPS for some reason is much more expensive in Peru!