This small museum houses a fascinating collection of Puno-related archaeological artifacts and art from pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and the Republic periods…
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Puno
With a regal plaza, concrete-block buildings and crumbling bricks that blend into the hills, Puno has its share of both grit and cheer. It serves as the jumping-off point for Lake Titicaca and is a convenient stop for those traveling between Cuzco and La Paz. But it may just capture your heart with its own rackety charm.
Puno is known as Peru’s capital folklórica (folkloric capital) – its Virgen de la Candelaria parades are televised across the nation – and the associated drinking is the stuff of legend. Its urban center can feel contaminated and cold, but Puno’s people are upbeat, cheeky and ready to drop everything if there’s a good time to be had.
As a commercial (and contraband) hub, its colonial and naval history can be glimpsed in its spots of old architecture, the colorful traditional dress worn by many inhabitants and the scores of young cadets in the streets.
Explore Puno
- MMuseo Carlos Dreyer
This small museum houses a fascinating collection of Puno-related archaeological artifacts and art from pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and the Republic periods…
- CCasa del Corregidor
An attraction in its own right, this 17th-century house is one of Puno’s oldest residences. A former community center, it now houses a small fair-trade…
- YYavari
The oldest steamship on Lake Titicaca, the famed Yavari has turned from British gunship to a museum and recommended bed and breakfast, with bunk-bed…
- MMuseo de la Coca y Costumbres
Tiny and quirky, this museum offers lots of interesting information – historical, medicinal, cultural – about the coca plant and its many uses…
- CCatedral de Puno
Puno’s baroque cathedral, on the western flank of the Plaza de Armas, was completed in 1757. The interior is more spartan than you’d expect from the well…
- EEl Arco Deustua
A fairly simple arch jazzed up with adornments makes for a tourist attraction in Puno. El Arco Deustua dates from 1847 and was a tribute to those who…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Puno.
See
Museo Carlos Dreyer
This small museum houses a fascinating collection of Puno-related archaeological artifacts and art from pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and the Republic periods…
See
Casa del Corregidor
An attraction in its own right, this 17th-century house is one of Puno’s oldest residences. A former community center, it now houses a small fair-trade…
See
Yavari
The oldest steamship on Lake Titicaca, the famed Yavari has turned from British gunship to a museum and recommended bed and breakfast, with bunk-bed…
See
Museo de la Coca y Costumbres
Tiny and quirky, this museum offers lots of interesting information – historical, medicinal, cultural – about the coca plant and its many uses…
See
Catedral de Puno
Puno’s baroque cathedral, on the western flank of the Plaza de Armas, was completed in 1757. The interior is more spartan than you’d expect from the well…
See
El Arco Deustua
A fairly simple arch jazzed up with adornments makes for a tourist attraction in Puno. El Arco Deustua dates from 1847 and was a tribute to those who…
Guidebooks
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