|
Location: South sierra
(Andes) of Peru, in the limit with Bolivia.
Area: 27 800 Sq miles.
Capital: Puno (12,555 feet above sea level)
The Lowest altitude: 2690 feet above sea level (Lanlacuni
Bajo)
The Highest altitude: 15 502 feet above sea level (San
Antonio de Esquilache)
Climate: Annual average temperature is 50ºF (the highest
altitude of 66.2 ºF and the lowest one of 35.6 ºF). The
rainy season starts on December and it lasts until April.
How to get to Puno?
By air: Domestic flights from Lima to Juliaca (1 hour
and 45 minutes approx.).
Arequipa – Puno (45 minutes approx.).
By land: Lima – Arequipa – Juliaca – Puno, 810 miles (24
hours by car approx.)
Cusco– Juliaca (8 hours approx.).
Arequipa– Juliaca (6 hours approx.)
The department of Puno is located in the southeast area
of Peru. In the shores of Titicaca Lake and over 12 555
feet above sea level. It has an uneven topography with
the majority of cities located in the high areas of the
sierra. It has 27 947 Sq miles and a population of a
million of inhabitants.
Among the most important cities are: Juliaca, Azángaro,
Huancané, Lampa and Yunguyo. The amazing Titicaca Lake
which is the most navigable lake of the entire world
with an area of 8,560 km2 and a maximum depth of 745
feet, the transparency of its waters is remarkable.
There are 36 islands and the most important are Taquile
and Amantani.
The National Reserve of Titicaca has a great beauty; it
has an enormous area of Totora (an aquatic plant) that
contrast with the water mirrors of the lake. This
natural area protects 87 varieties of birds such as:
flamencos, huatallas, keles and tiquis as well as 26
species of fish (such as carachis, pejerreyes, trout,
suches and ispis) and 18 species of amphibians among
them the giant frog (La rana gigante or Keli) that lives
just in the depth of the lake. Puno is the folk capital
of Peru because its variety and the beauty of the music
they have and obviously its dances (it has more than 300
different dances, among them la endiablada, la morenada,
la llamerada, la marinera puneña and la pandilla
puneña). Now days, Puno is an important agriculture and
livestock region, owner of a great tourism potential. A
great group of floating islets of Totora making the
Floating Island of Uros, an island where the inhabitants
continue living as their ancestors did, ¡Over the water!.
The drought season, ideal to visit Puno, is between May
and August. The highest temperatures are between
November and February and the lower ones are between
June and August. It is advisable to combine your visit
to Puno with the destinations of Cusco and Arequipa. |
 |
