The Titicaca Lake could well be Puno's main attraction. The world's highest navigable lake has a maximum depth of 300 meters. In addition to this amazing landscape, other attractions can be enjoyed in this area as well.

Some of the many monuments that can be visited are: the Cathedral, "El Balcón del Conde de Lemos" (The balcony of the Earl of Lemos), the Deustua Arch, the Dryer Museum, the Museum of Popular Art. Only 30 kilometers from Puno you can find the Chullpas de Sillustani, which were ancient tombs for the hatuncollas chiefs.

When it comes to making tours, the Bahia de los Incas Ecotourism Seawall, Floating Islands of the Uros, Taquile Island, Amantani Island, and the Huajsapata Hills are highly recommended as well as the historic Balcony of the Earl of Lemos. All of them are a must for tourist visiting the region.

Not only is Titicaca the world’s highest navigable lake but also it plays an important role in the Andean mythology since, according to the legend, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, sons of the Sun and founders of the Inca Empire, emerged from its waters.

The lake’s sovereignty is shared between Bolivia and Peru. It is located three thousand eight hundred and ten meters above sea level and annual average temperature here varies along the year.

Between October and May temperature ranges between 9°C and 11°C, while from June to September it varies between -7°C and -10°C.

See Titikaka Lake in Puno...

Its approximate size is of 6 km2 and the altitude between the port and the town varies slightly from 3810 to 3950 masl. The maximum temperature there is 23ºC and the minimum is 7ºC.

Pre-Inca vestiges are found in the highest part of the island. During the Colonial period and up to the first years of the twentieth century, it was used as a political prison, until the island became property of the Taquile people in 1970.

Taquile's inhabitants are known to be genuinely friendly. They preserve their customs and traditional clothing.

Their detailed, fine, and colorful textiles with symmetrical decorations and symbols that reflect their way of life as well as Andean customs and beliefs are some of their main features.

This great floating island consists of forty floating islets made of totora. People here still preserve their ancestor's way of life, maintaining the costumes and idiosyncrasy.

Amantani covers some 9 km2. The flora is characterized by the presence of bushes like the muña, the kantuta, the sage, the tola and the patamuña.

Eight communities live on the island and make their living from growing potatoes, corn, oca, quinoa, lima beans, and green peas, and their most representative handcrafts are textiles and stone carvings.

Among its natural attractions, there are two lookouts on the highest part offering a view of the entire lake, some pre-Hispanic remains, ceremonial centers and a mummy cemetery.

This archaeological area is located thirty four kilometers away from the capital and is considered to be one of the world's main necropolises. It consists of a large esplanade surrounded by the Umayo lagoon.

A cemetry containing the graves of members of the Kolla cultura can be found here. Such culture developed in the north area of the lagoon, in a place known as Hatuncolla.

The unusual shape of the graves, like inverted trunks, called chullupas, are commonly found in other places of the Altiplano as well, such as Acora o Ilave.

Finished in the XVIII century, the building's importance lies in quality of its architecture and its stone carvings. The Cathedral's façade was sculpted by the Peruvian architect Simon de Asto.

This Spanish Baroque church includes Andean elements that give the monument its mixed character.

Huajsapata means "witness of my love". It is a natural lookout that enjoys a splendid view of the city and the Titicaca Lake.

At the top, there is a monument to Manco Capac, founder of the Inca Empire. It is believed that there are caverns and subterranean pathways in the hill that connect Puno to the Koricancha Temple in the city of Cusco.

Built around 1668, it is said that Conde de Lemos was lodged in this house when he arrived to quell a rebellion.

Nowadays, it is the cultural complex of the National Culture Institute of the Department of Puno and an art gallery can be visited here.

It is a pedestrian walkway offering a stunning view of Lake Titicaca. Here the Sukankas or Intihuatanas, which used to work as solar clocks and calendars, can be found.

The pre-Inca cultures used them to determine where the ceremonial and sacrificial rituals were going to take place. They also used them to set the physical limits between the communities.