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Puno
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With a dry, cold climate - frequently falling below freezing in the winter nights of July and August -
PUNO
is just a crossroads to most travellers, en route between Cusco and Bolivia or Arequipa and maybe Chile. In some ways this is fair, for it's a breathless place (at 12,700ft above sea level), with a burning daytime sun in stark contrast to the icy evenings, and a poor reputation for pickpockets, particularly at the bus and train terminals. Yet the town is immensely rich in traditions and has a fascinating ancient history with several stone
chullpas
nearby. Puno's port is a vital staging point for exploring the northern end of Lake Titicaca, with its floating islands and beautiful island communities of Amantani and Taquile just a few hours by boat. Perhaps more importantly, though, Puno is famed as the folklore capital of Peru, particularly relevant if you can visit in the first two weeks of February for the
Fiesta de la Candelaria
, an great folklore dance spectacle, boasting incredible dancers wearing devil-masks; the festival climaxes on the second Sunday of February. If you're in Puno at this time, it's a good idea to reserve hotels in advance (though hotel prices can double). The
Tinajani Festival of Dance
, based around June 27, is set in the bleak Altiplano against the backdrop of a huge wind-eroded rock in the Canyon of Tinajani. Off the beaten trail but, it's well worth checking out for its raw Andean music and dance, plus its large sound systems; ask in the tourist offices in Puno or Cusco for details. Just as spectacular is the
Semana Jubilar
(Jubilee Festival) in the first week of November, which takes place partly on the Ilsa Esteves and celebrates the Spanish founding of the city and the Inca's origins, which legend says are from Lake Titicaca itself. Even if you miss the festivals, you can find a group of musicians playing brilliant and highly evocative music somewhere in the labyrinthine town centre on most nights of the year. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Peru,
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