Around 1,000 B.C.
the Qaluyu culture was prominent in Puno. They were related to the
Marcavalle culture in Cusco. During this time they constructed great
buildings shaped as elongated pyramids that became characteristic of Pucará.
Around 200 to 300 A.D., Tiahuanaco started to develop, thus coinciding with
the decline of Pucara. From this point on, Puno began to depend on that
culture whose center was to the southeast of Lake Titicaca.
As the Tiahuanaco culture began to breakdown between the 12th to 13th
centuries, several independent kingdoms were formed. The Collas were
centered in Hatuncolla and Sillustani. The Lupaca, centered in Juli and
Chuchuito, had such notable settlements as Cochacacha and the Pacajes.
The Chullpas of Sillustani and the temples of Pucará are important
historical sites. The majority of the Chullpas belong to the Inca Period.
The Inca conquest began in the 15th century. According to the legend, Lake
Titicaca was the cradle of Incan civilization. At the time of the conquest,
the Spaniards (among them Francisco Pizarro) settled down in Cusco. In 1825
during the Republic, Simón Bolívar visited Puno and was received with the
historical euology of Choquehuanca "As years go by, grows our glory as
shadows grow when the sun sets".
Tourism
The main tourist attraction of Puno is Lake Titicaca. This is the
world's highest navigable lake. It is 193 KM long and 64 KM wide, with a
maximum depth of 300 meters. The amazing landscapes and impressive snow-capped
mountains of the Cordillera Real are not to be missed. It is said that the
Uros (group of people that live on reed islands near in the middle of Lake
Titicaca) are descendants of the oldest race in the world.
In Puno, don't miss great monuments like: the Cathedral, the Conde de
Lemos's Balcony, the Arch Deustua, the Municipal Paintings Room, the Dryer
Museum and the Popular Art Museum. Just 30 KM away from the capital are the
Chullpas of Sillustani, which are tombs of the Hatuncollas' leaders (great
men), and many other vestiges of ancient cultures that inhabited the region.
The Department of Puno has always done its best to remain loyal to Peru,
while keeping peace with Bolivia in order to rationally and fairly use the
resources of Lake Titicaca.
Tours in Puno:
THE BEST OF PUNO 3 DAYS / 2
NIGTHS
F/D TAQUILE ISLAND
F/D AMANTANI ISLAND
F/D SUN ISLAND
F/D PUNO / LA PAZ BY HYDROFOIL
F/D PUNO / LA PAZ BY CATAMARAN