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Puno, Peru - The Floating Reed Islands Of The Uros People

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Map location: Puno, Peru
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Peru travel blog by Mark Berman - April 2009 September 2011 January 2019   » View Photoset (70 Photos)

Mark Berman, South America backpacker for over 12yrs!
Puno is a pleasant port city in a beautiful setting and is the gateway to Lake Titicaca. The central city area between the 2 main plazas is the nicest part of the city to stay and has many shops, hotels, restaurants and tour agencies. Explore the streets around the center for lower prices and interesting surprises. Puno is much nicer than Juliaca being beside Lake Titicaca and the mountains and has some great attractions and things to do including the amazing floating reed islands. Puno is also known as the folklore capital of Peru for its famous annual festival of the Virgin Candelaria.

Getting To & From Puno

Higher in altitude (3800m) than Arequipa (2300m), this area can get quite cold at night. I have traveled through Puno three times now and stayed here twice. Twice coming from Arequipa by bus which takes 6hrs to get to Juliaca then another 40mins south from there. You may also come from or go to Cusco to/from Puno (10hrs). Yunguyo on the border of Bolivia takes 2hrs from Puno and is the way to get to Copacabana! Desaguadero, also on the border of Bolivia but slightly further south than Yunguyo is the quickest way to get to La Paz bypassing Copacabana.

Tours To The Floating Reed Islands

There are a few different tours available in Puno including visiting the floating reed islands of the Uros people, called Islas Flotantes. I believe you can stay a night on them with a local family. Some travelers say its a good experience while others say it is a bit fake and put on for the tourists. Personally I think the floating reed islands tour is fantastic. Just to see how they make the islands is interesting. But also there is so much more to experience while visiting them including being invited into a house, seeing their crafts, their food and their way of life. On the tour by boat from the port in Puno we stopped in at Suma Wiljta Island and were welcomed by a man and some of his 6 wives and family. The Uros people are very friendly and fun and of course they love it if you buy some of their beautiful crafts. You can check out the dragon boats and climb the watchtower for fantastic views of the islands and communities in the area, it's awesome! After the visit to Suma Wiljta Island, the man of the island and his friend took our group by dragon boat across to Uros Suma Kurmi Island for a lunch of fresh trout, potatoes, rice and salad. This is also a good chance to meet some of the children. My young son enjoyed playing on the swings with the local kids. It is s great experience indeed and I recommend a visit to the floating reed islands in Puno very highly!

Carlos Dreyer Municipal Museum

Puno has an interesting museum full of the objects collected by German Carlos Dreyer (b.1895), he also once lived in the building. Carlos Dreyer Municipal Museum (1977) has on display all kinds of things such as pre-Columbian ceramics and objects, a group of mummies, paintings, indigenous dolls, stone objects from the Pukara culture and Inca and pre-Inca ceramics of the Nazca, Chimu, Mochica and Tiahuanaco cultures. The museum also contains an art gallery, a colonial room, a religious room and the Dreyer room with his personal items and objects including photos, his wifes piano, antique coins, silverware, wood pipes and pistols. Carlso Dreyer museum is another great attraction in Puno and is located across the road from the cathedral.

Distances From Puno

Distances from Puno to other towns: Chucuito 18kms, Sillustani 30kms, Acora 35kms, Juliaca 44kms, Llave 56kms, Taraco 73kms, Juli 80kms, Pomata 130kms, Yunguyo 145kms, Conima 157kms, Zepita 161kms, Moho 165kms and Desaguadero 172kms.





     

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My Hostel & Hotel Reviews for Puno, Peru:

Hostal Ururi Stay, Puno, Peru - Large Photo
Hostal Ururi Stay, Puno, Peru (January 2019 - 1 night) - Hostal Ururi Stay is located right in the very central part of Puno between the 2 main plazas beside shops and restaurants. For $70 soles ($23USD) for a room with 2 beds for a small family with a private bathroom with breakfast included, it's not a bad deal. However, the room was quite small and both beds were single beds, how they thought 2 single beds would be ok for a mum, dad and young child I'm not sure. Why not a double bed? Breakfast is good though, fruit, cereal, bread, coffee etc. If they had a book to say that you have paid would also be good, instead of the girl having to phone the boss for confirmation. They can also book tours for you. Recommended for its location.
Hospedaje El Amanecer, Juliaca, Peru - Large Photo
Hospedaje El Amanecer, Juliaca, Peru (January 2019 - 1 night) - Juliaca, not exactly a tourist destination, but a convenient stopover for the night on the road between Arequipa and Puno. For the good price of $40 soles ($13USD) for a room with 2 beds, Hospedaje El Amanecer located a few kilometers from the bus terminal provides an adequate place to stay the night. Best thing is the private bathroom with a hot shower with water that is piping hot, that's good because it's cold in Juliaca at night. The hosts are friendly and there are a few restaurants outside to eat at.
Hostal Brisas, Puno, Peru - Large Photo
Hostal Brisas, Puno, Peru (September 2011 - 1 night) - Comfortable and well priced room in the center of Puno. The bathroom was shared. The room was a few floors up and I had views around the city. Recommended.
Hotel Santa Maria, Juliaca, Peru (Apr 2009 - 1 night) - They said they had hot water but didn't, the bed was so bad we left at 4am in the morning and got a ride by co-op taxi-van to Puno by 4:30am.

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Puno, Peru - The Floating Reed Islands Of The Uros People. Puno is a really nice part of Peru beside Lake Titicaca. The highlight is to visit the floating reed islands of the Uros people, it's amazing!