The Puno Terminal is next to the lake and about a 20-minute walk to the city center or a 5-minute taxi ride. Since it was early around 8 AM and we were tired, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel in the city center for 4 PEN1. When we reached the hotel, we were told our room wasn’t ready yet, so we left our bags there and went for a walk. There are several restaurants and cafes around the Plaza de Armas and Pino Park. We grabbed some breakfast there and then walked to the terminal to buy tickets for our next destination – Copacabana. Next, we walked up to the pier but all the stalls here were still closed so we walked back to the city center. On the way back we came across a street market selling foods and all kinds of merchandise. There’s also a small shopping mall with a cinema near Pino Park. For tours, the Plaza de Armas and Pino Park have several agencies in the area. We opted to do an afternoon tour of Sillustani (33 PEN) later that day and then a full-day tour of Uros and Taquile Islands (55 PEN) in Titicaca the following day.
Sillustani
The tour bus left at 2 PM near the tour agency’s office around the Plaza de Armas. We stopped at a viewpoint about 15 minutes into the journey. It’s a great viewpoint where you get a panoramic view of Puno and Lake Titicaca. It was a quick 10-minute stop here before continuing to Sillustani for another 30 minutes. Once at the site, the park officials check the tickets which the guide takes care of. From the parking lot to the site entrance, there are several arts and craft stalls set up by the locals. The guide told us not to stop there yet and we’ll have time at the end of the tour to browse through the stalls. It’s a short 5-minute walk to the site, but Sillustani is at over 3800 meters above sea level, so it can be tiring if you’re not used to the altitude.
Once at the site, the guide takes you around giving information on the ruins. There are several circular towers believed to have been tombs for the elite of the pre-Incan Qulla people. The height of the towers varies as well as how they have been built. After the Inca conquered the region, they continued building these towers so you can witness the mastery of their precisely fitted stonework in contrast to the older smaller towers. The site is quite open without many restrictions for you to roam around after the guide finishes his talk. With the site being on a peninsula in Lake Umayo, you can get some great views of the lake. Before the sun starts to set, we start making our way back to the bus at around 4.30 PM. On the way back we had time to check out the merchandise at the stalls. It was then about a 45-minute drive back Puno where everyone was dropped off near the Plaza de Armas.
