Juliaca Travel Guide

Getting There

By Plane -- Puno does not have an airport; the nearest is Aeropuerto Manco Capac (tel. 051/322-905) in Juliaca, 45km (28 miles) north of Puno. LanPeru (tel. 01/213-8300; www.lanperu.com) and TANS (tel. 01/213-6000; www.tansperu.com.pe) fly daily from Lima and Arequipa to Juliaca; flights range from $79 to $110, one-way. LanPeru flies from Cusco to Juliaca for similar fares. Tourist buses run from the Juliaca airport to Puno (a 1-hr. trip), depositing travelers on Jr. Tacna (S/10, or $2.85).

In Juliaca, Hit the Ground Running -- Juliaca, site of the regional airport, is perhaps the most disgraced city in all of Peru. If you are flying into Juliaca on your way to Puno, don't linger. The town is a chaotic and ugly mess of half-finished houses, potholed dirt roads, and trash-strewn streets clogged with sales carts and ciclotaxis. If that weren't enough, Juliaca is also reputed to be downright dangerous. The only reason it was awarded an airport is that Puno is boxed in by mountains and local politicians had a stranglehold on Lima's purse strings.

By Bus -- Puno has a modern, safe bus station, Terminal Terrestre, Jr. (tel. 051/364-733), Primero de Mayo 703, Barrio Magistral. Road service to Puno from Cusco has been greatly improved in recent years, and many more tourists now travel by bus, which is faster and cheaper than the train. The terrific views during the day are pretty much the same. Most buses drop passengers at Melgar, a few short blocks from downtown.

From Cusco, executive-, imperial-, or royal-class buses make the trip in less than 7 hours (though some services, such as Inka Express, make stop-offs at Inca ruins en route, extending the trip a couple of hours, highly recommended if you have the extra time) and range in cost from S/52.50-S/87.50 ($15-$25). Imexso (tel. 084/240-801), Inka Express (tel. 051/365-654), and Cruz del Sur (tel. 051/622-626) operate buses with videos and English-speaking tour guides. Ormeño (tel. 084/227-501) has daily direct departures between Cusco and Puno (6 hr.). Regular buses are as cheap as S/12 ($3.40), but they are uncomfortable, have no restrooms or videos, and are potentially dangerous.

The trip between Puno and Arequipa by bus is no longer tortuous; the long-awaited highway between the cities, completed in 2002, has dramatically shortened travel time from 12 hours to just 5. Cruz del Sur (tel. 051/622-626) and Ormeño (tel. 051/352-321) make the trip for around $10.

By Train -- The Titicaca Route journey from Cusco to Puno, along tracks at an altitude of 3,500m (11,500 ft.), is one of the most scenic in Peru. Though it is slower (10 hr. and prone to late arrivals) and has experienced its share of onboard thievery, it is a favorite of travelers in Peru and preferable to the bus if you've got the time and money. Keep a careful eye on your bags and, if possible, lock backpacks to the luggage rack; keep valuables close to your person. Trains from Cusco to Puno depart from Estación Huanchaq (tel. 084/238-722), at the end of Avenida Sol. Service to Puno is Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday year-round, departing at 8am and arriving at 6pm. Andean Explorer (first class) costs $119 one-way in swank coaches and includes lunch in luxurious dining cars; tourist (backpacker) class, which is comfortable enough but offers no food or drink, costs $16.66. Only Andean Explorer tickets can be pre-reserved. The Puno train station (tel. 051/351-041) is located at Av. La Torre 224.

Train service from Arequipa to Puno is available by charter only; see www.perurail.com for details.

Visitor Information

An iPerú tourist information office is located at the pedestrian-only main drag of Puno, Jr. Lima 549 (tel. 051/365-088, at Jr. Deustua, just off the Plaza de Armas). There you can pick up a map and get a couple of hints on sights in town. However, you're better off going to one of the travel agencies that organizes Lake Titicaca-area trips, such as All Ways Travel or Edgar Adventures, for information on Puno's most important attractions, all of which lie beyond the city.

Fast Facts -- You'll find banks and ATMs located along Jr. Lima (aka Pasaje Lima), as well as at Hotel Casa Andina, Jr. Independencia 185. Banks include Banco Continental, at Jr. Lima 400, and Banco de Crédito, on the corner of Jr. Lima and Jr. Grau. Money-changers can generally be found along Jr. Tacna, where most bus stations are located, and at the market near the railway and Avenida de los Incas.

For those crossing into Bolivia, the Bolivian Consulate is located at Jr. Arequipa 120 (tel. 051/351-251). North Americans, Europeans, New Zealanders, and Australians do not need a visa to enter Bolivia, but the border is a historically problematic one (it was closed for more than a month in 2001 and again in 2005 during the widespread strikes that paralyzed parts of Bolivia), so you might need to check on the status of the crossing before traveling to Bolivia.

In a medical emergency, go to Clínica Puno, Jr. Ramón Castilla 178-180 (tel. 051/368-835), or Hospital Nacional, Av. El Sol 1022 (tel. 051/369-696). The tourist police are located at Jr. Deustua 538 (tel. 051/352-720).

Pretty fast Internet connections are available at Qoll@internet, Jr. Oquendo 340 (Parque Pino), where you can make inexpensive international calls. It's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to midnight and Sunday from 3 to 9pm; rates are S/1.5 (40¢) per hour. A nice, quiet spot for surfing the Internet is behind the café at La Casa del Corregidor, Deustua 576 (tel. 051/351-921). Other Internet cabinas are located along Pasaje Lima. Puno's main Serpost post office (tel. 051/351-141) is located at Moquegua 269; it's open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm. The Telefónica del Perú office is on the corner of Moquegua and Arequipa.

Take It Easy -- Puno's elevation of 3,830m (12,566 ft.) is even higher than Cusco, and unless you've already spent time in the Andes, you'll almost certainly need to rest for at least a day to acclimatize.

Getting Around

Few visitors spend more than a day or two in Puno (unless lingering at a festival), and the little getting around that needs to be done in town is either on foot or by taxi to your hotel. The small downtown area is pretty easily managed on foot, although several of Puno's nicest hotels lie several kilometers away, on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The port is only about 10 blocks east from the Plaza de Armas in the center of town. The main pedestrian thoroughfare, Jirón Lima, connects the Plaza de Armas to Parque Pino.

Visits to Lake Titicaca and its islands, as well as the ruins on the outskirts of town, are most conveniently done by organized tour.

By Taxi -- Taxis are inexpensive and plentiful, easily hailed on the street, and best used at night and to get back and forth from the hotels on the banks of Lake Titicaca. Most trips in town cost no more than S/3 (85¢). Taxis can also be hired for round trips to nearby ruins or for half- or full days. Call Taxi Milenium (tel. 051/363-134) or Taxi Tour Puno (tel. 051/369-900). Rossy Tours (tel. 051/366-709) runs inexpensive combi taxis to the airport in Juliaca (picking passengers up at their hotels) for just S/10 ($2.85) per person.

By Foot -- Puno is small enough to get around almost entirely on foot, unless you're staying at one of the upscale hotels on the shores of Lake Titicaca several kilometers from the center of town.

By Boat -- You can independently hire boats at Puno harbor to take you out on Lake Titicaca, but it's simpler to sign up for economical organized tours to the islands.