Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [150]
Hotel Sakura (32-2072; San Román 133; s/d/tr S45/70/75, s/d with cable TV US$10.50/12) Just northwest of the plaza, this guesthouse has positive vibrations, and rooms have private bathrooms with hot showers.
La Maison Hotel (32-1444; www.lamaisonhotel.com; 7 de Junio 535; s/d/tr/q with breakfast S60/93/127/147) La Maison has notably comfortable, if low-class, rooms with cable TV and plastic chairs.
Royal Inn Hotel (32-1561; www.royalinnhoteles.com; San Román 158; s/d/tr S90/120/140) An excellent choice for the price, the towering Royal Inn boasts newly revamped modern rooms with hot showers, heating and cable TV, plus one of Juliaca’s best restaurants.
Eating & Drinking
Restaurant Trujillo (San Román 163, mains from S20) and the restaurant at the Royal Inn Hotel (32-1561; San Román 158; mains from S18) over the road are the best in town. El Oscar Discoteca (7 de Junio s/n) has the most foreigner-friendly nightlife on offer in Juliaca, with desultory dancing and enthusiastic drinking to a soundtrack of salsa and crunching broken glass underfoot.
Getting There & Away
AIR
The airport (32-8974) is 2km west of town. LAN (32-2228; San Román 125; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat) has daily flights to/from Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco.
BUS & TAXI
A terminal terrestre (bus terminal) has been under construction for years, but long-distance bus companies continue to depart from cuadra (block) 12 of San Martín, 2km east of town. Buses leave for Cuzco (S20 to S25, five hours) every hour from 5am to 11pm, and for Arequipa (S13 to S30, four hours), every hour from 2:30am to 11:30pm.
Julsa (32-6602) has the most frequent departures to Arequipa; Power (32-1952) has the most frequent to Cuzco. Civa (32-6229), Ormeño (32-3101) and San Cristobal run to Lima (S50 to S110, 20 hours). Ormeño has the best buses and the highest prices.
Sur Oriente (32-5947) has a daily bus to Tacna at 7pm (S30, 11 hours). More centrally located, San Martín (32-7501) and other companies along Tumbes between Moquegua and Piérola go to Tacna (S25, seven hours) via Moquegua.
Combis to Puno (S10, 50 minutes) leave from Plaza Bolognesi when full. Combis for Lampa (S2, 30 minutes) leave from Jirón Huáscar when full. Combis to Huancané (S2, 50 minutes) leave every 15 minutes from Ballón and Sucre, about four blocks east of Apurímac and 1½ blocks north of Lambayeque. Combis to Capachica (S3, 1½ hours) leave from Mercado Cerro Colorado in Jirón Cahuide. Combis to Escallani (S2.50, 1½ hours), via an incredibly scenic, unpaved back road, leave from the corner of Cahuide and Gonzáles Prada. All of these terminals are a S2 mototaxi (three-wheeled motorcycle rickshaw taxi) ride from the center of town.
Getting Around
Mototaxi is the best option for getting around. A ride to local destinations including bus terminals will cost about S2; getting to the airport costs around S8. Bus line 1B cruises around town and down Calle 2 de Mayo before heading to the airport (S0.50). Colectivos (shared taxis/minibuses) heading directly to Puno meet each plane, charging around S10 per passenger and taking less than an hour for the trip.
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AROUND JULIACA
Lampa
051 / pop 1655 / elev 3860
This charming little town, 36km northwest of Juliaca, is known as La Ciudad Rosada (the Pink City) for its dusty, pink-colored buildings. A significant commercial center in colonial days, it still shows a strong Spanish influence. It’s an excellent place to kill a few hours before flying out of Juliaca, or to spend a quiet night.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
The beautifully constructed church of Iglesia de Santiago Apostol is well worth seeing. It contains, among other things, a life-sized sculpture of the Last Supper; a model of Santiago (St James) atop a real stuffed horse, returning