Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [166]
There are a couple of very basic places to eat near the plaza. Both Taypikalas have upscale restaurants with touristy menus.
Luquina Chico
This tiny community, 53km east of Puno on the Chucuito peninsula, is stunningly scenic, rurally relaxing and offers the best standard of homestay accommodation of any community around the lake. It boasts a hearteningly united community, which is making economic strides thanks to tourism.
Sweeping views of Puno, Juliaca and all the islands of the lake can be enjoyed from the headland’s heights or the fertile flats by the lake. In the wet season, the lagoon that forms here is a haven for migrating wetland birds.
Chullpitas (miniature burial towers) are scattered all around this part of the peninsula. They are said to house the bodies of gentiles, little people who lived here in ancient times, before the sun was born and sent them underground.
By the time you read this you may be able to hire kayaks in Luquina Chico.
To get here, catch a combi labeled ‘Luquina Chico’ from Puno, or take the ferry to or from Taquile and ask the driver to drop you off. Edgar Adventures (Click here) can also get you here on a mountain bike, a somewhat grueling but extremely scenic three-hour ride along the peninsula.
Juli
051 / pop 8000
Past Chucuito, the road curves southeast away from the lake and through the commercial center of Ilave, best known for its livestock market and a lively sense of community justice, the most famous manifestation of which was the lynching of the town mayor in 2004. Ilave is best avoided in times of civil strife. Sleepy, friendly Juli is a more tourist-friendly stop. It’s called Peru’s pequeña Roma (little Rome) on account of its four colonial churches from the 16th and 17th centuries, which are slowly being restored. Churches are most likely to be open on Sundays, though opening hours here should not be taken as gospel. It’s worth hammering on the door if churches seem closed.
Dating from 1570, the adobe baroque church of San Juan de Letrán (admission S4; 10am-3pm Tue-Sun) contains richly framed escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco School) paintings that depict the lives of saints. The imposing 1557 church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (admission S4; 8am-4:30pm Tue-Sun) has an expansive courtyard approach that may awaken urges to oratory. Its interior is airy, and the pulpit is covered in gold leaf. The church of Santa Cruz has lost half its roof and remains closed for the foreseeable future. The 1560 stone church of San Pedro, on the main plaza, is in the best condition, with carved ceilings and a marble baptismal font. Mass is celebrated here every Sunday at 8am.
Sunday also the day of Juli’s market, the region’s largest. Wednesday is a secondary market day.
Micros drop you off near the market, 10 minutes’ walk downhill from the center, but leave from Jirón Lima, two blocks up from the plaza. Internet cafes and basic guesthouses can be found around here.
Pomata
051 / pop 1800
Beyond Juli, the road continues southeast to Pomata, 105km from Puno. As you arrive, you’ll see a Dominican church – totally out of proportion with the town it dominates, in terms of both size and splendor – dramatically located on top of a small hill. Founded in 1700, it is known for its windows made of translucent alabaster and its intricately carved baroque sandstone facade. Look for the puma carvings – the town’s name means ‘place of the puma’ in Aymara.
Just out of Pomata, the road forks. The main road continues southeast through Zepita to the unsavory border town of Desaguadero (Click here). The left fork hugs the shore of Lake Titicaca and leads to another, more pleasant border crossing at Yunguyo (Click here). If you’re going this way, consider stopping off