In February, the Virgen de la Candelaria festival in Puno brings together religious, festive, and cultural events. It takes place every year in this month; its roots lie in Catholic traditions and symbolic elements of the Andean worldview. The festival includes a procession through the city streets, accompanied by traditional dances and music. This way, you encounter the tradition both as a religious occasion and through dance and music in the streets. The city of Puno lies in southern Peru on Lake Titicaca; its sights and markets offer further perspectives on the place alongside this cultural experience.

Religious buildings and their connections

Puno Cathedral is a religious architectural landmark from the 18th century and holds the rank of a basilica. It stands opposite the Plaza de Armas in the historic center. Its stonework is attributed to the Peruvian master builder Simón de Asto. When you look at the cathedral, its construction date, status, and attributed stonework offer three different ways to appreciate its architecture.

The Templo de San Juan Bautista also offers a distinct religious point of reference: it is the shrine of the Virgen de la Candelaria, the city's patron saint, and is located in Parque Pino. Here, you encounter the same name as in the festival in a second context—as patron saint and shrine. The temple anchors the Virgen's religious significance to a named place in the cityscape, while the festival takes place annually in February.

Places in the cityscape

Specific location details help you find your way around the city. The Balcón de Conde de Lemos is at the corner of Deustua and Conde de Lemos streets. The Arco Deustua is a traditional place for a stroll north of the city, three blocks from Parque Pino. The directions differ: at the Balcón, the intersection is the key landmark; at the Arco, it is the distance from Parque Pino.

The Mirador Kuntur Wasi offers panoramic views of the city of Puno. This changes the scale of your perspective: instead of a single building, you take in the city as a whole. The city's markets sell textiles and handicrafts made from alpaca wool. These offer two different ways to discover the city: from the viewpoint, you take in Puno as a whole, while the markets showcase specific textile and handicraft products. If you are particularly interested in design and materials, the markets offer a different experience from the religious buildings.

A trip to the Uros Islands

Another travel option takes you from the city to the Uros Islands: you take a boat from Puno's port, and the boat can be booked in the city. As operating arrangements may change, check the terms of the trip before making plans. If you want to include both the festival and the Uros Islands in your trip, plan for February for the festival and check the current boat trip arrangements separately.

Discover more destinations: Copacabana, Puno, Desaguadero.

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