43 Best Sights in The Southern Andes and Lake Titicaca, Peru

This island has a small set of pre-Inca ruins that are a highlight of a visit here, along with the experience of the traditional life of its mainly agrarian society. Not as pretty as Taquile, Amantani is dusty and brown, though the island is renowned for its homestay programs that bring in boatloads of visitors each day, giving some, albeit touristic, insight into the life of the people here. Facilities and food are basic but cozy. Every tour operator in Puno runs overnight trips here, usually combined with a stop on the Uros Islands and Taquile. Most of the younger generations here speak Spanish and even a smidgen of English, but the older generation speaks only Aymara. Amantani has a population of about 4,500. Sacred fertility rituals are held in its two pre-Inca temples, one of which is dedicated to masculine energy and the other to the feminine. The island is 45 km (28 miles) from Puno and almost three hours away by boat from Taquile.

You can't miss the imposing twin bell towers of this 1612 cathedral, with a facade guarding the entire eastern flank of the Plaza de Armas. As the sun sets the imperial reflection gives the cathedral an amber hue. The interior has high-vaulted ceilings above a beautiful Belgian organ. The ornate wooden pulpit, carved by French artist Buisine-Rigot in 1879, was transported here in the early 1900s. In the back, look for the Virgin of the Sighs statue in her white wedding dress, and the figure of Beata Sor Ana de Los Ángeles, a nun from the Santa Catalina Monastery who was beatified by Pope John Paul II when he stayed in Arequipa in 1990. A fire in 1844 destroyed much of the cathedral, as did an 1868 earthquake, so parts have a neoclassical look. In 2001 another earthquake damaged one of the bell towers, which was repaired to match its sister tower.

Flying overhead, you can't miss the green, fertile trough as it cuts through the barren terrain, but it's all an illusion; only scrub brush and cactus cling to the canyon's sheer basalt sides and miles of ancient terraces. The canyon is named for the stone warehouses (colcas) used to store grain by an ancient culture that lived along the walls of the gorge.

Carved into the foothills of the snow-covered Andes and sliced by the silvery Río Colca, Colca Canyon is 3,182 meters (10,440 feet) deep. The more adventurous can embark on a hike into the canyon—typically a two-, three-, or five-day excursion. Bird lovers (and anyone with a penchant for amazement) can visit the Cruz del Condor, currently home to 38-odd animals. Culture seekers can spend a night with a native family. Light hikers and archaeology aficionados can observe points along the rim, and those seeking pure relaxation can hit one of the all-inclusive lodges that offer horseback riding and thermal baths.

Colca Canyon may be the region's most famous natural attraction, but at 3,354 meters (11,001 feet), Cotahuasi is the world's deepest gorge, beating Colca Canyon by 163 meters (534 feet). It's nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The canyon has been carved by the Río Cotahuasi, which becomes the Río Ocuña before connecting to the Pacific. Its deepest point is at Ninochaco, below the quaint administrative capital of Quechualla and accessible only by kayak. Kayak explorations first documented the area in the mid-1990s and measured its depth. Since then, paddling the Cotahuasi River's Class V rapids is to kayakers what scaling Mount Everest is to mountaineers.

The ride from Arequipa to the Cotahuasi Canyon ranks with the great scenic roads of the world. As you pass Corire and Toro Muerto, the road rides the western side of snowcapped Nevado Coropuno (6,424 meters, 21,076 feet), Peru's third-highest mountain, for spectacular views as you descend into the valley of Cotahuasi. Logistically speaking, it's a bumpy 11- to 13-hour bus ride or 10 hours by four-wheel drive from Arequipa. The pavement ends in Chuquibamba after about five hours of driving, and then resumes for the last hour of the drive, between the Mirador of Cotahuasi as you descend down to the canyon. There is no fee to enter.

Cruz del Condor is a haunt for the giant birds, particularly at dawn, when they soar on the thermal currents rising from the deep valley. At 1,200 meters (3,937 feet), the "condor cross" precipice, between the villages of Pinchollo and Cabanaconde, is the best place to spot them.

From June to August, you're likely to see close to 20 or more condors during a morning visit.

By October and November, many of the female birds are nesting, so your chances of eyeing flocks are slim, though you'll likely spot a few birds. It is possible to take a taxi or bus to the Cruz del Condor from Chivay, but if you take a tour from there, your guide will likely only speak Spanish. If you want a guided tour in English, you will need to set this up with a tour operator ahead of time in Arequipa or Cusco. If you overnight in Cabanaconde or Chivay, you can also visit the Mirador before the sun sets. It's when the condors return to their nests, and you'll have the place all to yourself.

Known as the floating islands, Islas los Uros are man-made islands woven together with totora reeds that grow in the lake shallows. Replenished often with layers because the underbelly reeds rot, these tiny islands resemble floating bails of hay and average 3 meters (10 feet) thick. They were originally created so communities could escape from attacks from stronger, more aggressive neighbors. Today they stay in one place. While some travelers marvel at these 40-plus islands, some call them floating souvenir stands. Yes, locals sell trinkets, but visiting the floating islands is a glimpse into one of the region's oldest cultures, the Uros. Now mixed with Aymara culture, it's a form of human habitation that evolved over centuries. The closest group of "floating museums" is 7 km (4.35 miles) from Puno.

The islanders make their living by fishing, hunting, cutting reeds, collecting eggs, trapping birds, and selling visitors well-made miniature reed boats and other handicrafts. Virtually every operator offers a stop to the more touristed of these islands as part of their standard lake tour but you can also find trips (or ask your tour operator specifically) to islands less visited where you can get a more intimate look at the culture.

A city unto itself, this 5-acre complex of mud-brick, Iberian-style buildings—a working convent and one of Peru's most famed cultural treasures—is surrounded by vibrant fortresslike walls and separated by neat, open plazas and colorful gardens. Founded in 1579 and closed to the public for the first 400 years, Santa Catalina was an exclusive retreat for the daughters of Arequipa's wealthiest colonial patrons. Now visitors can catch a peek at life in this historic monastery. Narrow streets run past the Courtyard of Silence, where teenage nuns lived during their first year, and the Cloister of Oranges, where nuns decorated their rooms with lace sheets, silk curtains, and antique furnishings. Though it once housed about 400 nuns, fewer than 30 call it home today. Admission includes a one-hour guided tour (tip S/15–S/20) in English. Afterward, head to the cafeteria for the nuns' famous torta de naranja (orange cake), pastries, and tea. There are night tours on Tuesday and Thursday, but check the times before you go, as they sometimes change.

Referred to as the Juanita Museum, this fascinating little museum at the Universidad Católica Santa Maria holds the frozen bodies of four young girls who were apparently sacrificed more than 500 years ago by the Inca to appease the gods. The "Juanita" mummy, said to be frozen around the age of 13, was the first mummy found in 1995 near the summit of Mt. Ampato by local climber Miguel Zárate and anthropologist Johan Reinhard. When neighboring Volcán Sabancaya erupted, the ice that held Juanita in her sacrificial tomb melted and she rolled partway down the mountain and into a crater. English-speaking guides will show you around the museum, and you can watch a video detailing the expedition.

East of Puno in the high-altitude sunshine, Taquile's brown, dusty landscape contrasts with green terraces, bright flowers, and the surrounding blue waters. Snowcapped Bolivian mountains loom in the distance.

Taquile folk, both men and women, are known for weaving some of Peru's loveliest textiles, a UNESCO Intangible Heritage. Islanders still wear traditional dress and have successfully maintained the cooperative lifestyle of their ancestors. The most important piece in Taquile's obligatory knitted "uniform" is the chullo. This large, floppy hat is worn high on the head and indicates a man's social status: if it's red-and-white, he is single; if it's red/pink, he's married. Here, weaving is also often the basis of social relations. For example, if a man wants to marry, he most show that he can make his own chullo.

Taquile's steep hill has long, curvy trails leading to the main square, where islanders often perform local dances for tourists. There are many ways to reach the top of Taquile, where there are Inca and Tiahuanaco ruins. The most popular way is to climb the 533 stone steps, though if you want to avoid an arduous walk, some tours will take you to the other side, thus avoiding the steps. The island is 35 km (22 miles) from Puno, and the trip takes about four hours in a slow boat and two hours on a speedboat each way with no transportation on land once you arrive. There are a few shops and small restaurants, as well as an excellent textile store. Overnight stays are primarily based in local homes, and most tours include lunch with a local family. Note that the annual Taquile festival the third week of July is a great time to visit.

In the Winaymarka section of Lake Titicaca, near the Bolivian border, are the Aymara-language islands of Anapia and Yuspique. This off-the-beaten-path two-day trip can be done with a tour operator or on your own but due to logistics, using an operator is probably best. There are 280 families living on the islands, very few of whom speak English or even Spanish.

The trip usually begins in Puno, where you board a bus for two hours to the village of Yunguyo near Punta Hermosa, where you catch a 1½-hour sailboat ride to the flat but fertile Anapia. On arrival hosts will meet visitors and guide them back to their family's home for an overnight stay. The day is then spent farming, tending to the animals, or playing with the children, and also includes a hiking trip to nearby Yuspique Island, where the women cook lunch on the beach. Typically, fresh fish is served with huatia (potatoes cooked in a natural clay oven and buried in hot soil with lots of herbs). Yuspique is not very populated, but is home to more than 100 wild vincuñas.

After returning to Anapia you'll follow an evening's activities of traditional family life, such as music or dance. All Ways Travel runs tours, with the proceeds going to the families. You can do this trip on your own for about S/300 by following the itinerary and taking a water colectivo from Punta Hermosa to Anapia. Public transportation to the islands only runs on Thursday and Sunday.

One of the oldest architectural landmarks from the Arequipa baroque period was named for the ancient mora (mulberry) tree growing in the center of the main patio. One of the town's most unusual buildings, it now houses the Banco Sur, but it's open to the public. Over the front door, carved into a white sillar portal, is the Spanish coat of arms as well as a baroque-Mestizo design that combines puma heads with snakes darting from their mouths—motifs found on Nazca textiles and pottery. The interior of the house is like a small museum, with alpaca rugs, soaring ceilings, polished period furniture, and a gallery of colonial-period Escuela Cusqueña (Cusco School) paintings. Originally a lovely old colonial home, it was bought in the 1940s by the British consul and fully restored in the early 1990s.

This attractive Spanish-colonial home was built in 1888. Ask the guard for a tour, and you'll enter through a pretty courtyard and an ornate set of wooden doors to view rooms furnished with period antiques and Cusco School paintings.

This small museum and art gallery, sometimes called Casa Ricketts, was built in 1738 and is now the Banco Continental. Look for the elaborate puma heads spouting water. Inside you'll find colonial paintings, ornate Peruvian costumes, and furniture.

Unlike the other mansions, Casona Iriberry has religious overtones. Small scriptures are etched into its structure, exemplifying Arequipa's catholic roots. The back of the house is now the Centro Cultural Cháves la Rosa, which houses some of the city's most important contemporary arts venues, including photography exhibits, concerts, and films. The front of the compound is filled with colonial-period furniture and paintings.

Below the village of Cotahuasi is the valley of Piro, the gateway to the canyon, which is close to this 150-meter-high (492-foot), three-tiered, 10-meter-wide (33-foot) waterfall. Sipia Falls is the most-visited attraction in the entire canyon.

Etchings of flowers, fruits, and mermaids playing an Andean guitar called the charango grace the entrance of this 17th-century, Spanish baroque church. Sculpted by Peruvian architect Simon de Asto, the stone facade is one of the most eclectic of any church in the area. Decorations in the comparatively plain interior mainly consist of a silver-plated altar and paintings from the Cusco School.

A statue honoring Manco Cápac, the first governor and founder of the Inca Empire, sits on this hill overlooking Puno. Legend has it that there are caves and subterranean paths in the monument, which connect Puno with the Koricancha Temple in Cusco. It's technically a 10-minute walk from town, four blocks southwest of Plaza de Armas, but it's all uphill and a bit off the beaten path. A few robberies have been reported, so stick with a group or take a taxi.

An intricately carved wooden balcony marks the home where Viceroy Conde de Lemos stayed when he arrived in Puno to counter rebellion around 1668. Behind the cathedral, it is today home to the National Culture Institute of the Department of Puno.

One of Peru's most extensive and valuable libraries is in this 1648 Franciscan monastery. With several cloisters and museums, it's a wonderful place to research regional history and culture. Start in the massive, wood-paneled, wood-floored library, where monks in brown robes quietly browse 20,000 ancient books and maps, the most valuable of which were printed before 1500 and are kept in glass cases. Pre-Columbian artifacts and objects collected by missionaries to the Amazon are on display, as is a selection of elegant colonial and religious artwork. Guides are available (remember to tip). To reach the monastery, cross the Río Chili by Puente Grau. It's a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas, but it's best to take a taxi.

The restored Victorian iron ship was built in Birmingham, England, in 1861. It was subcontracted by the Peruvian Navy to patrol the waters of Titicaca, so it was dismantled and its 2,766 pieces and two crankshafts were loaded onto a freighter and shipped to the Pacific coast port of Arica, which was then in Peru but which today belongs to Chile. Mules and porters carried the pieces 467 km (290 miles) through the Andes Mountains to Puno. The journey took six years, and it was Christmas Day 1870 before it was reassembled and launched on Lake Titicaca. Now a museum, it's docked at the end of a pier by the Sonesta Posada del Inca Hotel. After remaining idle for 40 years, the vessel took a trial run in 1999 after volunteers rebuilt its engine.

Representative of 17th-century religious architecture, this complex was built by the Jesuits in 1573, and its bone-white buildings incorporate many decorative styles and touches—the detail carved into the sillar arcades is spectacular. The side portal, built in 1654, and main facade, built in 1698, show examples of Andean Mestizo style, with carved flowers, spirals, birds—and angels with Indian faces—along gently curving archways and spiral pillars. Inside, Capilla St. Ignatius (St. Ignatius Chapel) has a polychrome cupola and 66 canvases from the Cusco School, including original 17th-century oil paintings by Bernardo Bitti. Hike up to the steeple at sunset for sweeping views of Arequipa. The former monastery houses some of the most upscale stores in the city and contains two cloisters, which can be entered from General Morán or Palacio Viejo. The main building is on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas.

This 16th-century church has survived numerous natural disasters, including several earthquakes that cracked its cupola. Inside, near the polished silver altar, is the little chapel of the Sorrowful Virgin, where the all-important Virgin Mary statue is stored.

On December 8, during Arequipa's Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin is paraded around the city all night atop an ornate carriage and surrounded by images of saints and angels. A throng of pilgrims carry flowers and candles.

Visit the adjoining convent (S/10) to see Arequipa's largest painting and a museum of 17th-century religious furniture and paintings.

This 18th-century church has been entrusted with the care of the Virgin of Candlemas, the focus of Puno's most important yearly celebration in February, the Festival de la Virgen de la Candelaria. The statue rests on the main altar. Worth passing by at night to see the neon exterior lighting.

With hints of the Islamic style in its elegant brick arches and stone domes, this cathedral carries an aura of elegance. Step inside to view simple furnishings and sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows as small silver candles flicker along the back wall near the altar. A working Dominican monastery is in back.

Reconstructed more than five times, this 17th-century colonial building, once a chaplaincy, now houses a fair-trade café, a library, and a few upscale handicraft stores. It was originally home to Silvestre de Valdés, a Catholic priest who served as a corregidor (a Spanish official who acts as governor, judge, and tax collector) and who oversaw construction of the nearby cathedral. The house had a long history of changing owners until its present owner, Ana Maria Piño Jordán, bought it at public auction.

First owned by the founder of Arequipa, Don Garcí Manuel de Carbajal, La Mansión del Fundador, about 6.5 km (4 miles) outside Arequipa—about a 20-minute journey—is a restored colonial home and church. Alongside the Río Sabandía, the sillar-made home perches over a cliff and is said to have been built for Carbajal's son. It became a Jesuit retreat in the 16th century and in the 1800s was remodeled by Juan Crisostomo de Goyeneche y Aguerrevere. While intimate, the chapel is small and simple, but the home is noted for its vaulted arch ceilings and spacious patio. There's also a cafeteria with a bar on-site. To reach the home, go past Tingo along Avenida Huasacache.

One of the peninsulas that form the bay of Puno, Llachon juts out on the lake near Amantani and Taquile. The land is dry and barren with rows of pre-Inca terraces, and original ancient paths and trails, which are great for exploring. Locals are more than willing to guide visitors on a light trek to Cerro Auki Carus. Here a circular temple remains the sacred place for villagers to honor the Pachamama (Mother Earth). As the highest point on the peninsula, Cerro Auki Carus serves as an excellent viewpoint to admire the splendor of Lake Titicaca. You can venture out yourself from the port in Puno via water colectivo and then arrange a homestay once in Llachon, or for slightly more money, you can have a tour operator arrange the accommodations for you. By land back from Puno it's about two to three hours. Llachon is also a great place to kayak. Cusco-based Explorandes as well as Edgar Adventures offer kayak excursions around here.