Puno (3827m/12,464ft above sea level) is the center of Peruvian folklore and hosts some of the best festivals in Peru, Virgen de la Candelaria (February 2) and Puno Day (November 5) to name but two. Spaniards were lured to the region by the vast mineral wealth and the area is dotted with both colonial churches and pre-Columbian ruins, such as the Chullpas de Sillustani, a complex of tombs in the form of towers built on the banks of Lake Titicaca by the Tiahuanaco people. Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is the home of the Uros people who have for centuries built their homes and boats out on the lake using Totora reeds. Extending over a total surface area of 8379 sq km (3235 sq miles), Lake Titicaca is 180km (112 miles) long and 69km (43 miles) across, at its widest point. Around the lake can be found pre-AD 1000 remains from the Pucara and Tiahuanaco cultures. An unforgettable site is the Yavari Project, the oldest steamship on Lake Titicaca. The lake forms a natural border between Peru and Bolivia and in this part of Peru the native people are predominantly Aymara and not Quechua speakers.

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