Juli Overview

V!VA User‘s Description

The 84 kilometer stretch of road winding southwards from Puno to Juli is dotted with small towns set back from Lake Titicaca. The unfolding scenery includes towns like Platería, once known for its silver works, Acora, and Llave, a commercial crossroads clearly lacking in the colonial architecture found in so many other small towns in the region. Shortly after Llave, the road winds its way back towards the lake where it meets up with Juli. At one time, this little town was a resting point for silver caravans traveling between the coast and the Potosí mine. The Jesuits and Dominicans also once used Juli as a place to train missionaries. Today, the town's attractions include four churches dating from the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

Located on the main plaza, San Pedro Mártir presents a fascinating Renaissance façade, which opens towards an intricate Baroque altar and paintings by the Italian master Bernardo Bitti. A short jaunt from San Pedro Mártir is San Juan Bautista. In addition to a magnificently carved altar and sacristy door, and walls adorned with 80 paintings from the Cusqueña School, the church has gorgeous windows composed of a unique translucent stone known as Piedra de Huamanga.

Santa Cruz de Jerusalén presents an enchanting mix of sacred wonder and natural beauty, with magnificent doors and spectacular views of Lake Titicaca. The skeletal remains of Nuestra Señora de la Ausunción have an undeniably sepulchral atmosphere, accented by a large door and intact tower rising above the crumbling remains. In July, the church ruins spring to life with a colorful fair held every Thursday.