Lampa

V!VA User‘s Description

Due to its remote location beyond the shores of Lake Titicaca and busy streets of Puno, Lampa has managed to maintain a quiet grace and colonial charm. Characterized by clean, open streets and 17^th century casonas tinted ochre, maroon, and salmon (hence its nickname La Ciudad Rosada), Lampa is conducive to quiet mornings and languid afternoon strolls. Indeed, time seems to have bypassed this quaint colonial town, preferring instead to inhabit the rushing tourist-trodden cities of Puno and Juliaca.

Don't let Lampa's tranquil atmosphere fool you, however, as it has plenty to offer travelers in search of things to see and do.  You can, for example, make your way to Iglesia Santiago Apóstol, the massive colonial church gracing Lampa's main square. Construction on the Latin-cross shaped church began in 1675 using a combination of lime mortar with river stones. In the 1950s Enrigue Torres Belón, a mining engineer began restoration of the church. Belón even made the trip to the Vatican to obtain a rare copy of Michelangelo’s Pietá. The interior of the church is adorned with huge colonial paintings, and an exquisite pulpit whose awe-inspiring grace echoes the one in San Blás in Cusco.

In another section of the church is the Torres Belón mausoleum, in which the remains of Torres Belón and his wife are located. This eerie crypt is decorated with the bones of hundreds of priests, hacienda owners, and Spanish miners, which were removed from their original resting place beneath the church when Belón ordered the church’s catacombs to be cement shut. A number of ancient Inca tunnels left over from an earlier temple wind their way beneath the church.

A number of colonial homes in town are worth the visit, if you're keen to stretch the legs. During the independence wars Simón Bolivar addressed the town from the beautiful Casona Chukiwanka located in Plaza Guru. Some of the houses even have old colonial games, in the form of white and black stones laid out in courtyards to form huge game boards.

The dirt roads stretching beyond Lampa towards Cusco make for an excellent bike ride or drive. On the way you can stop at the forest of queña, the Colla chullpas, well preserved remains of two colonial mines, a forest of puya raimondi, or the intriguing geological formations at Tinajani Canyon. If you take the other road leading westward from Lampa you’ll come across a cave dawning animal carvings and burial towers similar to those at Sillustani.

If you can, plan to visit between July 29-31 when the town comes alive with colonial-style bullfights and traditional dances for the Fiesta de Santiago Apóstol. Another good time to visit is from December 6-8 when you can watch the religious processions of La Virgin de la Immaculada.