South America
Peru

Altiplano

The Peruvian Altiplano is the region of that includes the department of . This is the area of the Andes above about 3500 m. The altiplano stretches into neighbouring , and also and .
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Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Puno and Juliaca.

Photo: Antoniogargate, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a port city at an altitude of over 3,800 meters, on the shores of on the Altiplano of - though because it's located within an enclosed bay, you won't see the full scale of the lake here unless visiting the outlying islands of Taquile and Amantaní.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a city of 276,000 people in the Altiplano. is a large trade center for goods and services, and is considered the financial capital of the Puno region.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is a small city in Altiplano, . It is known for being the highest permanent city of the world at a height of 5,100 m. has about 50,000 inhabitants, an increase of over 200% since 2000.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Isla Taquile and Sillustani.

Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0.
is an island in the side of . It is also called "island of the knitting men" because that's what men do - knit! This has a very long tradition and is deeply embedded in the culture: If a man wants to marry a woman, he first has to prove that he can work hard by knitting a hat out of which he can drink.

Photo: Imehling, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a tiny settlement some 40 km from , in the Altiplano. A tour to will give you a better view into the life of pre-Inca civilizations, and exploring the area, you can marvel with the great beauty of the Umayo Lagoon, which is located at the foot of .

Photo: Epb22, Public domain.
The are floating islands made of reeds, situated along a river-like channel through the marshy fringes of , near on the Altiplano. They are known equally as a "tourist trap" and a genuine wonder of the world.

Photo: Imehling, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Isla Amantaní is an island on the side . It's a very peaceful place where times seems to have taken a halt a century ago.

Photo: Leon petrosyan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a village in the , Puno Province, . It is 18 kilometres from the city of . It sits at 3,875 metres above sea level.

Altiplano

Latitude of center
-15.34° or 15° 20′ 24″ south
Longitude of center
-70.49° or 70° 29′ 24″ west
Wiki­data ID
Q18176459
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
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Satellite Map

Discover Altiplano from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Catalan to Spanish—“Altiplano” goes by many names.
  • Catalan: “Altiplano peruano”
  • Chinese: “安第斯 (秘鲁)”
  • Chinese: “安第斯”
  • French: “Altiplano”
  • Galician: “Altiplano peruano”
  • German: “Altiplano”
  • Hebrew: “אלטיפלאנו”
  • Italian: “altopiano peruviano”
  • Italian: “Altopiano peruviano”
  • Portuguese: “Altiplano”
  • Slovenian: “Altiplano”
  • Spanish: “Altiplano”

Peru: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Lima, Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and Arequipa.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Altiplano”. Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0.