Juliaca is the Puno region’s second-largest city and the capital city of the San Roman province. Juliaca is located on the Altiplano, 12,546 feet above sea level. It is located in the Collao Plateau and close to Lake Titicaca. Cattleranching creates a strong trade in leather goods. The wool business and textile business are also very large in Juliaca. We could sum up Juliaca by saying it is the largest commercial trading center in the area. It is said you can buy anything you wish to buy in Juliaca by simply shopping the vendors on the streets of Juliaca. However, it is also very unattractive, and probably is the most unattractive city in Peru. Most of the buildings in the city are unattractive and they appear to be under a constant status of "under construction". The cold evening wind also makes walking on the streets at night almost unbearable. Despite its unattractive appearance, Juliaca has the closest airport to Lake Titicaca and rail and highway connections to Puno, Arequipa, and Cusco. The roads originating from Juliaca are also conducive to making the trek to Bolivia along the serpentine backroads winding their way along the northern shores of Lake Titicaca. If you decide to spend the night here, the best hotels and services are located near Plaza Bolognesi, where you can also find the train station. Located in the Plaza Bolognesi is the Iglesia La Merced, and a few blocks northwest is another colonial church, the Iglesia Santa Catalina. On a Sunday, be sure to visit Plaza Melgar, where there is a huge market where you can or buy inexpensive alpaca wool sweaters. A tourist market is held daily in the plaza outside the railway station, but beware of pickpockets. While very few tourists do much more than pass through Juliaca, it is necessary to go through Juliaca to make airport connections. That is because the department's main airport, the Inca Manco Capac International Airport is located there. Since Puno is a main tourist city in the area, you must fly in and out of the Juliaca airport to fly to or from Puno. Also when visiting some of the highland towns, it is only possible to do so by driving through Juliaca. While there are no real tourist attractions in Juliaca, the colonial church on the Plaza de Armas is of minor interest. There are a couple of markets selling alpaca goods more cheaply than in Puno, including a market on Plaza Bolognesi. Unlike most Peruvian cities, the Plaza de Armas is not the main centre of the city, even though the main church and the town hall are here. Most restaurants, hotels and banks are located around Plaza Bolognesi, where the train station is. Both, Jr. San Roman and Jr. Nunez, off the Plaza Bolognesi, are the main streets. We passed through this city on April 19, 2006 through April 21, 2006. We found it interesting to see all of the things being sold on the streets of Juliaca.
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| Plaza Bolognesi And The Iglesia La Merced |
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| Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi | Plaza Bolognesi And The Iglesia La Merced |
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| Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi | Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi |
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| Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi Our Car & Driver | Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi Policia |
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| Colonel Francisco Bolognesi Statue | Juliaca Plaza Bolognesi |
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| Juliaca City University Universidad Andina | Juliaca City University Universidad Andina |
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| Just About Anything Is For Sale In Juliaca Coca Leaves! | Health Foods, Medical Plants |
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| Pots & Pans | Pots & Pans |
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| Pots & Pans | Sewing Machines |
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| Police Patrols | Traffic Is Awful |
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| Traffic Jams | Cars Close Together |
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| Juliaca City Taxi Bicycle Taxi or Pedicab | Juliaca City Taxi Stand |
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| Juliaca City Police | Juliaca City Policia |
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| Juliaca City | Muffler Replacement |
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| Bicycle Tire Repair | Welding |
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| Juliaca City Mercado | Juliaca City Mercado Bus Area |
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| Bricks For Sale | Lumber For Sale |
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| Food Stands | Soap |
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| Juliaca City Suburbs | Juliaca City Suburbs |
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| Juliaca City Suburbs | Juliaca City Suburbs |
