The Wonderful Route of the Sun

The Wonderful Route of the Sun in Peru, is considered one of the best routes that crosses the before from Cusco to Puno and vice versa. Puno is located on the banks of Lake Titicaca, in the Peruvian High Plane, at an average height of 3,800 meters above sea level (approximately 12,470 feet).

The wonderful route of the sun travels through pre-Hispanic and Inca archaeological remains, places of Spanish domination, natural attractions of the Andes mountain range and finally reaches the Puno region, with its ancient pre-Inca civilizations and the unique beauty and energy of Lake Titicaca.

The Wonderful Route of the Sun: from Cusco City to Puno

Places to visit on the wonderful route of the sun:

Andahuaylillas Church:

Andahuaylillas Church The Spanish conquerors arrived in the Cusco region in 1532. They brought here the Catholic religion, customs and also the architecture and sacred art of Renaissance Europe. This church is very famous here in Cusco, it is even considered as the “Sistine Chapel of America“, compared to the Vatican.

From the outside it looks like an ordinary Spanish Catholic church, but inside it is a true marvel of baroque art, exquisite, refined, with gilt decorations everywhere. In fact, it is a great stop to learn about the mix of the Spanish and Inca cultures.

Raqchi – Temple of Wiracocha

Raqchi – Temple of Wiracocha The next stop on the wonderful Route of the sun is this great town (Raqchi), which in the time of the Incas housed a powerful temple to worship Wiracocha, the creator god in the Andean religion. The temple was covered with a large roof and was quite spacious; today we can see the 2 main walls that still make a really worthwhile experience.

It was destroyed by the Spanish, so today there is only one structure of rectangular shape, whose two floors give it a height of 92 meters long and a width of 25.5 meters. Despite this, this work is charming, revealing the talent and ingenuity of the Incas.

In addition, Raqchi was an agricultural center, where the crops were stored in large granaries that still stand here.

La Raya Pass

La Raya Pass Located between the limits of the departments of Cusco and Puno. Being located at 4338 meters above sea level, the climate that receives you is quite cold, but pleasant if you are very warm. This sensation is complemented by the view offered by the snow-capped mountains and the Andes mountain range.

That means that, from this height, you are lucky enough to appreciate in a fantastic way the green omnipotence of nature, dominated by a blue sky, under which several alpacas, vicuñas and llamas graze. In addition, local artisans will offer you a wide variety of items endowed with color and a lot of charisma.

Pukara Civilization

Pukara Civilization Now already in the Puno region, it’s time to know about the ancient Pukara society, which developed prior to Tiahuanaco and the Incas. We will take you to the amazing Museum, where you will find out about their architecture, sculptures, religion and more.

The famous “torito de Pukara” (Pukara bull), is a tradition there and in many places in Peru; it’s a small figurine of a bull which is believed to bring good luck to the houses, where it is usually hanged from a door.

Conclusion
If you decide to travel to Peru and make a route of 15 days in Peru or more, taking this tours along the route of the sun is a great option since it allows you to know interesting and sacred places of the pre-Hispanic and Inca cultures.

Undoubtedly taking a day (8 hours) to go from Cusco to Puno OR Puno to Cusco to visit these natural or architectural monuments is more than recommended considering that we have to connect from one city to another if we want to visit places as exciting as the floating islands. in Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu or the Mountain of the 7 colors as well as a city tour of Cusco.