Peru🇵🇪 | festivalsFiesta de la CandelariaDiablada masks, trajes de luces, brass band contest, Virgin procession | things to do and best time to go

The streets around the Plaza de Armas and the Jirón Lima pedestrian strip are the best base, since the parade routes, the cathedral and most dance rehearsals are within a 10 minute walk. Backpacker hostels cluster here, so you meet other solo travelers in common rooms and at shared rooftop terraces. It is also the best lit and most policed part of Puno at night, which matters when the dances run late and the city fills with revelers.The blocks near Parque Pino and the Calle Tacna side are a quieter second option, still walkable to the action but with less late noise. Expect dorm beds from about … read more 👉

The streets around the Plaza de Armas and the Jirón Lima pedestrian strip are the best base, since the parade routes, the cathedral and most dance rehearsals are within a 10 minute walk. Backpacker hostels cluster here, so you meet other solo travelers in common rooms and at shared rooftop terraces. It is also the best lit and most policed part of Puno at night, which matters when the dances run late and the city fills with revelers.The blocks near Parque Pino and the Calle Tacna side are a quieter second option, still walkable to the action but with less late noise. Expect dorm beds from about US$10 to 20 during the festival, roughly double the usual price, and book far ahead.Staying near the lakefront and the port area is good for sunrise views, but the walk back late at night through dim streets is less comfortable, so take a taxi for the short ride.If Puno is full, the larger city of Juliaca, about 45 minutes away by road, has cheaper rooms. It lacks atmosphere and the last colectivos back run late, so use it only as a fallback. Noise earplugs are essential, because bands practice into the early morning.