Juli is a small town of about seven thousand people on the southwest shore of Lake Titicaca, and it carries the nickname Rome of the Andes because of its four colonial churches, some of the grandest in the Altiplano. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Jesuits made Juli a centre of missionary work among the Aymara, and they set up a school and a press that is said to have produced some of the first books printed in South America, including works in Aymara and Quechua. The churches, with their stone facades, bell towers and paintings, are still standing, and they give the town a surprisingly serious, historic feel.
The ride from Puno, along the lake road, is one of the quiet pleasures of the Peruvian Altiplano. The road is paved and in generally good condition, with long, flowing bends beside the water and wide views over fields and marshes. Traffic is light, with trucks and local buses, and the wind can be cold and strong, especially in the afternoon. The altitude, at nearly 3,850 metres, makes the air thin, and a rider may feel breathless on arrival. Between May and October, the weather is dry and the sky bright.
Juli has fuel, shops, simple restaurants and a few guesthouses, though choices are limited, and Ilave, about twenty-six kilometres to the north, is larger and has more. The food is simple and good, with grilled trout from the lake, quinoa and potato dishes, and strong coffee. A walk around the plaza and a look into the churches is the best way to spend an hour. Bring cash, since cards are less commonly accepted.
The nearby lake is a haven for birds, and flamingos can sometimes be seen in the shallows near Juli, along with coots, ducks and herons. To the south the road continues toward the Bolivian border, with the island of the Sun, Isla del Sol, lying across the water, a sacred place in Inca belief as the birthplace of the sun. The light on the lake in the late afternoon, when the water turns copper and the mountains of Bolivia glow in the distance, is one of the best sights of the whole Altiplano.