On the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, between Juli and the Bolivian border, the Inca road ran along the edge of the lake at nearly four thousand metres, linking Cusco with the lands of Collasuyu, the southern quarter of the empire. The Pomata section of the Qhapaq Ñan, part of the World Heritage listing of the Inca road system, follows the shore through Aymara villages, terraced hills and fields of potatoes, quinoa and broad beans, with the immense blue lake always beside you. The light at this altitude is intense, the air thin and dry, and the lake changes colour with every passing cloud.
Pomata itself is crowned by the church of Santiago Apóstol, built by the Dominicans in the eighteenth century in the Andean baroque style, with a façade of pink stone carved with plants, fruits and animals by indigenous craftsmen, and windows of thin alabaster that filter the light inside. Juli, a little further west, is known as the little Rome of the Andes for its many colonial churches, and the whole southern shore of the lake is dotted with them, signs of the importance of this region in the colonial period. The Aymara people of the area keep their language and many traditions, and the markets are colourful and lively.
The main road from Puno to Desaguadero, the PE-3S, follows the lakeshore and passes through Juli and Pomata. It is asphalted and generally in good condition, with long, open curves and views of the lake, but trucks heading to and from the Bolivian border are frequent, and in villages, people, dogs, sheep and llamas can be on the road. The altitude affects both riders and engines, and you need time to acclimatise before riding hard. Afternoon winds over the altiplano can be strong, and nights are very cold, often below freezing in the dry season.
Yunguyo, about twenty kilometres away, is the town at the junction for the border crossing to Copacabana in Bolivia, and it has fuel, shops and simple restaurants, as do Juli and Pomata. Try fresh trout from the lake, served fried or grilled, and quinoa soup. Coca tea is widely available and helps with the altitude. If you have time, take a boat from Copacabana to the Island of the Sun, sacred in Inca mythology.