The road continues across the high plateau, crossing into the Puno region proper, before reaching Laraqueri, the capital of the Pichacani district and, at nearly 3,935 metres, a substantial highland town by the standards of this stretch of road. Laraqueri has a long-standing reputation as a stop for travellers between Moquegua and Puno — thermal springs a short distance away are prized locally for treating rheumatism, and the alpaca-wool textiles woven and sold here are considered good value even by regional standards. On the approach to town, keep an eye on the low hill just beside the road: this is the site of the Chullpas de Cutimbo, pre-Inca and Inca funerary towers standing in plain view of passing traffic, a quieter and less-visited cousin of the more famous towers at Sillustani, which lies ahead on the way into Puno.
The final stretch descends gradually from Laraqueri toward the shore of Lake Titicaca, and Puno announces itself first through glimpses of open water — the highest navigable lake in the world, spreading out ahead after a day spent almost entirely inland. Puno sits at 3,830 metres, a genuine jump from the sea-level start in Tacna this morning, and after the length and altitude of the day, there is no agenda for the rest of it beyond settling in. Find dinner, drink plenty of water, and let the body adjust before tomorrow, when the floating islands of the Uros and the rest of Titicaca's attractions are the actual order of business.
Deleting this waypoint is permanent and cannot be undone.