CityOutline guide

La Rinconada

Town in Puno, Peru

Photo: Hildegard Willer, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

La Rinconada is a small city in Altiplano, Peru. It is known for being the highest permanent city of the world at a height of 5,100 m. La Rinconada has about 50,000 inhabitants, an increase of over 200% since 2000. It is near a gold mine that most of the locals work at.

Getting there and around

Getting there

From Puno it's a six-hour bus ride on unpaved roads to La Rinconada.

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Getting around

Walking is the only way of getting around within the town. Roads are not paved and are generally very muddy, so make sure you have proper boots.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Inca Manco Capac International Airport

Juliaca · International · JUL

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Read before you go to La Rinconada

Articles and travel topics about La Rinconada and Peru.

Nature & adventure

High-elevation deserts

High-elevation deserts are found in some parts of the world, such as Tibet and Nevada, and are typically in the rain shadow of mountain ranges.

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Culture & history

Developmental records

Construction has advanced greatly in the last one hundred to two hundred years and has created many records in development.

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Nature & adventure

Peruvian national parks

Peru has some of the world's most spectacular national parks, protecting a range of different ecosystems including rain forests and cloud forests, remote beaches where sea turtles nest, dense jungles, and active…

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Food & drink

Peruvian cuisine

Peruvian cuisine is among the most varied in the world.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

Get inFrom Puno it's a six-hour bus ride on unpaved roads to La Rinconada.

Get aroundWalking is the only way of getting around within the town. Roads are not paved and are generally very muddy, so make sure you have proper boots.

Stay healthyThe town suffers from mercury and cyanide poisoning due to the mining activities and there is no sewerage system. The drinking water is known to be contaminated by mercury. There is only one small clinic.

Stay safeThe town is notorious for its high crime rate (including murder) to the point where it is sometimes called la ciudad sin ley del Perú (the lawless city of Peru).

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "La Rinconada" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "La Rinconada, Peru", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Hildegard Willer, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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