Puno is a city located in southeastern Peru on the shores of Lake Titicaca. It serves as the capital of both the Puno Province and the Puno Region. As of 2017, the city had a recorded population of 135,288 residents.
The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as the capital of the province of Paucarcolla under the name San Juan Bautista de Puno. It was subsequently renamed San Carlos de Puno to honor King Charles II of Spain. The urban landscape features several churches dating back to the colonial period, which were originally constructed to serve the Spanish population and facilitate the evangelization of the Quechua people.