One of the best community- and experience-based tourism adventures can be found in Tunuhuire Chico, a rural community located 12 km south of Puno city, in southern Peru.
Behind this great experience are the guardians of ancient Aymara knowledge called Yatiris —emblematic figures who constitute the living memory of the history and culture of their community.
One of these Yatiris is Tiburcio, a 73-year-old who radiates contagious cheerfulness and energy expressed in his combined roles as guardian of history: communication with apus (guardian deities), secrets of coca leaf reading, as well as detection and treatment of illnesses. Therefore, he is accredited as “Guardian of Cultural Heritage in Tunuhuire Chico.”
He is also a distinguished farmer in a fertile land suitable for the cultivation of onions, carrots, and medicinal plants such as red and white valerian, whose management was inherited from his father and grandparents.
In addition, Tiburcio is an illustrious craftsman and manufacturer of traditional costumes from Tunuhuire Chico and Ichu —a populated center that is home to his rural community— which are proudly worn by people from the same place as he is, mainly during festive events such as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29.
In effect, the outfit that distinguishes the males from Tunuhuire Chico and Ichu consists of a jacket, a pair of pants made from sheep wool, and a white cotton shirt, which contrast the colorful hat, belt, and saddlebag.
The outfit is completed with a small black or white hat made from sheep wool, which is finely-worked and finished with a multicolored wool ribbon and the traditional ojotas —a type of sandals used to work in agriculture.
Tiburcio’s partial deafness does not hinder his ability to fulfill his daily activities, which he fully enjoys, particularly the task of keeping his ancient community’s customs and traditions alive.
He always brings a smile to tourists, who little by little are returning to Puno, to Tunuhuire Chico, and to the Ceremonial Center of Inka Tunuhuire, which has been restored by the community to support community- and experience-based tourism.
This place stands out as a vital place for tourism recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic’s severe blow to the sector. Its privileged location —surrounded by the mythical Lake Titicaca, a stretch of the Inca Trail or Qhapaq Ñan, and the stone forest of Jayllihuaya— as well as its closeness to Puno city, contribute to this purpose without a doubt.
The Ceremonial Center of Inka Tunuhuire is part of the Qhapaq Ñan Project —an initiative implemented in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with financing from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Tourism ventures around the Qhapaq Ñan route seek to strengthen community-based tourism in Peru. These ventures have been created together with the communities by identifying their territory’s potentials, preserving the heritage values related to the Inca Trail route, and bringing development for the population.