The sparkling white mudéjar (Moorish–style) cathedral, with its domes and colorful azulejos (blue Portuguese-style ceramic tiles), dominates the town. Check the noticeboard in front of the entrance for the mass schedule.
The cathedral’s black Virgen de Candelaria statue, Camarín de la Virgen de Candelaria, carved by Inca Emperor Tupac-Yupanqui’s grandson, Francisco Yupanqui, is encased above the altar upstairs in the camarín (shrine); visiting hours can be unreliable.
The statue is never moved from the cathedral, as superstition suggests that its disturbance would precipitate a devastating flood of Lake Titicaca. Museo de la Catedral contains some interesting religious art.
