Best Destinations in Peru
Machu Picchu
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, known as the lost city of the Incas, is the most important Inca remains. Machu Picchu is a three-hour trip by train from Cusco City; the train arrives at Aguas Calientes; from this beautiful small village, tourists take a bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu, a short trip of around 25 minutes. Machu Picchu was a vacation place for the Inca King and his family, as well as a religious and astronomic place.
Cusco
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Machu Picchu
Cusco, or Cuzco, was the capital of the vast Inca empire. Cusco city has palaces made of stone, some Inca fortresses such as Sacsayhuaman, Spanish Colonial buildings, museums, and a life culture shown in their dances and festivities like the Inty Raimi. During June, there are many parades and street dances almost every day. Cusco is in the Peruvian Andes at 3300 m.o.s.l. The best way to come to Cusco from Lima is by airplane; the flight is around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cusco is a city with much fun, excellent pubs, good restaurants, and colorful neighborhoods.
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Sacred Valley of the Incas
Sacred Valley of the Incas
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a lovely area that is 45 minutes from Cusco city; there are some beautiful villages such as Chinchero, Maras, and Urubamba, some Inca remains such as Ollantaytambo fortress and Pisac, some Inca terraces such as Moray. This fertile valley is surrounded by beautiful mountains and some glaciers, such as La Veronica and Salkantay. The whole year is warm; most days are between 16 degrees Celsius to 25 C°. It is a relaxing place and ideal for spending some nights at one of the comfortable hotels.
Titicaca Lake, Uros
Titicaca Lake, Uros
Sacred Valley of the Incas
The Titicaca Lake is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is near to Puno City. The lake has some natural islands, such as the Sun and Moon Islands, and some floating islands built by the natives, descendants of the Collas. They built this island with cattails that grew on the edges of the lake. The native community who live on these islands is happy to receive tourist and show them their culture and colorful clothes.
Sacsayhuaman
Titicaca Lake, Uros
Sacsayhuaman
Sacsayhuaman is a magnificent Inca fortress at the east door of Cusco. According to some researchers, they were built to protect the Inca capital, Cusco, from the Chankas, who were their worst enemies for some decades until the Inca Pachacutes defeated them. Sacsayhuaman was also a valuable astronomic place. It was built with stones, some of them of more than three tons. Scientists try to explain how the Incas moved these heavy stones and how they perfectly ensemble them.
Nazca Lines
Titicaca Lake, Uros
Sacsayhuaman
The Nazca Lines are some colossal geoglyphs made on the sand of the Nazca desert in Peru. There are around 250 geoglyphs; some of the most remarkable are the hummingbird, the monkey, the humanoid, or astronaut; this last geoglyph is the most mysterious and has generated many speculations; some people ask why the Nazcas made this geoglyph if in that time does not exit space shuttles, some people believe that the Nazca Lines could had made by aliens. However, some researchers, such as Maria Reiche, say that the Nazca Lines were a kind of all-calendar.
Cities, villages and activities in Peru
Lima
Colca Canyon
Arequipa
Lima is the capital of Peru; it is a big city with a population of more than ten million people. Lima downtown has a Spanish Colonial style and has some modern districts such as Miraflores, San Isidro, Surco, and San Borja. Lima has good museums like the Golden Museum and the Larco Museum. Lima is the gastronomy capital of South America; some of their chefs, such as Gaston Acurio and Virgilio Martinez, have won international awards. In 2023, restaurant Central was elected the best world restaurant.
Arequipa
Colca Canyon
Arequipa
Arequipa is the second most important city in Peru. Arequipa is called the white city because some crucial buildings and houses were built using a white stone of volcanic origin called "cillar." Arequipa has beautiful weather almost the whole year, with temperatures between 16 C° to 27 C°. Arequipa is also famous for its food, traditional dances, and friendly people.
Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon
Ballestas Island
The Colca Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world. It is also the perfect place to see the condors flying. The excursions to Colca depart from Arequipa City; the trip takes around three hours. The view of the Colca Canyon and the view from this area is beautiful.
Ballestas Island
Gastronomy in Peru
Ballestas Island
Ballestas are a group of beautiful islands on the Pacific coast of Peru. That area is rich in plankton and algae, so many animal species exist there, such as seals, sea lions, dolphins, walruses, and birds; the number of animals of each species is enormous, this makes this excursion, as well as the incredible landscape.
Tambopata jungle
Gastronomy in Peru
Gastronomy in Peru
Tambopata is a fantastic jungle located 35 minutes by flight from Cusco city and some additional time by boat. There are various excursions to visit beautiful places in this area, such as Sandoval Lake and Monkey Lake, and some activities, such as bird sightseeing. In Tambopata, you will enjoy the sound of the jungle, with small insects and birds singing; you will also see funny monkeys, turtles, parrots, and otters.
Gastronomy in Peru
Gastronomy in Peru
Gastronomy in Peru
Peru is internationally famous for its excellent food. In the last 20 years, gastronomic tourism to Peru has increased by four because some Peruvian chefs have been awarded internationally, and some Peruvian restaurants have been opened in European and American cities. Peruvian cuisine is rich due to the use of many ingredients from all over the world brought by the immigrants who came to Peru from Europe, Africa, and Asia; they also brought their rich cuisine that was mixed with the Inca cuisine and the Spanish cuisine. As a result, Peruvian cuisine is rich in taste and variety; some of the best Peruvian dishes are the Lomo Saltado, The Ceviche, The Ají de gallina, The Arroz Chaufa, The Causa, the Pollo a la Brasa, The Rocoto Relleno, and many others.