Fabulous archeological treasures -- Machu Picchu is just one -- testify to ancient civilizations that developed on this often-inhospitable land. Towering Andes shelter fertile valleys, extraordinarily dry deserts run alongside the Pacific, and dense jungles hide many secrets.
Places of Interest
Arequipa & Colca Canyon
Surrounded by a chain of snow-capped volcanoes, Arequipa is known as the “White City” and is the most European of Peru’s cities. White lava has been used in the construction of the city in striking mestizo baroque style buildings (notice the indigenous faces on the cherubs!) Visit Santa Catalina Convent to learn the stories of its inhabitants, or simply for its beauty. There’s an excellent small museum of the Ice Maiden. Magnificent Colca Canyon, 65 miles long, thousands of feet deep, (at an altitude of 12,000 ft), with beautiful terracing, is about 4 hours outside of Arequipa. The ancient Collaguas lived here, raising llamas, alpacas, potatoes and corn, and you will see their descendants working the fields in traditional clothing. You’ll also have an opportunity to see majestic condors close up, soaring over the canyon.
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Cusco & Machu Picchu
Cusco was the most important city of the Incas. Mighty rulers of the 15th century, they excelled in architecture, engineering, agriculture, and administering an empire that extended from modern Colombia to the middle of Chile. Their most important gift to us is mysterious and strikingly beautiful Machu Picchu. High on jungle-covered hilltops in the midst of the cloud forest, Machu Picchu was not known to the Spanish Conquerors, so much of the ancient city remains. Stately stone constructions in the middle of verdant landscapes surrounded by misty mountain peaks offer ample opportunities for speculation about the true meaning of this unique site.
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Lima
Peru is said to be a country of contrasts and Lima encapsulates many of them. Called the “City of the Kings’ by the 16th C Spanish conquistadors, today’s Lima combines traces of pre-Inca and Inca civilizations with colonial architecture and modern commercial and residential neighborhoods. Lima is home to some of the best museums of South America and beautiful churches and convents that are reminders of Peru’s rich religious and colonial past. Underrated as a tourist destination, Lima has excellent restaurants, good music, great neighborhoods for walking, and is also home to the famous Peruvian Paso horses. Lima is also a good base to see the Nazca Lines, the gigantic drawings etched into the desert.
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Puno & Lake Titicaca
High altitude and crystal clear air make Lake Titicaca stunningly beautiful. Home to Aymará and Quechua Indians, this region is rich in spectacular landscapes, wildlife, and archeological remains as well as folklore and legends. The Uros Indians still live on floating reed islands. Taquile Island is renown for its hand weaving techniques and its people’s communal culture which has served them well in the transition to modern times. The archeological site of the Sillustani Chullpas (funerary monuments) is one of the largest necropolises in the Americas.
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Amazon Basin Rain Forest
Nearly half of Peru is rainforest or jungle. Iquitos, in the north, is a bustling city reachable only by boat or plane, and is an important gateway to the Amazon River. From Iquitos you can explore the rainforest based in a lodge, or you can begin an Amazon cruise from here. In the south, the Manu and Tambopata Reserves offer excellent wildlife viewing. Tambopata is easily accessible through Puerto Maldonado (a short flight from Cusco), but Manu is much less developed. You can fly into Manu by small plane, or go in overland, an interesting trip through the cloud forest.
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The North & Ancient Civilizations
Ancient civilizations settled in the north along the coast, and inland into the cloud forest.
The North Coast
The fertile valleys and stark deserts of the north coast boast a rich archeological legacy of pre-Inca civilizations – Moche, Lambayeque and Chimú – who demonstrated great sophistication in ceramics, agriculture and metallurgy. You will also find beautiful handicrafts, traditional dances, the “Paso Fino” horses, and immaculate sand beaches where fishermen still surf in totora reed boats of pre-Columbian design. The region’s shamans use natural cures and invoke the ghosts of their ancestors. Visit the most important ruins – Túcume, the frieze-covered Temples of the Sun and Moon, sprawling Chan Chan, and the Sipán tomb. The Brünning and Cassinelli Museums have excellent collections drawn from these sites as well.
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