Attractions from Peru

Arequipa

The city of Arequipa

Beautiful mountain scenery and the volcano El Misti surround Arequipa, in 2325 metres height. It's a good place to visit if you want to see some of the colonial architecture and heritage. Its is also a good point of departure, if you want to see some of the surrounding attractions, such as the world's deepest canyon, Colca Canyon.

Cuzco

The city of Cuzco

Cuzco itself is a charming city, centred around Plaza de Armas, which is a nice square with a view of the city's cathedral and bordered by cosy small cafes and restaurants. Just behind the square is one of the city's markets, where you can buy anything from handmade clothing to plastic souvenirs. Cuzco is also the starting point fro trips to Machu Picchu.

Lima

Markets

You'll find several markets in Lima, such as the main market in the northwestern part of the city, where you can buy everything that you can imagine. It's a lively and chaotic market, and you have to watch out for pickpockets. There's also the Polvos Azueles and the Indian artisans market, which are both excellent markets. The prices and quality vary, though, so shop around before buying anything.

Museo de la Inquisición

This museum is about the Spanish Inquisition, and you can see prison cells and torture chambers from the period, in the cellar. There are guided tours in Spanish and English, where you get some insight into a particularly special and horrible piece of history.

Museo de la Nación

Museo de la Nación contains some good exhibitions of the country's history, where the different ages have each their floor - the further up you go, the more you move forward in time. There are lots of artefacts and pictures, and you should definitely go visit the museum, if you're interested in the history of Peru.

North Coast with Huarez

The fishing town of Huanchaco

This small fishing town, about 15 km north of Trujillo, has some of the region's best beaches. The sea is somewhat polluted, though, so you have to be careful. The best time to visit this town is between January and March, where it is warmest, and if you don't want to bathe, you can stay on the beach and follow the fishermen's work in the morning.

The Huaraz area

Huaraz is situated in Parque Nacional Huascarán, and many travellers come to Peru just to visit this area. The scenery is remarkably beautiful, with lots of mountains, which is also why it is a good place to trek and climb. It is the home of Peru's highest mountain, which is 6768 metres high.

The old city of Chan Chan

Chan Chan is an incredibly ancient city, and even though it has been mostly reduced to ruins today, evidence has been found, that the inhabitants used to live on a very advanced level. Water drillings, bridges and food boxes are just some of the indications. The area consists of a main city and nine smaller cities around it. In the small cities, the "royals" were buried, each in his own city. The ruins are very impressive and definitely worth a visit.

Peru

Lake Yarinacocha

Lake Yarinacocha, 10 km northeast of Pucallpa, is a beautiful little lake, which used to be a part of Rio Ucayali, but which has now been cut off the river. You can spend the night in the small town of Puerto Callao, where you can also rent a boat for a trip on the lake. You can watch a lot of different animals here, maybe even dolphins, if you're lucky.

Taquile Island

Isla Taquile is a small, pleasant island in Lake Titicaca. The inhabitants wear colourful clothes, which they make themselves. The island has no roads and didn't have any electricity until the 1990s. The island contains several Inca ruins and terraces, and its great to just walk around the island, admiring these buildings and enjoy the silence. You can spend the night by one of the local people, and eat in one of the small restaurants, where they serve what they have at hand.

The Inca Trail

The Inca Trail is undoubtedly the most popular trekking route in Peru, and thousands of people walk it every year. The trip starts in Cuzco and usually ends by Machu Picchu. The landscape is amazing, with forests and snow covered mountains, and the trail passes several Inca ruins in the mountains, and can be done in 3-5 days.

The jungle city of Iquitos

Iquitos is Peru's largest jungle city, with 400,000 inhabitants, and the only way to get there is by air or by boat. The city survives on the oil-industry and tourists, and its remote location is probably why it has avoided terrorist attacks and violent assaults, which trouble the rest of the country. This is a good place to start if you want to go on a guided tour in the jungle.

The Machu Picchu ruins

This impressive city was hidden beneath the undergrowth until 1911 - before this, only a few Indians knew that it even existed. Many of the buildings are almost intact, surviving several earthquakes, which modern buildings couldn't handle. If you're in South America, you have to see Machu Picchu. It is a breathtaking sight to stand by the topmost houses and gaze across this mighty city. You can get there by walking over the mountains, by train or by helicopter.

The village of Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas is a small, quiet village in 2000 metres altitude, situated on the eastern side of the Andes. Around the village, you'll find amazingly many archaeological sights, such as the fantastic Kuélap ruins.

The village of Chincha

This little village, 190 km south of Lima, is famous for its Afro-Peruvian music. Large music festivals are held in February and July, where people gather from all the surrounding towns and dance all night to their own music.

Puno

The city of Puno

Puno has much to offer, other than a few buildings from the colonial times, but is a central point for further transport into the country, or if you want to sail on Lake Titicaca and visit some of the small islands.

South Coast with Arequipa

The city of Ica

Ica is a pleasant colonial town with around 150,000 inhabitants. The weather is dry and sunny due to its high altitude, and the city is surrounded by desert, characterized by large sand dunes, while the Rio Ica supply water to the many surrounding wine plantations. You can visit several of the plantations and taste some Peruvian wine.

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