Lima
After Cairo, this sprawling metropolis is the second-driest world capital, rising above a long coastline of crumbling cliffs. Lima is a sophisticated city, with a civilization that dates back millennia. Stately museums display sublime pottery; galleries debut edgy art; solemn religious processions recall the 18th century and crowded nightclubs dispense tropical beats. No visitor can miss the capital’s culinary genius, part of a gastronomic revolution more than 400 years in the making. The majority of museums are located in the busy downtown area of Central Lima. If you have a few days here, try visiting them on a weekend morning when traffic is calmer.
The neighbourhoods of Miraflores and Barranco can be walked in their entirety, and there are pleasant parks and seaside walks to retreat to when you’ve had your fill of urban attractions. Bike paths along the coast and designated lanes in Miraflores make the area great for cycling. Popular excursions from Lima include the 31km ride to Pachacamac, where there are good local trails open between April and December.
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Plaza De Armas De Lima
Lima’s 140-sq-meter Plaza de Armas, also called the Plaza Mayor, was not only the heart of the 16th-century settlement established by Francisco Pizarro, it was a center of the Spaniards’ continent-wide empire. Though not one original building remains, at the center of the plaza is an impressive bronze fountain erected in 1650.
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Monasterio de San Francisco
This bright-yellow Franciscan monastery and church is most famous for its bone-lined catacombs (containing an estimated 70,000 remains) and its remarkable library housing 25,000 antique texts, some of which pre-date the conquest. Admission includes a 30-minute guided tour in English or Spanish. Tours leave as groups gather.
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El Circuito Mágico del Agua
This indulgent series of illuminated fountains is so over the top it can’t help but induce stupefaction among even the most hardened travel cynic. A dozen different fountains are capped, at the end, by a laser light show at the 120m-long Fuente de la Fantasía (Fantasy Fountain). The whole display is set to a medley of tunes comprising everything from Peruvian waltzes to ABBA. It has to be seen to be believed.
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Monumental Callao, Calle Salaverry, Callao, Peru
Superstar graffiti artists are helping to revive the rough neighbourhood surrounding Casa Ronald, a 1920 architectural masterpiece. Now a center for creatives, Monumental Callao incorporates restaurants and artists’ studios, as well as galleries, with tenants intermittently donating their time to the surrounding community. Every weekend you can find rooftop parties with DJs or live salsa concerts, and even fashion shows using the colourful Spanish-style tiling as the catwalk.
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Playa Costa Verde
Playa Costa Verde in Miraflores (nicknamed Waikiki) is a favorite of local surfers and has good breaks year-round. Barranco’s beaches have waves that are better for longboards. There are seven other beaches in Miraflores and four more in Barranco. Serious surfers can also try Playa La Herradura in Chorrillos, which has waves up to 5m high during good swells.
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Lima Centro
Accommodation offerings in the congested city center lag behind other neighbourhoods. Central Lima has seen its high-end business slip away as upscale establishments have shifted to San Isidro and Miraflores.
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Miraflores
The favoured neighbourhood for travellers is Miraflores, which offers plenty of hostels, inns and upscale hotel chains and vigilant neighbourhood security.
Overlooking the ocean, this area’s streets are pedestrian-friendly and teem with cafes, restaurants, hotels, high-rises, shops and nightclubs that pump out everything from disco to cumbia (Colombian salsa-like dance music). There are many quiet blocks, too.
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Barranco
At the turn of the 20th century, this was a summer resort for the upper crust. In the 1960s it was a center of bohemian life. Today, it is cluttered with restaurants and bustling bars, its graceful mansions converted into boutique hotels. It is certainly one of the most walkable areas, with lots of gardens and colonial architecture.
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Islas Ballestas
Grandiosely nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Galápagos,’ the Islas Ballestas make for a memorable excursion. The only way to get here is on a boat tour, offered by many tour agencies, touts and hotels. Tours leave at 8am, 10am and noon from the Marina Turística de Paracas (Malecón s/n, El Chaco). The 8am tour usually has the calmest seas and best wildlife-viewing.
While the two-hour tours do not disembark onto the islands, they do get you startlingly close to an impressive variety of wildlife.
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Reserva Nacional de Paracas
This vast desert reserve occupies most of the Península de Paracas and houses remote beaches backed by dramatic arid landscapes and plenty of wonderful wildlife. In front of the Centro de Interpretación (Reserva Nacional de Paracas) near the park entrance there is a lookout from which it’s possible to spot Chilean flamingos in the bay below. Further south, La Mina is the best beach in the reserve with gentle waters perfect for swimming. To the west of La Mina, Punta Arquillo hosts a significant sea-lion colony.
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El Chaco (Paracas)
The Paracas Peninsula’s main village, El Chaco – often referred to as ‘Paracas’ – is the primary embarkation point for trips to the Islas Ballestas and the Reserva Nacional de Paracas. New condos and luxury hotels are found north and south of the village proper. It’s a fun place with a lively traveller scene. Most of the action centers on the malecón (boardwalk), where you’ll find a pretty wide selection of restaurants and bars. Its natural attractions and long beaches stand out from many south-coast destinations, and many travellers end up spending at least two or three nights here, allowing for a day tour to the islands, beach time and an extended foray across the peninsula.
The region’s essential business is the de rigueur boat tour of the Islas Ballestas and the one-day sojourn around the bald, deserted Paracas Peninsula. Birds and sea mammals are the lures here, but, lest we forget, this is also one of Peru’s most important archaeological sites, thanks primarily to the pre-Inca treasures unearthed by one of the country’s most important archaeologists, Julio Tello, in the 1920s.
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Ica
Just when you thought the landscape was dry enough for martians, out jumps Ica, Peru’s agricultural ‘miracle in the desert’ that churns out bumper crops of asparagus, cotton and fruits, as well as laying claim to being the nation’s leading (and best) wine producer. Ica, like Pisco, sustained significant earthquake damage in 2007 – the graceful cathedral and two other churches were significantly damaged and are undergoing lengthy repairs.
Most people who make it this far bed down in infinitely more attractive Huacachina 4km to the west, but Ica has reasons to be cheerful too: the south coast’s best museum (outside Arequipa) resides here, plus – arguably – the finest winery in Peru. If Nazca seems too much of a circus, it’s also possible to organize Nazca Line excursions from Ica – the desert etchings lie 1½ hours to the south.
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Huacachina
While not as famous as Nazca to the south, Huacachina, an aesthetically perfect desert oasis 4km west of Ica, is a firmly established stopover on southern Peru’s well-trampled Gringo Trail, and with good reason. Sandboarding, dune-buggy rides and good-old romantic idling are the orders of the day here. This is backpacker central, so expect plenty of late-night parties and international flavours. Many people just make it here for a quick overnight and dune trip the next day, but a few days of relaxed strolls and dune climbs may just channel your inner chi.
Huacachina is pretty much just a collection of hotels and hostels so there is a wide range of beds to choose from. It’s a popular destination, though, so be sure to make advance reservations.
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Nazca Lines
‘Nazca Lines’ refers to the ancient geometric lines that crisscross the Nazca desert and the enigmatic animal geoglyphs that accompany them. Like all great unexplained mysteries, these great etchings on the pampa, thought to have been made by a pre-Inca civilization between AD 450 and 600, attract a variable fan base of archaeologists, scientists, history buffs, New Age mystics, curious tourists, and pilgrims on their way to (or back from) Machu Picchu.
Declared a UNESCO heritage site the lines today are the south coast’s biggest tourist attraction, meaning the small, otherwise-insignificant desert town of Nazca can be a bit of a circus.
The best-known lines are found in the desert 20km north of Nazca, and by far the best way to appreciate them is to get a bird’s-eye view from a sobrevuelo (overflight). Prices for a standard 30-minute flight taking in 12 of the figures are normally around US$90 but can rise and fall depending on demand. Extended flights taking in more of the lines and including detours to other archaeological sites in the area including the Aqueductos de Cantalloc are also offered.
During high season it’s a good idea to reserve flights well in advance – either online or through an agency – as they can get booked out. In low season it’s possible to just turn up at the airport and shop around.
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Aqueductos de Cantalloc
About 4km southeast of town are the 30-plus underground Cantalloc Aqueducts, many of which are still in working order and are essential in irrigating the surrounding fields. The impressive series of stone and wood channels and spiralling access ways were built by the Nazca between AD 200 and 900 and are considered one of the finest examples of pre-Hispanic engineering. Locals say the water here is still good to drink.
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Chauchilla Cemetery
The most popular excursion from Nazca, this cemetery, 28km south of Nazca, will satisfy any urges you have to see ancient bones, skulls and mummies. Dating back to the Ica-Chincha culture around AD 1000, the mummies were originally scattered haphazardly across the desert, left by ransacking tomb-robbers. Now they are seen carefully rearranged inside a dozen or so tombs, though cloth fragments and pottery and bone shards still litter the ground outside the demarcated trail.
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Tacna
Patriotism puts up a steely rear-guard action in Tacna, Peru’s most southerly settlement, a city that belonged to Chile as recently as 1929 (a young Salvador Allende lived here for eight of his childhood years), but is now proudly and unequivocally part of Peru. Just in case you forget, there’s an earnest flag-raising ceremony every Sunday morning in the main plaza, plus a raft of heroic statues, leafy avenues and hyperbolic museum exhibits all dedicated to Peru’s glorious past.
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Arequipa
Peru's second largest city - although only one-tenth the size of Lima - Arequipa is its pugnacious equal in terms of cuisine, historical significance and confident self-awareness.
Guarded by three dramatic volcanoes, the city’s resplendent setting makes an obvious launchpad for trekking, rafting and visiting the Cañón del Colca.
Pretty cityscapes aside, Arequipa has played a fundamental role in Peru’s gastronomic renaissance and dining here – in communal picantería eateries or taste bud-provoking fusion restaurants – is a highlight.
The city’s architecture, an ensemble of baroque buildings grafted out of the local sillar (white volcanic rock), shows its resilience by thus far withstanding most of the seismic activity thrown at it. Colonial sillar churches around the city center include Iglesia de San Francisco, Iglesia de San Agustín, Iglesia de La Merced and Iglesia de Santo Domingo.
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Stay near the Plaza de Armas for convenience, though away from the bars of San Francisco on weekends if you want quiet. Many accommodations inhabit attractive sillar (white volcanic rock) buildings, the thick walls of which often weaken wireless signals. Cable TV and free wi-fi are pretty much a given, as is breakfast – usually merely bread, jam and coffee at cheaper joints. Prices can fluctuate greatly even during high season (June to August).
Arequipa is also the center for a slew of outdoor activities dotted around the high country to the north and east of the city. Trekking, mountaineering and river running are the big three, but there are plenty more.
> Dozens of travel agencies line Santa Catalina and Jerusalén offering near-identical excursions to the canyon country, most with daily departures; ho-hum city tours are also pushed. Some agencies are professional, but there are also plenty of carpetbaggers muscling in on the action, so shop carefully. Never accept tours from street touts and, where possible, tours should be paid for in cash, as occasional credit-card fraud is reported.
> The standard two-day tour of the Cañón del Colca costs S65 to S225 per person, depending on the season, group size and comfort level of the hotel you stay at in Chivay. Different agencies may sell you tickets for the same tours, so shop around. All tours leave Arequipa between 7am and 9am. Stops include the Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca, Chivay, La Calera Hot Springs (admission S5-15; h5am-6pm), an evening peña (bar or club featuring live folkloric music; at an additional fee) trip plus a visit to the Cruz del Cóndor.
>While a one-day tour of the Cañón del Colca (really mainly the Cruz del Cóndor) is heavily touted, you will spend most of your time cooped up in a van, missing out on spending significant time in any of the canyon towns and wind up exhausted by the time you return to Arequipa the same day. Departures are at the unholy hour of around 2am.

Cañón Del Colca
It’s not just the vastness and depth of the Colca that make it so fantastical, it’s the shifts in its mood. There are more scenery changes along the river canyon’s 100km passage than there are in most European countries; from the barren steppe of Sibayo, through the ancient terraced farmland of Yanque and Chivay toward the cruising condors riding warm air currents, into the steep-sided canyon proper beyond Cabanaconde that wasn’t thoroughly explored until the 1980s. The Colca is the world’s second-deepest canyon, a smidgeon shallower than its near neighbor, the Cotahausi, and twice as deep as the more famous Grand Canyon in the US. But, more than that, it is replete with history, culture, ruins, tradition and – rather like Machu Picchu – intangible Peruvian magic.
BOLETO TURÍSTICO
To access sites in the Cañón del Colca you need to purchase a boleto turístico (tourist ticket) from a booth on the Arequipa road just outside Chivay. If you are taking an organized tour, the cost of the tour usually does not include this additional fee, and you will be asked for this in cash by your guide at the booth. If you are traveling alone, tickets can be purchased on most public buses entering or leaving Chivay, or in the town of Cabanaconde. You will likely also be accosted as you enter the Cruz del Cóndor. Half of the proceeds from this ticket go to Arequipa for general maintenance and conservation of local tourist attractions, while the other half goes to the national agency of tourism.
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Most people race through the region on the classic two-day tours, with a night in Chivay, and not passing Cruz del Condór. From Arequipa, it’s easy to take a large, comfortable bus to Cañón del Colca stopping at Chivay (3½ hours) or all the way to Cabanaconde (five hours).
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Chivay
The greenery and accessibility has led to this becoming the canyon’s busiest region, with the bulk of the business centered in the small town of Chivay. The canyon’s unashamedly dishevelled nexus, this traditional town has embraced tourism without (so far) losing its unkempt high-country identity.
Around the market area and in the main square are good places to catch a glimpse of the decorative clothing worn by local Colca women. The town itself affords enchanting views of snow-capped peaks and terraced hillsides, and serves as a logical base from which to explore smaller towns further up the valley.
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Chivay is a good starting point for canyon hikes, both short and long. The 7km path to Corporaque on the north side of the canyon starts on the north edge of town. Fork left on the La Calera Hot Springs road, cross the Puente Inca, and follow the fertile fields to the village. Rather than retracing your steps, you can head downhill out of Corporaque past some small ruins and descend to the orange bridge across the Río Colca toward Yanque. From Yanque, on the southern bank, you can catch a passing bus or colectivo (shared transportation) for the 7km return to Chivay (or you can walk along the road). For a quicker sojourn rent a mountain bike in Chivay. To penetrate further west it’s possible to continue on up the northern side of the canyon from Corporaque to the villages Ichupampa, Lari and, ultimately, Madrigal. Occasional combis (minibuses) run to these villages from the streets around the main market area in Chivay. Another option is to pitch northeast from near the Puente Inca and follow a path along the river to the villages of Tuti and Sibayo.
BOLETO TURÍSTICO
To access sites in the Cañón del Colca you need to purchase a boleto turístico (tourist ticket) from a booth on the Arequipa road just outside Chivay. If you are taking an organized tour, the cost of the tour usually does not include this additional fee, and you will be asked for this in cash by your guide at the booth. If you are traveling alone, tickets can be purchased on most public buses entering or leaving Chivay, or in the town of Cabanaconde. You will likely also be accosted as you enter the Cruz del Cóndor. Half of the proceeds from this ticket go to Arequipa for general maintenance and conservation of local tourist attractions, while the other half goes to the national agency of tourism.
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Mirador Cruz del Condor
This viewpoint is for many the highlight of their trip to the Cañón del Colca. A large family of Andean condors nests by the rocky outcrop and, with lots of luck, they can occasionally be seen gliding effortlessly on thermal air currents rising from the canyon, swooping low over onlookers’ heads. It’s a mesmerizing scene, heightened by the spectacular 1200m drop to the river below and the sight of Nevado Mismi on the other side of the ravine. The condors are also less likely to appear on rainy days so it’s best to visit during the dry season; they are unlikely to emerge at all in January and February. Expect a couple of hundred people for the 8am ‘show’ in season.
If you are not part of a tour, large Milagro buses travel here on the way to Cabanaconde, departing at 7:30am from Chivay’s bus station. Afterward, the only public transportation to Cabanaconde is with the minivan that transports the women selling artesanías (handicrafts) at about 11am, otherwise it’s a long 12.5km walk or a long wait until the next return bus from Cabanaconde materializes.
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Cabanaconde
The narrow lower canyon that runs roughly from Cabanaconde down to Huambo is the Colca at its deepest. Few of the Cañón del Colca visitors get as far as ramshackle Cabanaconde as most organized itineraries turn around at the Cruz del Cóndor. For those who make it - prepare yourself for fewer people, more authenticity and greater tranquillity.
The Colca is significantly deeper here with steep, zigzagging paths tempting the fit and the brave to descend 1200m to the eponymous river. Fruit trees can be found around Tapay and Sangalle, but otherwise the canyon supports no real economic activity.
You’ve only half-experienced Colca if you haven’t descended into the canyon by foot (the only method anywhere west of Madrigal). The shortest route is the spectacular two- to three-hour hike from Cabanaconde down to flower-filled Sangalle (known as ‘the Oasis’) at the canyon’s base.
Alternative, and equally distant, options include serene and authentic San Juan de Chuccho, Tapay or Lluhar.
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Juliaca
The region’s only commercial airport makes Juliaca, the largest city on the altiplano, an unavoidable transit hub. The city bustles with commerce (and contraband) due to its handy location near the Bolivian border.
Frankly,Juliaca has little to offer travellers and it is advisable to rather while away some hours in nearby Lampa or move on to Puno.
Hotels, restaurants, casas de cambio and internet cafes abound along San Román, near Plaza Bolognesi.

Puno
Puno serves as the jumping-off point for Lake Titicaca and is a convenient stop for those traveling between Cuzco and La Paz. But it may just capture your heart with its own rackety charm.
Its urban center can feel contaminated and cold. But Puno’s people are upbeat, cheeky and ready to drop everything if there’s a good time to be had.
As a commercial (and contraband) hub, its colonial and naval identity can be glimpsed in its spots of old architecture, the colourful traditional dress worn by many inhabitants and the scores of young cadets in the streets.
It pays to shop around for a tour operator. Agencies abound and competition is fierce, leading to touting in streets and bus terminals, undeliverable promises, and prices so low as to undercut fair wages. Several of the cheaper tour agencies have reputations for ripping off the islanders of Amantaní and Taquile, with whom travellers stay overnight and whose living culture is one of the main selling points of these tours.
Island-hopping tours, even with the better agencies, are often disappointing: formulaic, lifeless and inflexible, the inevitable result of sheer numbers and repetition. If you only have a day or two though, a reputable tour can give a good taster and insight you might not otherwise get. If you have time, seeing the islands independently is recommended – you can wander around freely and spend longer in the places you like.
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Lake Titikaka
A vast, striking blue expanse standing at 3810m, the lake is dotted with sacred islands and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is not hard to see how Inca legends came to credit Lake Titicaca with the birth of their civilization.
Lake Titicaca’s islands are world famous for their peaceful beauty and the living tradition of their agrarian cultures, which date to pre-Columbian times.
The ever-popular, human-made reed islands of the Islas Uros are the most visited. Isla Taquile is a sleepy island with a unique culture that can suddenly turn festive by night in local dances. Isla Amantaní is the least visited as it requires an overnight stay with a family but also can be the most insightful and rewarding. Luxurious Isla Suasi, the only privately owned island, is home to a boutique resort.
Not all islanders welcome tourism, which only stands to reason since not all benefit from it and may see the frequent intrusions into their daily life as disruptive. It’s important to respect the privacy of islanders and show courtesy.
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Sillustani
Sitting on rolling hills on the Lago Umayo peninsula, the chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani stand out for miles against a desolate altiplano landscape. The ancient Colla people who once dominated the Lake Titicaca area were a warlike, Aymara-speaking tribe, who later became the south-eastern group of the Incas. They buried their nobility in these towers, which can be seen scattered widely around the hilltops of the region.
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Islas Uros
Just 7km east of Puno, these unique floating islands are Lake Titicaca’s top attraction. Their uniqueness is due to their construction. They have been created entirely with the buoyant totora reeds that grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake. The lives of the Uros people are interwoven with these reeds. Partially edible (tasting like non-sweet sugarcane), the reeds are also used to build homes, boats and crafts. The islands are constructed from many layers of the totora, which are constantly replenished from the top as they rot from the bottom, so the ground is always soft and springy.
Getting to the Uros is easy – there’s no need to go with an organized tour, though you’ll miss out on the history lesson given by the guides and be saving just S10 on the cheapest tours, which include admission. Ferries leave from Puno port (Puerto de Puno; Av Titicaca) – east of the Plaza de Armas along Jirón Puno, which becomes Avenida Del Puerto – for Uros (return trip S10) when full – at least once an hour from 6am to 4pm. The community-owned ferry service visits two islands, on a rotation basis. Ferries to Taquile and Amantaní can also drop you off in the Uros.
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Isla Taquile
Inhabited for thousands of years, the lovely scenery on Isla Taquile is reminiscent of the Mediterranean. In the strong island sunlight, the deep, red-coloured soil contrasts with the intense blue of the lake and the glistening backdrop of Bolivia’s snowy Cordillera Real on the far side of the lake. Several hills boast Inca terracing on their sides and small ruins on top.
Ferries (round-trip S25; admission to island S5) leave from the Puno port (east of the Plaza de Armas along Av Del Puerto) for Taquile from 7:35am, via Islas Uros. As the ferry stops in Islas Uros, you will also have to pay the admission there. A ferry from Taquile to Puno leaves at 2pm, but this can change so confirm the time with the captain as you arrive on Taquile.

Cuzco
Cuzco is the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city and the gateway to Machu Picchu. Cosmopolitan Cuzco thrives with a measure of contradiction. Ornate cathedrals squat over Inca temples, massage hawkers ply the narrow cobblestone passages, a rural Andean woman feeds bottled water to her pet llama while the finest boutiques sell pricey alpaca knits.
Visitors to the Inca capital get a glimpse of the richest heritage of any South American city. Cuzco can be a bit disconcerting (note the McDonald’s set in Inca stones). Soaring rents on the Plaza de Armas and in trendy San Blas are increasingly pushing locals to the margins.
While the city is sprawling, areas of interest to visitors are generally within walking distance, with some steep hills in between. The center of the city is the Plaza de Armas, while traffic-choked Av El Sol nearby is the main business thoroughfare. Walking just a few blocks north or east of the plaza will lead you to steep, twisting cobblestone streets, little changed for centuries. The flatter areas to the south and west are the commercial center.

Saqsaywamán
Saqsaywamán, the immense ruin of both religious and military significance, is the most impressive in the immediate area around Cuzco. The long Quechua name means ‘Satisfied Falcon,’ though tourists will inevitably remember it by the mnemonic ‘sexy woman.’ Today’s visitor sees only about 20% of the original structure. Soon after conquest, the Spaniards tore down many walls and used the blocks to build their own houses in Cuzco, leaving the largest and most impressive rocks, especially those forming the main battlements.
The site is composed of three different areas, the most striking being the magnificent three-tiered zigzag fortifications. One stone, incredibly, weighs more than 300 tons. It was the ninth Inca, Pachacutec, who envisioned Cuzco in the shape of a puma, with Sacsaywamán as the head, and these 22 zigzagged walls as the teeth of the puma. The walls also formed an extremely effective defensive mechanism that forced attackers to expose their flanks when attacking.
Opposite is the hill called Rodadero, with retaining walls, polished rocks and a finely carved series of stone benches known as the Inca’s Throne. Three towers once stood above these walls. Only the foundations remain, but the 22m diameter of the largest, Muyuc Marca, gives an indication of how big they must have been. With its perfectly fitted stone conduits, this tower was probably used as a huge water tank for the garrison. Other buildings within the ramparts provided food and shelter for an estimated 5000 warriors. Most of these structures were torn down by the Spaniards and later inhabitants of Cuzco.
Between the zigzag ramparts and the hill lies a large, flat parade ground that is used for the colourful tourist spectacle of Inti Raymi, held every June 24. To walk up to the site from the Plaza de Armas takes 30 to 50 minutes, so make sure you’re acclimatized before attempting it. Arriving at dawn will let you have the site almost to yourself, though solo travellers shouldn’t come alone at this time of day.
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Tambomachay
Also called El Baño del Inca (The Bath of the Inca - a ceremonial stone bath with spring water through fountains that was created in Inca times. It is thought to be part of an Inca water cult. It’s located 8km northeast of Cuzco.

Pisac
It’s not hard to succumb to the charms of sunny Pisac, a bustling and fast-growing colonial village at the base of a spectacular Inca fortress perched on a mountain spur. Its pull is universal and recent years have seen an influx of expats and New Age followers in search of an Andean Shangri-la. The local tourism industry has responded by catering to spiritual seekers, offering everything from yoga retreats and cleanses to guided hallucinogenic trips. Yet it’s also worthwhile for mainstream travellers, with ruins, a fabulous market and weaving villages that should not be missed. Located just 33km northeast of Cuzco by a paved road, it’s the most convenient starting point to the Sacred Valley.

Pisac Ruins
A truly awesome site with relatively few tourists, this hilltop Inca citadel lies high above the village on a triangular plateau with a plunging gorge on either side. Allow several hours to explore. Taking a taxi up and walking back (4km) is a good option. The most impressive feature is the agricultural terracing, which sweeps around the south and east flanks of the mountain in huge and graceful curves, almost entirely unbroken by steps.

Urubamba
A busy and unadorned urban center, Urubamba is a transport hub surrounded by bucolic foothills and snowy peaks. The advantages of its lower altitude and relative proximity to Machu Picchu make it popular with both high-end hotels and package tours. While there is little of historical interest, nice countryside and great weather make it a convenient base from which to explore the extraordinary salt flats of Salineras and the terracing of Moray.

Ollantaytambo
Dominated by two massive Inca ruins, the quaint village of Ollantaytambo, also called Ollanta, is the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. After the hordes passing through on their way to Machu Picchu die down around late morning, Ollanta is a lovely place to be. It’s perfect for wandering the mazy, narrow byways, past stone buildings and babbling irrigation channels, pretending you’ve stepped back in time. It also offers access to excellent hiking and biking.

Ollantaytambo Ruins
Both fortress and temple, these spectacular Inca ruins rise above Ollantaytambo, making a splendid half-day trip. (Admission is via the boleto turístico tourist card, valid for 10 days and for 16 other sites across the region.) The huge, steep terraces that guard Ollantaytambo’s spectacular Inca ruins mark one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle.

Aguas Calientes
Also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, this town lies in a deep gorge below the ruins. A virtual island, it’s cut off from all roads and enclosed by stone cliffs, towering cloud forest and two rushing rivers. Despite its gorgeous location, Aguas Calientes has the feel of a gold-rush town, with a large itinerant population, slack services that count on one-time customers and an architectural tradition of rebar and unfinished cement. With merchants pushing the hard sell, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. Your best bet is to go without expectations.
Lodgings here are consistently overpriced – probably costing two-thirds more than counterparts in less-exclusive locations. There’s a variety of midrange accommodations, alongside some luxury offerings and budget options. Book well ahead for the best selection.
Restaurants range from basic eateries to fine dining. Touts on the street will try to herd you into their restaurant, but take your time making a selection. Standards are not very high in most restaurants – if you go to one that hasn’t been recommended, snoop around to check the hygiene first. Since refrigeration can be a problem, it’s best to order vegetarian if you’re eating in low-end establishments.
GETTING THERE
BUS: There is no road access to Aguas Calientes. The only buses go from the bus stop (where you can purchase tickets) up the hill to Machu Picchu (round-trip S80, 25 minutes) from 5:30am to 4pm; buses return until 6pm.
TRAIN: Buy a return ticket to avoid getting stranded in Aguas Calientes – outbound trains sell out much quicker than their inbound counterparts. All train companies have ticket offices in the train station, but you can check their websites for up-to-date schedules and ticket purchases.
To Cuzco (three hours), Peru Rail has service to Poroy and taxis connect to the city, another 20 minutes away.
To Ollantaytambo (two hours), both Peru Rail and Inca Rail provide service. Inca Rail offers a ticket with connecting bus service to Cuzco.

Machu Picchu
Shrouded by mist and surrounded by lush vegetation and steep escarpments, the sprawling Inca citadel of Machu Picchu lives up to every expectation. In a spectacular location, it’s the most famous archaeological site on the continent, a must for all visitors to Peru. Like the Mona Lisa or the pyramids, it has been seared into our collective consciousness, though nothing can diminish the thrill of being here. This awe-inspiring ancient city was never revealed to the conquering Spaniards and was virtually forgotten until the early part of the 20th century.
The Peruvian authorities changed entries from daily visits to morning and afternoon turns in 2018 which means that visitors must plan more carefully than ever to seize the experience. Though an expanded limit of 5940 people are now allowed in the complex (including the Inca Trail) daily, demand remains insatiable.
Unless you arrive via the Inca Trail, you’ll officially enter the ruins through a ticket gate on the south side of Machu Picchu (www.machupicchu.gob.pe). About 100m of footpath brings you to the maze-like main entrance of Machu Picchu proper, where the ruins lie stretched out before you, roughly divided into two areas separated by a series of plazas.
Note that the names of individual ruins speculate their use – in reality, much is unknown. To get a visual fix of the whole site and snap the classic postcard photograph, climb the zigzagging staircase on the left immediately after entering the complex, which leads to the Hut of the Caretaker.
- Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary:
An excellent viewpoint to take in the whole site. It’s one of a few buildings that has been restored with a thatched roof, making it a good shelter in the case of rain. The Inca Trail enters the city just below this hut. The carved rock behind the hut may have been used to mummify the nobility, hence the hut’s name.
- Intihuatana:
This Quechua word loosely translates as the ‘Hitching Post of the Sun’ and refers to the carved rock pillar, often mistakenly called a sundial, at the top of the Intihuatana hill. The Inca astronomers were able to predict the solstices using the angles of this pillar. Thus, they were able to claim control over the return of the lengthening summer days. Its exact use remains unclear, but its elegant simplicity and high craftwork make it a highlight.
- Intipunku:
The Inca Trail ends after its final descent from the notch in the horizon called Intipunku (Sun Gate). Looking at the hill behind you as you enter the ruins, you can see both the trail and Intipunku. This hill, called Machu Picchu (Old Peak), gives the site its name.
- Principal Temple:
The ‘temple’ derives its name from the massive solidity and perfection of its construction. The damage to the rear right corner is the result of the ground settling below this corner rather than any inherent weakness in the masonry itself.
- Sacristy:
Behind and connected to the Principal Temple lies this famous small building. It has many well-carved niches, perhaps used for the storage of ceremonial objects, as well as a carved stone bench. The Sacristy is especially known for the two rocks flanking its entrance; each is said to contain 32 angles, but it’s easy to come up with a different number whenever you count them.
- Temple of the Sun:
Just above and to the left of the ceremonial baths is Machu Picchu’s only round building, a curved and tapering tower of exceptional stonework. This structure is off-limits and best viewed from above.
- Temple of the Three Windows:
Important buildings flank the remaining three sides of the Sacred Plaza. The Temple of the Three Windows features huge trapezoidal windows that give the building its name.

Wayna Picchu Trail
The steep mountain of Wayna Picchu, located at the far end of the ruins, is featured in the most iconic shots of Machu Picchu. Thanks to excellent Inca engineering, the trail is not as hard as it looks but sturdy footwear and good fitness are recommended. It requires a separate ticket obtained with your entrance ticket purchase. These spots sell out a week ahead in low season and a month ahead in high season, so plan accordingly.
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Choquequirao
Remote, spectacular, and still not entirely cleared, the ruins of Choquequirao are often described as a mini–Machu Picchu. This breath-taking site at the junction of three rivers currently requires a challenging two-day hike each way, though you will be happy if you budget more time for it.
Plans to build a tramway to bring this remote attraction to within 15 minutes of the nearby highway go back as far as 2014. For now, you can still go without the crowds. Most Cuzco trekking operators go. Travelers can also organize the walk on their own, but it is remote and its steepness makes it very challenging, especially if you’re carrying a heavy pack.
The ruins are accessed via a two-day hike starting in Capuliyoc, which lies 12km (two to three hours’ walking) from the town of Cachora, the last town with services and public transport, via an exposed, unpaved road. A taxi from Cuzco may be worthwhile for groups. Organized tours start at Capuliyoc.
Take special care exploring these ruins as the site’s popularity can cause a huge impact on the infrastructure and there is little funding for its conservation.

Inca Trail (info)
The most famous hike in South America, the four-day Inca Trail is walked by thousands every year. Although the total distance is only about 39km, the ancient trail laid by the Incas from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu winds its way up and down and around the mountains, snaking over three high Andean passes en route, which have collectively led to the route being dubbed ‘the Inca Trail.’ The views of snowy mountain peaks, distant rivers and ranges, and cloud forests flush with orchids are stupendous – and walking from one cliff-hugging pre-Columbian ruin to the next is a mystical and unforgettable experience.
Most trekking agencies run buses to the start of the trail, also known as Piscacucho or Km 82 on the railway to Aguas Calientes.
- After crossing the Río Urubamba (2600m) and taking care of registration formalities, you’ll climb gently alongside the river to the trail’s first archaeological site, Llactapata (Town on Top of the Terraces), before heading south down a side valley of the Río Cusichaca. (If you start from Km 88, turn west after crossing the river to see the little-visited site of Q’ente MAP; Hummingbird), about 1km away, then return east to Llactapata on the main trail.)
- The trail leads 7km south to the hamlet of Wayllabamba (Grassy Plain; 3000m), near which many tour groups will camp for the first night. You can buy bottled drinks and high-calorie snacks here, and take a breather to look over your shoulder for views of the snow-capped Nevado Verónica (5750m).
- Wayllabamba is situated near the fork of Ríos Llullucha and Cusichaca. The trail crosses the Río Llullucha, then climbs steeply up along the river. This area is known as Tres Piedras (Three White Stones; 3300m), though these boulders are no longer visible. From here it is a long, very steep 3km climb through humid woodlands.
- The trail eventually emerges on the high, bare mountainside of Llulluchupampa (3750m), where water is available and the flats are dotted with campsites, which get very cold at night. This is as far as you can reasonably expect to get on your first day, though many groups will actually spend their second night here.
- From Llulluchupampa, a good path up the left-hand side of the valley climbs for a two- to three-hour ascent to the pass of Warmiwañusca, also colourfully known as ‘Dead Woman’s Pass.’ At 4200m above sea level, this is the highest point of the trek, and leaves many a seasoned hiker gasping. From Warmiwañusca, you can see the Río Pacamayo (Río Escondido) far below, as well as the ruin of Runkurakay halfway up the next hill, above the river.
- The trail continues down a long and knee-jarringly steep descent to the river, where there are large campsites at Paq’amayo. At an altitude of about 3600m, the trail crosses the river over a small footbridge and climbs toward Runkurakay (Egg-Shaped Building); at 3750m this round ruin has superb views. It’s about an hour’s walk away.
- Above Runkurakay, the trail climbs to a false summit before continuing past two small lakes to the top of the second pass at 3950m, which has views of the snow-laden Cordillera Vilcabamba. You’ll notice a change in ecology as you descend from this pass – you’re now on the eastern, Amazon slope of the Andes and things immediately get greener. The trail descends to the ruin of Sayaqmarka (Dominant Town), a tightly constructed complex perched on a small mountain spur, which offers incredible views. The trail continues downward and crosses an upper tributary of the Río Aobamba (Wavy Plain).
- The trail then leads on across an Inca causeway and up a gentle climb through some beautiful cloud forest and an Inca tunnel, carved from the rock. This is a relatively flat section and you’ll soon arrive at the third pass at almost 3600m, which has grand views of the Río Urubamba Valley, and campsites where some groups spend their final night, with the advantage of watching the sun set over a truly spectacular view, but with the disadvantage of having to leave at 3am in the race to reach the Sun Gate in time for sunrise. If you are camping here, be careful The trail then leads on across an Inca causeway and up a gentle climb through some beautiful cloud forest and an Inca tunnel, carved from the rock. This is a relatively flat section and you’ll soon arrive at the third pass at almost 3600m, which has grand views of the Río Urubamba Valley, and campsites where some groups spend their final night, with the advantage of watching the sun set over a truly spectacular view, but with the disadvantage of having to leave at 3am in the race to reach the Sun Gate in time for sunrise. If you are camping here, be careful in the early morning as the steep incline makes the steps slippery.
- Just below the pass is the beautiful and well-restored ruin of Phuyupatamarka (Place Above the Clouds), about 3570m above sea level. The site contains six beautiful ceremonial baths with water running through them. From Phuyupatamarka, the trail makes a dizzying dive into the cloud forest below, following an incredibly well-engineered flight of many hundreds of Inca steps (it’s nerve-racking in the early hours, use a headlamp). After two or three hours, the trail eventually zigzags its way down to a collapsed red-roofed white building that marks the final night’s campsite.
- A 500m trail behind the old, out of use, pub leads to the exquisite little Inca site of Wiñay Wayna (Huiñay Huayna), which is variously translated as ‘Forever Young,’ ‘To Plant the Earth Young’ and ‘Growing Young’ (as opposed to ‘growing old’). Peter Frost writes that the Quechua name refers to an orchid (Epidendrum secundum) that blooms here year-round. The semitropical campsite at Wiñay Wayna boasts one of the most stunning views on the whole trail, especially at sunrise. A rough trail leads from this site to another spectacular terraced ruin, called Intipata, best visited on the day you arrive to Wiñay Wayna: consider coordinating it with your guide if you are interested.
- From the Wiñay Wayna guard post, the trail winds without much change in elevation through the cliff-hanging cloud forest for about two hours to reach Intipunku (Sun Gate) – the penultimate site on the trail, where it’s tradition to enjoy your first glimpse of majestic Machu Picchu while waiting for the sun to rise over the surrounding mountains.
- The final triumphant descent takes almost an hour. Trekkers generally arrive long before the morning trainloads of tourists, and can enjoy the exhausted exhilaration of reaching their goal without having to push past enormous groups of tourists fresh off the first train from Cuzco.
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Km 88 - Qoriwayrachina
Qoriwayrachina
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LLactapata
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Huayllabamba (Wayllabamba)
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Llulluchupampa camp
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Warmiwañusca (Dead Womans Pass)
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Paq’amayo Camp
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Runkurakay

Sayaqmarca

Camp near Inca Tunnel

Phuyupatamarka

Wiñay Wayna

Intipata

Inti Punku (Sun Gate)

Ayacucho
Travelers are only just rediscovering Ayacucho’s treasures. Richly decorated churches dominate the vivid cityscape alongside peach- and pastel-coloured colonial buildings hung with wooden balconies. Among numerous festivities, Ayacucho boasts Peru’s premier Semana Santa celebrations, while in the surrounding mountains lie some of the country’s most significant archaeological attractions.
The Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor de Huamanga; Plaza de Armas) in Ayacucho is one of Peru’s most beautiful, and should be a starting point for your explorations. The four sides of the plaza, clockwise from the east, are Portal Municipal, Portal Independencia, Portal Constitución and Portal Unión. Around here, you’ll find many gorgeous colonial mansions, including the Prefectura.

Wari Ruins
Sprawling for several kilometres along a cactus-forested roadside are the extensive ruins of Wari, the capital of the eponymous empire, which predated the Incas by five centuries. The site occupies a beautiful, peaceful hilltop location. A small museum (information in Spanish only) explains, using artefacts, the relevance and importance of this pre-Inca culture. Look out for the distinctive Wari ceramics. Don’t leave the site too late to look for return transport – vehicles get hopelessly full in the afternoon.

Trujillo
Stand in the right spot and the glamorous streets of old Trujillo look like they’ve barely changed in hundreds of years. Apart from the honking taxis, that is.
Still, the city still manages to put on a dashing show with its profusion of colonial-era churches and polychrome buildings. Most people come here to visit the remarkable pre-Incan archaeological sites nearby, spending just a short time wandering the compact city center. Trujillo’s spacious and spit-shined main square, surely the cleanest in the Americas and definitely one of the prettiest, hosts a colourful assembly of preserved colonial buildings and an impressive statue dedicated to work, the arts and liberty. Elegant mansions abound, including Hotel Libertador.
Some travellers prefer to stay in the nearby beach town of Huanchaco. Many budget and midrange hotels can be noisy if you get street side rooms. For a city of its size and history, Trujillo lags way behind when it comes to design and boutique hotels.
Five major archaeological sites can be easily reached from Trujillo by local bus or taxi. Two of these are principally Moche, dating from about 200 BC to AD 850. The other three, from the Chimú culture, date from about AD 850 to 1500. The relatively recently excavated Moche ruin of La Huaca el Brujo (www.elbrujo.pe) can also be visited, but it’s not as convenient.
The Chimú capital of Chan Chan was the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, making it the top attraction in the region. Other Chimú sites bake in the surrounding desert, among them the immense and impressive Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, which date back 1500 years.

Chan Chan
Built around AD 1300 and covering 20 sq km, Chan Chanis the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas and the largest adobe city in the world. Although it must have been a dazzling sight at one time, devastating El Niño floods and heavy rainfall have severely eroded much of the city’s outer portions. You can still visit the impressive restored Palacio Nik An complex and revel in the broad plazas, royal burial chamber and intricate designs that remain.
At the height of the Chimú empire, Chan Chan was home to an estimated 60,000 people and contained a vast wealth of gold, silver and ceramics. The wealth remained more or less undisturbed after the Incas conquered the city, but once the Spaniards hit the stage, the looting began. Within a few decades little but gold dust remained. Remnants of what was found can be seen in museums nearby.
The Chimú capital consisted of 10 walled citadels, also called royal compounds. Each contained a royal burial mound filled with vast quantities of funerary offerings, including dozens of sacrificed young women and chambers full of ceramics, weavings and jewellery.
The Palacio Nik An (also called the Tschudi Complex, after a Swiss naturalist) is the only section of Chan Chan that’s partially restored. Parts of the site are covered with tent like structures to protect from erosion. It is possible that other areas will open in the future, but until they are properly policed and signed, you run the risk of being mugged if you visit them.
At the Palacio Nik An you’ll find an entrance area with tickets, souvenirs, guides, bathrooms and drinks, but there’s no longer a cafe so bring snacks. Guides hang around next to the ticket office.
The best option for a visit is with an organized guided tour from Trujillo or with a local site tour guide, as signage is extremely limited. There are usually English-, French-, German- and Italian-speaking guides available here. If you want to go it alone, the path is marked out with fish-shaped pointers and you can purchase a small booklet for S2 at the ticket checkpoint with descriptions of the different areas of the complex and a map.
The site museum (www.chanchan.gob.pe; admission free with Chan Chan ticket) is out on the main road, about 500m before the main Chan Chan turnoff, and contains exhibits explaining Chan Chan and the Chimú culture. It has a few signs in Spanish and English, but a guide is still useful. The aerial photos and maps showing the huge extension of Chan Chan are fascinating, as tourists can only visit a tiny portion of the site.
Combis and buses to Chan Chan (S1.50) leave Trujillo every few minutes, passing the corners of España and Ejército, and España and Industrial. They’ll drop you off at the turnoff, from where it’s a 10-minute walk down to the ticket office. From Huanchaco take any Trujillo-bound transport. A taxi from Trujillo or Huanchaco runs around S12.

Huaca de la Luna
Located on the south bank of the Río Moche, the main attraction here is the Huaca de la Luna with its phenomenal multi-coloured friezes. The entrance price includes an English-speaking guide; individual travellers need to wait for a group to fill. The larger Huaca del Sol is closed to visitors.
Archaeologists believe the Huaca de la Luna was the religious and ceremonial center of the Moche capital, while the Huaca del Sol was the administrative center. The two edifices are separated by 500m of open desert that once contained the dwellings and other buildings of the common residents.
While Huaca de la Luna is smaller than its neighbour, it proves that, in Moche pyramids at least, size isn’t everything. The structure is riddled with rooms that contained ceramics and precious metals and are adorned with some of the beautiful polychrome friezes for which the Moche were famous. The huaca was built over six centuries to AD 600, with six succeeding generations expanding on it and completely covering the previous structure.
If there’s one must-see archaeological site in the region, this is it. Enthusiastic local guides will walk you through different parts of the complex and explain the richly coloured motifs depicting Moche gods and zoomorphic figures, before leading you to the spectacular finale: the magnificent, richly decorated external wall. Don’t even think of dropping out early. Many of the guides are volunteers, so tips are appreciated.
Combis (S1.50) for the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna leave from Av Los Incas in Trujillo every 15 minutes or so. It’s also possible to take a taxi (S15).

Huanchaco
This once-tranquil fishing hamlet, 12km outside Trujillo, woke up one morning to find itself a brightly highlighted paragraph on Peru’s Gringo Trail. Its fame came in large part from the long, narrow reed boats you’ll see lining the malecón. A small number of local fishers still use these age-old crafts, and you may even sight some surfing in with the day’s catch. Though you can almost picture Huanchaco on postcards of days gone by, the beach is distinctly average. Nevertheless, the slow pace of life attracts a certain type of beach bum and the town has managed to retain much of its villagey appeal.
Today Huanchaco is happy to dish up a long menu of accommodations and dining options, and great waves for budding surfers. Come summertime, legions of local and foreign tourists descend on its lapping shores, and this fast-growing resort town makes a great base for exploring the ruins surrounding Trujillo.
The curving, gray-sand beach here is fine for swimming during the December to April summer, but expect serious teeth chatter during the rest of the year. The good surf, perfect for beginners, draws its fair share of followers and you’ll see armies of bleached-blond surfer types ambling the streets with boards under their arms. Expect decent waves year-round.

Chiclayo
La Ciudad de la Amistad (The City of Friendship) holds a friendly, outstretched hand to the wayward adventurer. While it’s shaking hands in greeting, it will probably slip in a bold mix of unique regional dishes to tickle your taste buds. The town itself is pretty light on tourist attractions, but the dozens of tombs with Moche and Chimú archaeological booty surrounding the area should not be missed.
>Chiclayo is one of the best places to eat on the North Coast. Arroz con pato a la chiclayana (duck and rice cooked in cilantro and beer) and tortilla de manta raya (Spanish omelet made from stingray) are endless sources of culinary pride. For dessert try the local street sweet called King Kong – a large cookie filled with a sweet caramel cream made of milk and sugar. It’s available everywhere.
The countryside around Chiclayo is home to an immense wealth of archaeological sites, many of which have yet to be fully excavated. While many of the ruins are not as impressive as some other sites elsewhere in the north, the riches recovered from the tombs are absolutely magnificent and are now housed in several fantastic museums.
While busy Chiclayo is the most convenient base from which to explore the region, there are several more tranquil options, including a string of three peaceful beach towns – Puerto Etén, Santa Rosa and Pimentel – just a short drive away.

Lambayeque
About 11km north of Chiclayo, Lambayeque was once the main town in the area, but now plays second fiddle to Chiclayo. It’s a pleasant enough town with narrow streets and some crumbing colonial buildings, but the main reason to stop is for a visit to the town’s world-class museums, which are among the best in Peru.

Ferreñafe
In Ferreñafe you will find the splendid Museo Nacional Sicán which displays replicas of the 12m-deep tombs found at the Sicán site at Batán Grande, among the largest tombs found in South America. Enigmatic burials were discovered within – the Lord of Sicán was buried upside down, in a foetal position, with his head separated from his body. Beside him were the bodies of two women and two adolescents, as well a sophisticated security system – the red sinabrio dust, toxic if inhaled – to ward off grave robbers.

Túcume
The Túcume archaeological site, around 30km north of Lambayeque on the Panamericana, is not particularly well known, but it’s the most impressive collection of ruins in the region. A vast area, with more than 200 hectares of crumbling walls, plazas and 26 pyramids, it was the final capital of the Sicán culture, who moved their city from nearby Batán Grande around AD 1050 after that area was devastated by the effects of El Niño.

Piura
After several hours of crossing the vast emptiness of the Sechura Desert, Piura materializes like a mirage on the horizon, enveloped in quivering waves of heat. It’s hard to ignore the sense of physical isolation forced on you by this unforgiving environment – the self-sufficiency imposed upon early settlers may explain why they identify as Piuran rather than Peruvian.
Being so far inland, the scorching summer months will have you honing your radar for air-conditioning, as you seek out chilled venues in which to soothe sweltering skin. It’s not a hugely attractive city, a fact not helped by severe flooding in 2017 that damaged some urban areas, but remnants of narrow cobbled streets and some charismatic colonial houses make up for the fact that there’s little else for visitors to do here.
Its role as a hub for the northern towns means you’ll probably end up spending some time here.
Jirón Lima, a block east of the Plaza de Armas, has preserved its colonial character more than most areas in Piura.

Máncora
Máncora is the place to see and be seen along the Peruvian coast – in summer foreigners flock here to rub sunburned shoulders with the Peruvian jet set. It’s not hard to see why – Peru’s best sandy beach stretches for several kilometers in the sunniest region of the country, while dozens of plush resorts and their budget-conscious brethren offer up rooms just steps from the rolling waves. On shore most of the action is focused on the noisy main street, with plenty of good seafood restaurants and international flavors from which to choose.
The bathtub-warm waters and consistently good surf draw a sun-bleached, board-toting bunch, and raucous nightlife keeps visitors busy after the sun dips into the sea in a ball of fiery flames.
Year-round sun means this is one of the few resort towns on the coast that doesn’t turn into a ghost town at less popular times.
Surf here is best from November to February, although good waves are found year-round and always draw dedicated surfers.
May through September offers the best kitesurfing in Máncora and there are several schools at the southern end of town.

Colán
If you want to lose a few days in an authentic Peruvian beach town that foreigners haven’t yet embraced, look no further than Colán, 15km north of Paita, Piura’s main port.
Paita itself is a dusty, crumbling and unattractive port town that looks like it sprouted organically from the desert and has a roguish, Wild West feel to it, but as soon as Colán comes into view after you’ve turned off the main highway, you’ll feel that often-lost sense of discovery.
Colán is home to the oldest colonial church in Peru (it looks like something out of a Cormac McCarthy novel), and the long beach is a trendy summer destination for the Peruvian jet set – and is practically deserted the rest of the year. The curving bay has a shallow beach that’s excellent for swimming.

Huaraz
Huaraz is the restless capital of this Andean adventure kingdom and its rooftops command exhaustive panoramas of the city’s dominion: one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the world.
This is first and foremost a trekking metropolis. During high season the streets buzz with hundreds of backpackers and adventurers freshly returned from arduous hikes or planning their next expedition as they huddle in one of the town’s many fine watering holes. Dozens of outfits help plan trips, rent equipment and organize a list of adventure sports as long as your arm. An endless lineup of quality restaurants and hopping bars keep the belly full and the place lively till long after the tents have been put away. Mountain adventures in the off-season can be equally rewarding, but the vibe is more subdued and some places go into hibernation once the rains set in.
All activity within Parque Nacional Huascarán – whether mountaineering or hiking – technically requires that you are accompanied by a certified guide, although in practice this is not enforced at most park entrances. Even so, it is well worth taking a guide even for nontechnical activities as conditions change rapidly in the mountains and altitude sickness can seriously debilitate even experienced hikers. Furthermore, a good guide will ensure you see things you otherwise may have missed.

Laguna Parón
Nestled at 4185m above sea level, along a bumpy road 25km east of Caraz, and surrounded by spectacular snow-covered peaks, this lake is heralded by many as the most beautiful in the Cordillera Blanca. It is certainly the largest, despite its water levels being lowered from 75m to 15m in the mid-1980s to prevent a collapse of Huandoy’s moraine.
Ringed by formidable peaks, Parón offers close-up views of Pirámide de Garcilaso (5885m), Huandoy (6395m), Chacraraju (6112m) and several 1000m granite rock walls. The challenging rock-climbing wall of Torre de Parón, known as the Sphinx, is also found here.
A trail rambles along the lake’s north shore on flat terrain for about two hours and then up the valley to another smaller lake and the foot of Artesonraju. There is also a steep climb to a mirador that could prove difficult if you haven’t acclimatized to the thin air. If you go on your own, note that it’s not possible to circumnavigate the lake – the northern side is fine, but on the southern side there is a very dangerous section where the path disappears and slippery vegetation grows flush against the mountain surface. The potential for falls is huge and foreigners have died attempting to cross here.
Most people see the lake as part of an organized tour out of Huaraz or Caraz (from S50). Going solo, you can organize a taxi in Caraz for around S150 round-trip with wait. The journey from Caraz takes 1½ hours on an unpaved road. Despite being inside the national park, Parón falls under a separate justification and is run by a local community group who charge S5 admission.
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Parque Nacional Huascarán
This 3400-sq-km park encompasses practically the entire area of the Cordillera Blanca above 4000m, including more than 600 glaciers and nearly 300 lakes, and protects such extraordinary and endangered species as the giant Puya raimondii plant, the spectacled bear and the Andean condor.
Visitors to the park can register (bring your passport) and pay the park fee at the park office (www.sernanp.gob.pe) in Huaraz, although most of the main entrances to the park also sell tickets. Fees are S30 per person for a day visit, S60 for a three-day visit and S150 for a month.
Note, the park doesn’t include the Cordillera Huayhuash, which are protected in a separate reserve.
All activity within Parque Nacional Huascarán – whether mountaineering or hiking – technically requires that you are accompanied by a certified guide, although in practice this is not enforced at most park entrances. Even so, it is well worth taking a guide even for nontechnical activities as conditions change rapidly in the mountains and altitude sickness can seriously debilitate even experienced hikers. Furthermore, a good guide will ensure you see things you otherwise may have missed.
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Laguna Churup
The hamlet of Pitec (3850m), just above Huaraz, is the official start for this six-hour 7km round-trip hike to drop-dead gorgeous Laguna Churup (4450m) at the base of Nevado Churup.
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Laguna 69
This vivid blue lake surrounded by snow-covered peaks is the jewel of the Cordilleras. Set at 4600m, it’s a challenging acclimatization hike (we recommend working up to it with an easier hike at altitude). ‘Sixty-nine’ is most commonly visited as a day trip from Huaraz and has become increasingly popular in recent years. Don’t expect to have the place to yourself. Swimming in the lake is prohibited.

Cajamarca
Cajamarca is cradled in a languid valley and stonewalled by brawny mountains in every direction. The most important town in the Northern Highlands, its mushroom field of red-tile-roofed abodes surely confesses a secret desire to cling to its village roots. Fertile farmland carpets the entire valley and Cajamarca’s streets belong as much to the wide-brimmed-hat-wearing campesinos (peasants) bundled in brightly coloured scarves as they do to the young city slickers who frequent the town’s boutique restaurants and bars.
In the colonial center, majestic churches border the capacious Plaza de Armas. From here, once-decadent baroque mansions spread out along the narrow streets, many housing elegant hotels and fine restaurants. Cajamarca is famous for its cheese, gold (one of the world’s largest mines lies nearby), baroque churches – and as the place where Inca emperor Atahualpa faced off against the Spanish conquistadors. It’s a potent brew.
DAY TRIPS FROM CAJAMARCA
Plaza de Armas is ringed by tour agencies all offering pretty much the same full- and half-day trips. Many companies claim to have English-speaking guides, but, as most tourism in these parts is Peruvian, the reality is a little different.
Tours (S20) to Cumbemayo run from 9am to 1:30pm daily, meaning you can squeeze in a 3:30pm to 7pm tour (S17) to the Ventanillas de Otuzco in the afternoon. Tours (S70) to the ruins of Kuntur Wasi take all day, but run less frequently. Check ahead of time. There are several other half-day tours to cheese factories, mini zoos (containing mostly domesticated animals) and local lakes, all costing in the vicinity of S20.
- Ventanillas de Otuzco
This pre-Inca necropolis has scores of funerary niches built into the hillside, hence the name ventanillas (windows). Set in alluring countryside, 8km northeast of Cajamarca, the site is easily walkable from either Cajamarca or Los Baños del Inca (ask for directions). Alternatively, combis (minibuses) to Ventanillas de Otuzco (S1, 20 minutes) leave frequently from the corner of Jirón Los Gladiolos and Jirón Tayabamba, north of the Plaza de Armas in Cajamarca.
- Kuntur Wasi
Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the small town of San Pablo, these seldom-visited pre-Inca ruins are well worth the trip from Cajamarca. The site is considered one of the cradles of Andean culture; four distinct cultures used the area for their ceremonies, with the first constructions taking place around 1100 BC. The main structure is a large U-shaped temple consisting of three elevated platforms around which are located numerous tombs.
- Cumbemayo
Cumbemayo (derived from the Quechua kumpi mayo, meaning ‘well-made water channel’) is an astounding feat of pre-Inca engineering. These perfectly smooth aqueducts were carved around 2000 years ago and zigzag at right angles for 9km, for a purpose that is as yet unclear, since Cajamarca has an abundant water supply. Other rock formations are carved to look like altars and thrones. Nearby caves contain petroglyphs, including some that resemble woolly mammoths. The site is located about 20km southwest of Cajamarca.

Ventanillas de Otuzco
This pre-Inca necropolis has scores of funerary niches built into the hillside, hence the name ventanillas (windows). Set in alluring countryside, 8km northeast of Cajamarca, the site is easily walkable from either Cajamarca or Los Baños del Inca (ask for directions). Alternatively, combis (minibuses) to Ventanillas de Otuzco (S1, 20 minutes) leave frequently from the corner of Jirón Los Gladiolos and Jirón Tayabamba, north of the Plaza de Armas in Cajamarca.

Kuntur Wasi
Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the small town of San Pablo, these seldom-visited pre-Inca ruins are well worth the trip from Cajamarca. The site is considered one of the cradles of Andean culture; four distinct cultures used the area for their ceremonies, with the first constructions taking place around 1100 BC. The main structure is a large U-shaped temple consisting of three elevated platforms around which are located numerous tombs.

Cumbemayo
Cumbemayo (derived from the Quechua kumpi mayo, meaning ‘well-made water channel’) is an astounding feat of pre-Inca engineering. These perfectly smooth aqueducts were carved around 2000 years ago and zigzag at right angles for 9km, for a purpose that is as yet unclear, since Cajamarca has an abundant water supply. Other rock formations are carved to look like altars and thrones. Nearby caves contain petroglyphs, including some that resemble woolly mammoths. The site is located about 20km southwest of Cajamarca.

Chachapoyas
Isolated for centuries in the cloud forests of northern Peru, mellow Chachapoyas appears to be a town on the cusp of wider discovery. For vintage travelers, the ignition of interest will come as no surprise. Straddling the transitional zone between the high Andes and the Amazon Basin, ‘Chacha’ and its surroundings have long felt like a box of hidden treasure waiting to be dug up.
Founded early in the Spanish conquest as the base from which the exploitation of the Amazon region was launched, contemporary Chacha is a relatively unremarkable town, a tight grid of whitewashed houses with red-tiled roofs whose individualistic history means that few of the populace speak Quechua. Instead, Chacha’s jewels lie scattered across the surrounding countryside: a crinkled web of cloud-enveloped mountains and valleys, inhabited by colossal waterfalls, remarkable birdlife and a mysterious raft of pre-Columbian, pre-Inca ruins, half of them still covered by tangled undergrowth.
Trekking to the numerous impressive sights and ruins around Chachapoyas is becoming increasingly popular and is easy to arrange in town. The most popular outing is the four- or five-day Gran Vilaya trek, from Choctámal to the Marañón canyon, through pristine cloud forest and past several ruins and the heavenly Valle de Belén. Another popular adventure heads out to the Laguna de los Cóndores, a three-day trip on foot and horseback from Leimebamba.
Potential DIY day hikes include the Gocta waterfall, the Inca trail to or from Levanto (and Yalape F), the old Camino Herradura up to Kuélap, and the long hike from Yerbabuena to Revash.

Catarata de Gocta
The 771m Catarata de Gocta
somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2005, when German Stefan Ziemendorff and a group of locals put together an expedition to map the falls. Various claims ranging from the third-loftiest waterfall on earth to the 15th highest resulted in an international firestorm. Whatever its rank, Gocta is mighty impressive and, thanks to a web of well-signposted, forested trails, it’s now pretty accessible, too.
To get to the falls from Chachapoyas, catch an ETSA (Terminal Terrestre) combi (minibus) heading toward Pedro Ruíz (45 minutes) and get off at Cocahuayaco (a bridge on the main road). Mototaxis (three-wheeled motorcycle rickshaw taxis) usually wait here offering to take hikers up to the villages of Cocachimba (5.3km) or San Pablo (6km) for S10.
Alternatively, you can hike up to either village. San Pablo provides best access to the upper falls. Cocachimba is the start of the trail to the lower falls. Both villages have community tourist offices where you must pay your entrance fee. Cocachimba has more in the way of places to stay and eat.
For a full day out, it’s possible to visit both the upper and lower falls on one 15km circuit. Start in San Pablo village, from where a 6km trail leads to the base of the 231m-high upper cascade. Double back on the same path for 1.8km and then turn left heading down the mountain to a fantastic lookout with a clear view of both cascades, and then across a suspension bridge to the base of the taller 540m-high lower falls. From here you exit along the main trail to Cocachimba (6.2km), where you can catch a mototaxi back to Cocahuayco. From the road bridge, combis for Chachapoyas pass every 30 minutes.
For die-hard athletes wanting to do the full circuit, starting and finishing in Cocahuaycos, you’re looking at a 26km hike over hilly, sometimes-muddy terrain. Start early.
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Kuelap
The 700m-long oval fortress of Kuélap (adult/child S20/10; h8am-5pm), made up of millions of cubic feet of remarkably preserved stone, was constructed between AD 900 and 1100, and rediscovered in 1843. Shaped like an ocean liner atop a 3000m-high limestone ridge, it is surrounded by an imposing, near-impenetrable wall that towers up to 20m high in places. Entrance into this stronghold is via three deep, narrow gates designed like funnels – an ingenious security system that forced attacking parties into easily defeated single files.
The main entrance, Acceso 3, is reached by walking along the east side of the fortress. A wooden boardwalk takes visitors on a winding route inside with newly installed panels giving basic explanations in Spanish and English. You’ll be directed first to the raised Pueblo Alto, site of the 7m-high Torreón (Tower) which sits like a sentry guarding Kuélap’s northern bows. Despite its name, the tower’s role was probably ritualistic rather than military – burials have been unearthed in its entrails. Nearby is the Callanca, one of the complex’s few rectangular buildings, thought to have been a hostel and ritualistic center, where pieces of Inca-influenced ceramics have been found.
The center of the fort is scattered with the remnants of more than 400 circular dwellings. Some are decorated with zigzag and rhomboid friezes, and all were once topped by soaring thatched roofs. A variety of trees grow in and around the ruins, many heavy with epiphytes that attract hundreds of hungry hummingbirds.
The most impressive and enigmatic structure, named the Templo Mayor or El Tintero (Inkpot), sits near the south end of Kuélap and has been fashioned in the shape of a large inverted cone. Inside, an underground chamber houses the remains of animal sacrifices, leading archaeologists to believe that it was a religious building of some kind. Kuélap resident archaeologist Alfredo Narvez has now excavated graves and llama skeletons around El Tintero to further support this theory. A 1996 hypothesis by a team from the University of San Diego suggests it may have also been a solar calendar.
Since 2017 access to the ruins has been made infinitely easier by the building of a cable car, or Telecabinas (www.telecabinaskuelap.com;). Eight-berth cabins take visitors on a 20-minute journey across a V-shaped river valley and up a steep treeless hillside to within a 20-minute walk of the ruins. The bottom station is located just above the village of Nuevo Tingo. From here minibuses shuttle visitors up a 3km road to where the cable-car ride starts. At the top station there is a cafeteria (snacks S7-10; h8am-5pm), interpretation center and a ticket office for the site itself. A stone path leads 1½ km directly to the ruins from the top station. Community guides can be hired for S50 from the top station. Bank on two hours to view the ruins properly.
Tour groups usually arrive at the ruins around 11:30am and leave by 3pm, so consider setting off from Chachapoyas at around 8am to avoid the rush.
It is still possible to hike down (or up) the 9km-long Camino Herradura between the ruins and Tingo Viejo. Pick up the path by the old ticket office outside Acceso 1 (if going down), or by the river bridge in Tingo Viejo (if going up).
Getting to Kuélap is now easy in a day trip from Chachapoyas arriving either independently or as part of an organized group. Several bus companies, including Turismo Kuélap, run frequent minibuses from Chachapoyas’ main bus terminal to the base of the cable-car station in Nuevo Tingo (S7, one hour). Buses leave when full about every half hour.

Tarapoto
Mototaxi-infested Tarapoto straddles the base of the Andean foothills, providing an unlikely entry ticket into the vast jungles of eastern Peru. A sweltering rainforest metropolis, it dips its toe into the Amazon Basin while managing to cling to the rest of Peru by the umbilical cord of a long paved road back to civilization. People come here more for the sights that surround the town than the town itself – although it’s by no means an unpleasant place. From Tarapoto you can take the plunge deeper into the Amazon, or just enjoy the easily accessible jungle-lite, with plenty of places to stay and eat, and reliable connections to the coast. There’s a bunch of natural sights to explore nearby, from waterfalls to lagoons, while river-running opportunities will entertain the adventure-seeking contingent.
There are dozens of licensed agencies selling almost identical tours mostly catering for national (Peruvian) tourists. Prices are low and pretty generic, but don’t expect your guide to speak anything but Spanish.
Popular half-day tours include outings to Lamas and the Cataratas de Ahuashiyacu (Carr Yurimaguas, Km 13). Both cost around S35 and run most days. Full-day tours include Laguna Azul (S85) and trips on the Alto Mayo River (S120).

Puerto Maldonado
This blossoming city’s money-spinning proximity to the most easily visited animal-rich jungle in the entire Amazon Basin is its blessing but also its curse: travellers arrive, yet quickly leave again to the lodges and wildlife on the nearby rivers.
Yet Puerto Maldonado’s languid laid-back ambience invites you to linger. Although a shock to the system, with its sweltering climate and mosquitoes aplenty, its beautiful plaza, burgeoning accommodation options and lively nightlife provide reason enough to hang around.
It remains of foremost importance to travellers, however, as a jumping-off point for voyaging on Ríos Tambopata and Madre de Dios, converging here: watery wonderlands that offer the most accessible primary jungle locales in the country.
Most visitors arrive with prearranged tours and stay at a jungle lodge − convenient, but by no means the only possibility. You can also arrange a tour upon arrival by going to the lodge offices in town, where you’ll likely get a significant discount on a tour that would cost more in Lima or Cuzco.
You can, too, look for an independent guide. However, to enter the Reserva Nacional Tambopata (including Lago Sandoval, and anywhere upriver of Puesto Control El Torre on the Río Tambopata) all guides need licenses which are only issued if they are affiliated with a lodge or registered tour operator (this is an important thing to check).
Almost all of the best guides with official licenses granted by the Ministerio de Industria y Turismo work full time for one of the area’s jungle lodges. Guides charge from S120 to S200 per person per day, depending on the destination and number of people.
Most tours, either with a lodge or with an independent guide, leave from the Río Madre de Dios ferry dock, heading downriver on the Río Madre de Dios or upriver on the Río Tambopata (meaning a large expense on a jungle trip is the fuel the boat will expend).

Parque Nacional Manu
This vast national park (entry per 1/2-3/4+ days S30/60/150) S in the Amazon Basin covers almost 20,000 sq km and is one of the best places in South America to see a stunning variety of tropical wildlife. Progressive in its emphasis on preservation, Unesco declared Manu a Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and a World Natural Heritage Site in 1987. Entry is only with guide and permit.
One reason the park is so successful in preserving such a large tract of virgin jungle and its wildlife is that it’s remote and relatively inaccessible to people, and therefore has not been exploited by rubber tappers, loggers, oil companies or hunters.
At Cocha Salvador, one of the park’s largest and most beautiful lakes, you’ll find camping and guided hiking possibilities, as well as wonderful wildlife-viewing.
With patience, wildlife is seen in most areas. During a one-week trip, you can reasonably expect to see scores of different bird species, several kinds of monkey and a few other mammals.
The best time to go is during the dry season (June to November); much of Manu may be inaccessible or closed during the rainiest months (January to April). Going with an organized group is best arranged in Cuzco, from where trips depart almost daily, or with international tour operators.
It is illegal to enter the park’s zona reservada (reserved area) without a guide, and difficult to arrange a tour independently that will get you good wildlife sightings even in the zona cultural (cultural area). Going with an organized group can be arranged in Cuzco or with international tour operators.
It’s an expensive trip; budget travellers should arrange their trip in Cuzco and be flexible with travel plans. Travelers often report returning from Manu several days late. Don’t plan an international airline connection the day after a Manu trip!
Permits, which are necessary to enter the park, are arranged by tour agencies. Transportation, accommodations, food and guides are also part of tour packages. Most visits are for a week, although three-night stays at a lodge can be arranged.

Pucallpa
The busy port of Pucallpa is enjoying something of a renaissance. It has an attractive pedestrianized boulevard, and is a starting point for a spectacular river adventure north to Iquitos – and, if time and inclination allow, on to Brazil and the Atlantic.
However, the city has a distinctly less junglelike appearance than other Amazonian towns. Although this is an important distribution center for goods along the broad, brown Río Ucayali, which sweeps past the city en route to join the Río Amazonas, the rainforest feels far away. After all those miles of tropical travel to get here, Pucallpa seems underwhelming, and hasty modern development in the center barely disguises the shantytown simplicity a few blocks further out.
But beyond the city sprawl, there is reason for the traveller to linger: the lovely, more traveller-friendly oxbow lake of Yarinacocha, with river lodges to relax at and interesting indigenous communities to visit.

Yarinacocha
About 10km northwest of central Pucallpa, Yarinacocha is an enticing oxbow lake where you can go boating, observe wildlife and visit indigenous communities. The lake, once part of the Río Ucayali, is now landlocked, though a small canal links the two bodies of water during rainy season.
The lakeside village, Puerto Callao, is a welcome relief from the chaos of downtown Pucallpa. It’s still ramshackle, with only a dirt road skirting the busy waterfront. Buzzards amble among pedestrians, and peki-pekis (canoes powered by a two-stroke motorcycle engine with a long propeller shaft) come and go to their various destinations all day. Travelers stop by, too, to check out either the wildlife or the ayahuasca (derivative of a hallucinogenic jungle vine) ceremonies for which Yarinacocha area is known.
In Puerto Callao you’ll find limited accommodations, as well as the Central Amazon’s best food. Hire boats here to further explore the lake, too. Overall, it is worth spending a couple of days hereabouts. You’ll be nabbed as soon as you turn up by boat touts and peki-pekis owners seeking to lure you to their vessel. Choose your boat carefully. Wildlife to watch out for includes freshwater pink dolphins, sloths and meter-long green iguanas, as well as birds such as the curiously long-toed wattled jacana and the metallic-green Amazon kingfisher.

Iquitos
Linked to the outside world by air and by river, Iquitos is the world’s largest city that cannot be reached by road. It’s a prosperous, vibrant jungle metropolis and the northern Amazon Basin’s chief city, teeming with the usual, addictive Amazonian anomalies. Unadulterated jungle encroaches beyond town in view of the air-conditioned, elegant restaurants that flank the riverside; motorized tricycles whiz manically through the streets yet locals mill around the central plazas eating ice cream like there is all the time in the world. Mud huts mingle with magnificent tiled mansions; tiny dugout canoes ply the water alongside colossal cruise ships. You may well arrive in Iquitos for the greater adventure of a boat trip down the Amazon, but whether it’s sampling rainforest cuisine, the buzzing nightlife or one of Peru’s most fascinating markets in the floating shantytown of Belén, this thriving city will entice you to stay awhile.
Cruising the Amazon is an expensive business: the shortest trips can cost over US$1000. It’s a popular pastime, too, and advance reservations are often necessary (and often mean discounts). Cruises naturally focus on the Río Amazonas, both downriver (northeast) toward the Brazil–Colombia border and upriver to Nauta, where the Ríos Marañón and Ucayali converge. Beyond Nauta, trips continue up these two rivers to the Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria. Trips can also be arranged on the three rivers surrounding Iquitos: the Itaya, the Amazonas and the Nanay. Operators quote prices in US dollars. A useful booking website is www.amazoncruise.net.

Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria
At 20,800 sq km, Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria is the most immense of Peru’s parks and reserves. Pacaya-Samiria provides local people with food and a home, and protects ecologically important habitats. An estimated 42,000 people live on and around the reserve; juggling the needs of human inhabitants while protecting wildlife is the responsibility of some 30 rangers. Staff also teach inhabitants how to best harvest the natural renewable resources to benefit the local people and to maintain thriving populations of plants and animals.
The reserve is the home of aquatic animals such as Amazon manatees, pink and grey river dolphins, two species of caiman, giant South American river turtles and many other bird and animal species.
Lagunas is the reserve’s western entry point; it is also possible to access the eastern side of the reserve from Iquitos/Nauta. The area close to Lagunas has suffered from depletion: allow several days to get deep into the least-disturbed areas. With 15 days, you can reach Lago Cocha Pasto, where there are reasonable chances of seeing jaguars and larger mammals. Other noteworthy points in the reserve include Quebrada Yanayacu, where the river water is black from dissolved plants; Lago Pantean, where you can check out caimans and go medicinal-plant collecting; and Tipischa de Huana, where you can see the giant Victoria amazonica waterlilies, big enough for a small child to sleep upon without sinking.
Official information is available at the agencies offering Pacaya-Samiria tours in Iquitos and Lagunas.
The best way to visit the reserve is to go by dugout canoe with a guide from Lagunas and spend several days camping and exploring. Alternatively, comfortable ships visit from Iquitos.
If coming from Lagunas, Santa Rosa is the main entry point, where you pay the park entrance fee (often included in tour prices).
The best time to go is during the dry season, when you are more likely to see animals along the riverbanks. Rains ease off in late May; it then takes a month for water levels to drop, making July and August the best months to visit (with excellent fishing). September to November isn’t too bad, and the heaviest rains begin in January. The months of February to May are the worst times to go. February to June tend to be the hottest months, with animal-viewing best in the early morning and late afternoon. Travelers should bring plenty of insect repellent and plastic bags (to cover luggage), and be prepared to camp out.

Inka Trail - Km 88
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Santa Cruz Trek
The Santa Cruz is one of South America’s classic multiday treks: lightly trodden, spectacular from start to finish, and achievable by anyone of decent fitness who’s had adequate time to acclimatize. Running for 45km through the Cordillera Blanca between the villages of Vaqueria and Cashapampa, the trek takes hikers along the verdant Quebrada Huarípampa, over the (literally) dizzying Punta Union Pass (4760m) and down through the deeply gouged Quebrada Santa Cruz Valley.
Unlike the Inca trail, no permit system exists for the Santa Cruz, plus you can undertake it solo without a guide (although many Huaraz agencies offer the trip). The trail can be hiked in either direction but the easiest and recommended route is to head east–west from Vaqueria to Cashapampa. By starting in Vaqueria, you avoid a gruelling, hot and dusty ascent at the very beginning of the hike. Finishing in Cashapampa leaves you with more transport options at the end.
Head-turning sights along the way include emerald lakes, sensational views of many of the Cordillera’s peaks, beds of brightly coloured alpine wildflowers and stands of red qeñua (Polylepis) trees.
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Alpamayo Circuit Trek 90km
This is one of the more dazzling and demanding treks of the Cordillera Blanca and an alternative to the epic Huayhuash circuit further south. There are numerous variations, from seven- to 14 day itineraries, measuring 90km to 120km in length, so study the options carefully before you set out.
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