Best Places to Travel in Peru
To say Peru is a diverse country is quite an understatement. The third-largest country in South America has a coastal region bordering the Pacific Ocean for the length of the country, while the Andes Mountain range to the east hits heights of over 19,500 feet (5,950 meters). Peru’s neighbors to the north are Ecuador and Columbia; to the east is Brazil, and to the south are Chile and Bolivia.
Peru will excite you, inspire you and at over 10,000 feet, literally take your breath away.
Continue reading to learn more about what Peru has to offer.
Getting Around South America
Machu Picchu
Southern Peruvian Andes Mountains
7,970 ft / 2,430 m
Spanish arrival 1450
Ancient City of the Incas
Sitting at nearly 8,000 feet (2,400m), the most iconic image of ancient Incan life is unquestionably Machu Picchu. It is widely believed among archaeologists that the site was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti around 1450.
With the help of local Peruvian farmers, the American, Hiram Bingham, set out with the Yale Peruvian Expedition of 1911 and located the pre-Columbian city. His explorations brought awareness of the ruins to the international community.
Cusco
Southern Peru
11,200 ft /3,400 m
Pre-Columbia Era: Killke culture (1100)
Capital of Incan Empire (1200s-1532)
Spanish Arrival: 1533
Capital of the Incan Empire
Not far from Machu Picchu, Cusco sits at an elevation of approximately 11,200 feet (3,400 meters) in the southeast corner of Peru. It is the ancient capital city of the Inca Empire with a long and varied history.
The Killke culture occupied the area before the Incas arrived in the 13th century. The Spanish, lead by Francisco Pizarro, invaded Cusco in the 1500s and ultimately brought an end to one of the greatest empires in the world.
Cusco is now a major tourist destination. It is definitely one of the Top 5 Places to visit in Peru along with nearby sites Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas (a personal favorite of mine).
The main square in Cusco is Plaza de Armas. It includes the main Cathedral – La Catedral – constructed between 1560 and 1664. The plaza also contains the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus (Church of the Society of Jesus). Building began in 1576 using the colonial baroque style by the Jesuits.
Many historic events occurred in the plaza including Francisco Pizarro claiming Cusco for the Spanish in 1534 and the execution of the indigenous leader Túpac Amaru II who lead a revolt against the Spanish in 1780. Today it’s a tourist hub with restaurants and tour operators on the side streets.
Lima
Central Coast of Peru
0–5,090 ft / 0–1,550 m
Pre-Columbian Era: Maranga culture, the Lima culture, Wari Empire, Inca Empire
Spanish established Lima in 1535
The Miraflores District in Lima
In Lima’s Miraflores district, this coastal locale carries on the architectural tradition of the city center and infuses numerous parks and gardens into its neighborhood. A fine example of these two elements coexisting is the Iglesia Virgen Milagrosa (Iglesia Medalla Milagrosa) adjacent to Parque Central de Miraflores and Parque Kennedy.
The coastline of the Miraflores district in Lima, Peru shares an uncanny resemblance to the Pacific Coast Highway stretch in Santa Monica, California. Both have nearly identical bluffs perched high above the Pacific Ocean. (Though, truth be told, Lima’s bluffs are much taller.) The cities are roughly 4,200 miles (6,800 km) apart.
While in Miraflores, take a tour atop a double-decker bus cruising through its streets, admiring the many flower gardens and ride along El Malecón overlooking the Pacific Ocean. End your day with an enchanting sunset over el Pacífico.
Tour the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru (4 mins)
Take a video tour atop a double-decker bus cruising through the neighborhoods of the Miraflores District in Lima, Peru. Ride along overlooking the Pacific Ocean; admire the many flower gardens; get a taste of urban life and shopping in Miraflores; and end the day with a enchanting sunset over el Pacífico. Includes Circuito de Playas, Parque Central de Miraflores, Iglesia Medalla Milagrosa, Iglesia Maria Reina, Larcomar, La Rosa Nautica Restaurante, Malecón de la Reserva, Club Tennis Las Terrazas Miraflores.
Huaraz
Central Peruvian Andes Mountains
10,013 ft / 3,052 m
Spanish Arrival: 1533
Huaraz: Trekking in the Andes Mountains
Eight hours by bus from Lima, Huaraz sits at approximately 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) in the Callejon de Huaylas valley of the Peruvian Andes. With history that pre-dates the Incan Empire, the city is now the capital of the Ancash Region and the jumping off point for adventurers and mountaineers eager to go trekking. Huascarán National Park is a 40-minute drive outside of Huaraz. The park was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985.
Double room
Rooftop breakfast room
Bottles in Windows
Breakfast on the rooftop
Bottles in Windows on the rooftop
Rooftop breakfast room
View of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range from the rooftop breakfast room on a clear day
View of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range from the rooftop breakfast room on a clear day
Common room lounge
Rooftop Breakfast Room in Huaraz
Perched atop the Hatun Wasi Hostel in Huaraz, Peru, the breakfast room is a spectacular place to welcome the day. On a clear day, you’re graced with a majestic views of the famous Cordillera Blanca mountains. Located near the city, the range are in the Huascarán National Park and include 33 peaks that sit at over 18,000 ft (5,500 m).
Every morning the ladies of the hostel take special care of you and cook up a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bread, juice and coffee (in a lovely cup and saucer I might add) or as we said at the hostel (en español)…huevos revueltos, pan, jugo y café, por favor. Hatun Wasi Hostel is a delightful and friendly place to stay while you visit Huaraz and the local mountains. Reserve a room at Hatun Wasi in Huaraz. Insanely affordable at $21 for two people in a double room with private bath, $16 for a single, $10 for a bed in a 4-bed dorm room.
Lake Titicaca
Southeastern Peru
12,556 ft / 3,830 m
Pre-Columbian: Aymara, Inca Empire
Spanish Arrival: 1668
The Waters of Lake Titicaca from Puno, Peru
Puno is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca in the southeast portion of Peru. The lake shares its border with neighboring Bolivia. At 12,556 feet (meters) it is considered the highest navigable lake in the world. Known for its forty-two floating islands that the Uros native people made from totora reeds that grow in the lake, new reeds are woven into the islands approximately every three months to replace the rotting reeds.
Huanchaco
Northern Coastal Peru
Pre-Columbian: Chimú culture, Moche Civilization
Spanish Arrival: 1535 by Alonso of Escarcena and Juan de Barbaran
Surfing, Sunsets, and Ancient Architecture on the North Coast of Peru in Huanchaco
The quiet seaside town of Huanchaco, in the coastal region of La Libertad in northern Peru, is home to some of the longest surf breaks in the world. On a good day, some can carry you as far as a mile.
Lining the main beach are caballitos de totora, traditional Peruvian reed fishing boats. Some say they are the first form of surfing. Modern surfing has a long tradition in this town.
For about $30 USD per day, you can stay in an inexpensive and clean hostel, take a lesson at one of the local surfing schools (surf equipment rental included), and enjoy low-price, tasty, local food.
There is plenty of ancient architecture to explore in the area as well. Built around 1537, the second oldest church in Peru is the white church on the hill known as Santuario de la Virgen de la Candelaria del Socorro de Huanchaco.
About a 15-minute drive from the center of Huanchaco, Chan Chan is the archaeological site of the Chimú people. 45-minutes from the center, Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun) and Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) were created by the Moche people. Both civilizations existed before the Inca.
Head back to Huanchaco to end the day with one of the magnificent sunsets and watch the sky turning hues of pink and purple as the sun sinks in the sky.
Caballitos de totora – Huanchaco, Peru
Santuario de la Virgen de la Candelaria del Socorro de Huanchaco
Caballitos de totora – Huanchaco, Peru
Pacific Ocean – Huanchaco, Peru
Sunset – Huanchaco, Peru
