Your trip to Peru will be one of the most unforgettable ones in South America, in which you will find Inca ruins, historic cities, the wild nature of the Amazon, incredible landscapes of valleys, deserts and beaches, along with one of the best cuisines in the world. If you haven’t decided where to go specifically, here is a list of the best places to visit in Peru.
Cusco, declared a World Heritage Site, is one of the most beautiful cities in America. This ancient capital of the Inca Empire preserves very few buildings of this era, although in some of the colonial buildings you can see Inca remains on its walls, as the stone of twelve angles.
The main square is the epicenter of the city, in which its cathedral stands out. This place is chosen by many inhabitants to spend some hours in the afternoon, enjoying the life of Cusco.
Other amazing activities you’ll be able to do if you take a city tour in Cusco is to stroll through the beautiful artisan neighborhood of San Blas, get lost in the market of San Pedro, see the Inca remains of the Temple of the Moon or enter the Convent of Santo Domingo, built on the Temple of the Sun.
You can also read: How to get to machu picchu?
The central massif of the Peruvian Andes is one of the most spectacular places you can visit in this area of the world. This mountain range, full of imposing snow-capped peaks, glaciers and lagoons is the perfect destination for all lovers of mountaineering and trekking.
Huaraz is the gateway to the area, the most touristic city and probably the one with the best views you will find in this country, surrounded by peaks on all four sides, among which the Huascarán and the national park of the same name stand out.
From here you can take advantage of nearby hiking to see lagoons such as the Parón lagoon or the 69 lagoon, and even trekkings of several days like that of Huayhuash.
The good thing about Peru is that you can see different types of climates and regions within the same country. One of the most interesting places you can visit is the Amazon rainforest.
For example, you can go to Puerto Maldonado, where you can immerse yourself in the Tambopata National Reserve or go on a Manu National Park tour. They are both very special places and a good choice for all those who are traveling around Cuzco or its surroundings.
Another option is to visit the jungle in Iquitos, for which you will have to take a plane. Or, if you are really adventurous and you go without hurry, you can opt for the “barco carguero”, a boat where you travel in hammocks.
Once there we recommend you to spend a few days discovering the Amazon and enjoying places like the spectacular Pacaya-Samiria reserve, an experience you’ll have trouble forgetting.
A little less than 4 hours by bus from Lima is the Paracas National Reserve, located along the Peruvian coast, and another of the best places to see in Peru. This national reserve forms a unique ecosystem in the world that combines a desert area with a great marine diversity, due to the great abundance of food in the form of plankton.
We recommend visiting this protected natural area with a guide, so you won’t miss places like the red beach, fossil sites, the fauna and archaeological remains of the ancient Paracas Culture. Explained by an expert, they will bring you much closer to the history of this area of the country.
Very close to Paracas is another place to visit in Peru: the Ballestas islands. They are small rocky islands that are surrounded by small boats during excursions departing from the Paracas pier, to see a large number of birds, the Humboldt penguin colony and the sea lions. Definitely, taking a Ballestas islands boat tour is the best you can do!
You can also read: Ballestas islands – Paracas
Very close to the Paracas National Reserve, walking distance to the city of Ica, is the well-known Huacachina oasis. If you’ve never been in an oasis and you imagine them as in the movies, this place will not let you down as it is exactly so, water and palm trees in the middle of the desert.
This has not gone unnoticed by tourists from around the world, who take a Huacachina tour from Lima and flock to this spot to surf their sand dunes, ride on noisy buggies at full speed and watch beautiful sunsets.
These were just 5 spectacular tourist attractions to visit in Peru. The list goes on. As you see, its contrasting nature, exquisite cuisine and impressive culture make traveling to Peru a very complete experience. We hope this information has been useful to you!
Colourful Peru invites you to experience our country. We are committed to offer you the best options so you can live a Colourful journey. If you want to know more about our suggested journeys, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
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