Peru

About country

From ancient cultures to bustling cities to extraordinary landscapes, few destinations have as much to offer visitors as Peru, an astonishingly varied country. Here you'll find panoramic mountain ranges, vast deserts, beautiful beaches and tropical jungle, not to mention fantastically rich history, archaeology, wildlife and enduring indigenous cultures. You can make a trip to Peru whatever you want it to be, whether it is trekking the Inca Trail or heading out to more remote places to explore the little-known areas of the country.
Images of the extraordinary remains of ancient civilisations will inevitably jump to mind. The Inca stronghold Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and photogenic archaeological sites in the world and the mysterious Nazca Lines boggle the brain, but there are hundreds of similarly fascinating and even older sites to discover.
The beautifully excavated ruins of Chan Chan near Trujillo are clues to a culture which presided for 600 years, and these ruins were once the largest pre-Columbian city in South America. Heading off the beaten track, up in the northern mountainous region of Peru you will find Kuelap, an ancient fortress and burial site of the Chachapoyas culture. These remains are far less visited than others and provide the adventurous traveller with a challenge.
All are set in stunning landscapes, whether parched desert coast, soaring sierra or remote rainforest overflowing with wildlife. Such a diverse landscape generates diverse pleasures; you can hike through snowy peaks one day, and relax on the beach the next; paddle a dugout through lowland rainforest or hop on a traditional reed boat on some of the world's highest lakes.

Sightseeing

A beautiful colonial city at altitude, Arequipa is the gateway to Colca Canyon and holds much history in its own right. See the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a mini city where for hundreds of years nuns lived their entire lives, and visit Juanita, the perfectly preserved sacrificial Incan girl in the Museo Santuarios Andinos.
Found deep within the Colca Canyon region, this highlight is the viewpoint from which condors majestically soar up the canyon on the morning thermals. You can reach it from Arequipa via either a tour group or a long, bumpy ride on public transport through stunning scenery.
An oasis in the Peruvian desert near Ica, surrounded by pristine sand dunes, Huacachina is a place for relaxation and fun. It is becoming well known for its facilities for dune buggying and sand boarding, and is great for either a day trip or to chill out for a few days.
If you’re looking for impressive Incan ruins, Sacsayhuamán is a great place to explore on horseback. This is the most impressive of Cusco's four neighbouring Inca ruins (the others are Puca Pucara, Qenko and Tambo Machay). On 24 June, thousands celebrate the Inti Raymi festival here.

Traditions

Peru will also lead visitors into a world of art and age-old wisdom, the legacy of major pre-Hispanic civilizations such as the Quechua, Aymara and jungle peoples, whose view of the world was based on their observation of the Heavens and Nature.
Over the course of centuries, Peru incorporated the cultural contribution of European, African and Asian migrants.
    
People from Cajamarca

A diverse nation featuring many cultures, Peru is an endless wellspring of creativity. In addition to its historic, archaeological and architectural legacies, folk art is another of Peru's tourist attractions.
Its rich folklore is evident in more than 1,500 musical genres, combining instruments from the outside world with native Andean equivalents, such as the quena and zampoña flutes, which provide the accompanying music for more than 3,000 festivals such as the Candelaria, Inti Raymi, Carnivals, Corpus Christi and Easter Week.
At the same time, Peru boasts one of the most exquisite and varied cuisines on Earth, as local chefs have succeeded in adapting a diverse variety of native ingredients while remaining open to outside influences. Peru's cooking is an invitation to discover flavors and fragrant smells which are as authentic as they are ancient.

Cuisine

The hot and spicy nature of Peruvian food, created by ají and ajo (garlic and hot pepper), has become celebrated at home and abroad. However, there are plenty of non-spicy dishes going too, so you’ll be able to find something you like.
Peruvians enjoy a wide variety of vegetables; there are over 2,000 kinds of indigenous and cultivated potatoes alone. Table service is the norm in hotels and restaurants and many also offer buffet-type lunches. For a traveller, the menús del día are a good way to experience local foods at low prices, but brace yourself for lots of carbs and unidentifiable meats. While you’re at the coastal regions in particular you should take advantage of the cheap, delicious and varied fruits available from the markets (but don’t forget to peel them!).