Why Peru
Peru is a true adventure with ancient cities and temples deep in the jungle, astonishing landscapes and wild nature.
Cusco - considered the Center of the World to the builders of Machu Picchu - is today a bustling city that beckons the traveler with both its awe-inspiring Incan and Spanish Colonial architecture and its delightful surrounding countryside.
An efficient train service runs daily from Cusco to Machu Picchu citadel, or the more adventurous may prefer to arrive walking via the Inca Trail. The citadel of Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 15th century, but was lost until 1911, when Prof. Hiram Bingham of Yale University found it buried under four centuries of the same kind of lush vegetation that surrounds it today. In addition to its spectacular natural surroundings, the visitor will be astounded by the stonework of Machu Picchu.
Half-way between Cusco and Machu Picchu lies the surprising Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Previously the breadbasket of Cusco, today the Sacred Valley is a peaceful retreat where the traveler can also find spectacular ruins, an unforgettable handicraft market and first-class accommodations.
Amazon travel is still conducted by river boat, though the jet age has brought Puerto Maldonado airport less than an hour's flight from Cusco. It's no wonder that Puerto Maldonado is known as the world’s capital of biodiversity. The nearby Manu National Park and Tambopata-Candamo Reserve offer what may be the best wildlife viewing in the entire Amazon Basin.
Manu National Park, half size of Switzerland, boasts more than 200 species of mammals including 12 kinds of primates, more than 800 species of birds, the highest diversity of amphibians in the Amazon Basin, and more insect species in one tree than all the insect species recorded in the British Islands.
Tambopata-Candamo Reserve shelters dozens of endangered species, and is home to macaws, herons, kingfishers as well as scores of other rare birds that are seen nowhere else on earth.
Amazon travel near Puerto Maldonado means delightful jungle lodges that are far from civilization and dedicated to helping their visitors gain a full appreciation of the magnificent natural surroundings. It also means exploring rivers, oxbow lakes and trails deep in the pristine jungle, where the visitor can view the most astounding flora and fauna.
This is the Amazon region at its best in the wilds surrounding Puerto Maldonado!
Three and a half hours from Puno by boat lies the Island of Taquile, where life has remained unchanged from centuries and weavers still craft traditional textiles. North of Taquile is the Island of Amantani, famed for its woven straw baskets. An overnight stay on one of these islands is an unforgettable experience and highly recommended.
Surrounding the lake, dozens of colonial settlements and their ornate churches bear witness to the lake’s importance during colonial times. Puno is famed as the folklore capital of Peru. Be sure to take in at least one of the innumerable folk festivals that punctuate Puno’s festival calendar. The Virgen de la Candelaria, held in February, is a three-day spectacle rich in traditional folklore.
The Plaza Mayor (or main square) is flanked by the Government Palace, the City Hall and the Cathedral. Torre Tagle, an exceptionally beautiful mansion built in 1735, today houses the offices of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Nearby, the recently renovated Palacio de Osambela, built between 1803 and 1805, serves as a venue for art exhibitions and cultural events.
Dozens of Lima's colonial churches are gems of Ibero-American architecture, such us San Francisco, founded in 1535, and La Merced, whose earliest construction pre-dates the founding of Lima. Modern Lima is a mix of architectural styles and beautiful gardens, especially Miraflores and San Isidro, popular commercial districts with excellent shops, art galleries and restaurants. Barranco, home to Lima's best known artists and writers, is filled with bars and night clubs.
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Inca City of Cusco |
Cusco & Macchu Picchu - the heart of the Inca Empire
Cusco and Machu Picchu were at the centre of the Inca Empire and remain the central tourist destinations in the Andean countries of South America.Cusco - considered the Center of the World to the builders of Machu Picchu - is today a bustling city that beckons the traveler with both its awe-inspiring Incan and Spanish Colonial architecture and its delightful surrounding countryside.
Machu Picchu |
An efficient train service runs daily from Cusco to Machu Picchu citadel, or the more adventurous may prefer to arrive walking via the Inca Trail. The citadel of Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 15th century, but was lost until 1911, when Prof. Hiram Bingham of Yale University found it buried under four centuries of the same kind of lush vegetation that surrounds it today. In addition to its spectacular natural surroundings, the visitor will be astounded by the stonework of Machu Picchu.
Half-way between Cusco and Machu Picchu lies the surprising Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Traditional Peruvian Musicians |
Amazon Basin of Peru - Puerto Maldonado, Manu & Tambopata
Amazon travel is at its best in the vicinity of Puerto Maldonado, tucked away in southeastern Peru at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers.Amazon travel is still conducted by river boat, though the jet age has brought Puerto Maldonado airport less than an hour's flight from Cusco. It's no wonder that Puerto Maldonado is known as the world’s capital of biodiversity. The nearby Manu National Park and Tambopata-Candamo Reserve offer what may be the best wildlife viewing in the entire Amazon Basin.
Manu National Park, half size of Switzerland, boasts more than 200 species of mammals including 12 kinds of primates, more than 800 species of birds, the highest diversity of amphibians in the Amazon Basin, and more insect species in one tree than all the insect species recorded in the British Islands.
Tambopata-Candamo Reserve shelters dozens of endangered species, and is home to macaws, herons, kingfishers as well as scores of other rare birds that are seen nowhere else on earth.
Amazon travel near Puerto Maldonado means delightful jungle lodges that are far from civilization and dedicated to helping their visitors gain a full appreciation of the magnificent natural surroundings. It also means exploring rivers, oxbow lakes and trails deep in the pristine jungle, where the visitor can view the most astounding flora and fauna.
This is the Amazon region at its best in the wilds surrounding Puerto Maldonado!
Puno - on the shores of Lake Titicaca
Perched at a breathtaking 3,800 meters (12,400 ft.) above sea level, Puno and the surrounding countryside are the cradle of the Aymara civilization and the legendary birthplace of the founders of the Inca Empire. Puno lies on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, from whose waters the Inca believed Manco Capac, their cultural founder, emerged. Many ethnic groups like the Uros still depend on the resources of the lake for their living. The Uros themselves dwell on the floating islands they build with the lake’s reed vegetation. Near Puno, overlooking Lake Umayo, are chullpas, or burial towers, that once served as the tombs of high-ranking Aymara Lords.Three and a half hours from Puno by boat lies the Island of Taquile, where life has remained unchanged from centuries and weavers still craft traditional textiles. North of Taquile is the Island of Amantani, famed for its woven straw baskets. An overnight stay on one of these islands is an unforgettable experience and highly recommended.
Surrounding the lake, dozens of colonial settlements and their ornate churches bear witness to the lake’s importance during colonial times. Puno is famed as the folklore capital of Peru. Be sure to take in at least one of the innumerable folk festivals that punctuate Puno’s festival calendar. The Virgen de la Candelaria, held in February, is a three-day spectacle rich in traditional folklore.
Lima – The City of Kings
The mansions and churches of colonial downtown Lima and the modern suburbs of San Isidro, Miraflores and Monterrico, make Lima a study in contrasts. More than seven million people, a third of Peru's population, live in the capital city of Peru, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Founded by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro, Lima is also known as the City of Kings for its founding at Epiphany in 1535. For more than 300 years, Lima was the most important city and the greatest metropolis in South America. Vestiges of Lima's colonial heyday remain today in downtown Lima:The Plaza Mayor (or main square) is flanked by the Government Palace, the City Hall and the Cathedral. Torre Tagle, an exceptionally beautiful mansion built in 1735, today houses the offices of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Nearby, the recently renovated Palacio de Osambela, built between 1803 and 1805, serves as a venue for art exhibitions and cultural events.
Dozens of Lima's colonial churches are gems of Ibero-American architecture, such us San Francisco, founded in 1535, and La Merced, whose earliest construction pre-dates the founding of Lima. Modern Lima is a mix of architectural styles and beautiful gardens, especially Miraflores and San Isidro, popular commercial districts with excellent shops, art galleries and restaurants. Barranco, home to Lima's best known artists and writers, is filled with bars and night clubs.