Why Visit Peru

With arguably one of the famous ancient ruins in the world and a major highlight of any trip, Peru has much more to offer than just “Machu Picchu”. It has a culinary capital filled with colonial architecture, pristine beaches, high peaked mountains for those adventure seekers, an abundance of national parks with lush dense jungles, and a variety of wildlife. Here are a few of our highlights making Peru a bucket list destination

The ancient ruins

Machu Picchu is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most famous ancient sites of the world. The Inca ruins are best explored when hiking the Inca Trail, from a Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. A visit to the Nazca Lines is a must, experience a thrilling plane ride soaring above the Nazca Desert gazing below at the hundreds of simple lines and geometric shapes. There are over 70 designs of animals, such as birds, fish, monkeys and jaguars.

Culinary Delights

Peru is said to have some of the best cuisines in South America, with talk of the capital Lima soon becoming “South America’s Culinary Capital”. The must try dishes in Peru are Saltado, Ceviche Mixto, Empanadas, Tiraditi, Butifarra and Chicharron.

The Drinks

Peru is famed for its local drinks with the most popular being a cocktail called “Pisco Sour”. It is a sweet drink, made from lime, pisco (Peru’s National Drink), syrup, egg whites and bitter, and is very strong. If you are travelling to a place with high altitude the Peruvians recommend Coca Tea, a herbal tea infused with raw or dried leaves from the Coca plant, native to South America. The Inca region is famous for its wines.

Trekking

Peru is full of an abundance of different hiking and trekking trails on every traveller’s bucket list. One of our top recommendations is the less touristic trek, The Lares trek, which is best done in three to four days starting from Cusco, through the Lares Valley and arriving in Machu Picchu. The trail meanders through snow capped mountains, the opportunity to photograph different wildlife such as llamas, Andean foxes and birds, and passes through several local villages giving travellers interactions with people who inhabit the area. This trail is for the more adventurous trekkers; however you can find trail throughout Peru suitable for every traveller.

Wildlife by boat

There are over 14,500 different animal species in Peru, with 1,800 being different species of bird, it is no wonder that this is South America’s secret wildlife hotspot. Cruising the Amazon River is a great way to explore the tropical forest and spot monkeys, toucans, parrots, pink dolphins, reptiles and Jaguars. Near the city of Pisco are The Ballestas Islands, known as “The Poor Mans Galapagos”, home to sea lions, birds such as the Peruvian booby and Pelican, Humboldt penguins and if you are lucky dolphins. The only way the access these islands is by a small boat, but make sure you dress to protect yourself from wind, sun and spray.