People travel for many reasons: some to experience nature, others to experience a different culture and some to relive the past. These are just three reasons to visit Peru. But, wait. There’s more. Peru is Pacific Ocean beaches. It is the deserts of the south. It is the Andes Mountains, some of the highest in the world. It is the Amazon River jungles.
Peru definitely is a different culture. It is populated by indigenous tribes who have lived in this South American country for centuries, such as the Uros who still live in floating houses on Lake Titicaca. In many small cities colorful markets can be found where shoppers bargain and haggle over produce and tourists come to buy locally made handicrafts. It is a photographer’s paradise.
In a previous article we’ve covered Peru’s top attractions. Here’s a look at some more amazing attractions that are perhaps not as well known but are well worth a visit.
Kuelap combines ancient ruins with a cloud forest and the Amazon River. Kuelap is an ancient walled city built by the Chachapoyans, also known as the Cloud People, who lived where the Amazon carved a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon in the Andes. The fortress at Kuelap is the largest one in South America and pre-dates the Incas. Orchids and bromeliads grow inside the fortress.
Cordillera Blanca is a mountain adventurer’s dream, offering hiking, climbing and mountain biking. Located in northern Peru, it has 16 peaks more than 6,000 meters (19,000 feet) high, earning it the nickname of “the highest tropical mountain range in the world.” Part of the Andes, Peru’s highest mountain, Huascaran, is located here. Cordillera Blanca also is a good place to see ruins of pre-Inca cultures.
flickr/dachalanSacsayhuaman is an ancient walled complex overlooking Cusco. The Incas built Cusco in the shape of a puma, which was one of their symbols, with Sacsayhuaman as its head. Sacsayhuaman is considered one of man’s greatest building feats. The fortress walls were built with huge boulders that dwarf humans; pieces were cut to fit so mortar wasn’t needed. The foundations can be seen today.
The Lord of Sipan, who reigned around 100 AD, has been called the King Tut of the Americas because of the richness of his tomb. It is considered one of the richest archaeological discoveries in recent times. Sipan was king of the Moche who ruled along Peru’s northern coast centuries before the Incas. They were the best metallurgists of ancient times; their treasures can be seen in the Bruning Museum a few miles away.
Salinas de Maras is located along the slopes of Qaqawiñay mountain in the Urumbamba Valley. This salt mine is a complex network of nearly 3,000 salt pans, shallow pools that are filled by highly salty water from an underground spring. The salt pans are believed to have been developed in pre-Inca times and today are still actively hand-harvested by local families during the dry season, May through November.
This vast national park in the Amazon Basin is one of the best places in South America to see a stunning variety of tropical wildlife. With patience, wildlife is seen in most areas. During a one-week trip, visitors can reasonably expect to see many different bird species, several kinds of monkey and a few other mammals. The best time to visit Manu National Park is during the dry season, between June and November.
Remote, spectacular, and still not entirely cleared, Choquequirau is the sister city of Machu Picchu. Built in a completely different style than Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is much larger in area but not quite as spectacular. The hike to Choquequirao can be made with a trekking tour of three to four days and has become an increasingly popular alternative to the Inca Trail. Tours leave Cusco on demand and pretty much daily during tourist season.
flickr/JaePisac Market is a great place to experience the flavor of a picturesque Andean town market. The biggest market of the week is on Sunday, with smaller markets on Tuesday and Thursday. Travelers can see locals bargain over produce in the main market. A special “tourism” market offers locally made handicrafts. Good buys are local ceramics, including hand-painted beads. Pisac is about an hour’s bus ride from Cusco.
Paracas National Reserve, on Peru’s southern coast, is a desert reserve that occupies most of the Península de Paracas. Nature Conservancy says it’s a great example of Pacific subtropical coastal desert, with desert extending right to the beach. The area produces food for a wide variety of animals, including sea-lions, dolphins and 215 types of birds. The reserve also contains dozens of ruins of the Paracas people who lived there in ancient times.
flickr/Carlos VieiraOllantaytambo is an ancient Inca temple and fortress as well as a village located at the northwestern end of the Sacred Valley. This is where the Incas retreated after the Spanish took Cuzco. Below the ruins is the old town of Ollantaytambo. The town lies on top of Inca foundations and is one of the best examples of Inca town planning. Much of the town is laid out in the same way as it was in Inca times. Nowadays Ollantaytambo is a popular tourist destination and one of the most common starting points for the Inca Trail.
Miraflores is THE beach resort and entertainment center in Lima. Tourists and expats flock there to eat in fine restaurants, shop for local handcrafts and antiques, relax, party in a club, gamble at a casino, and just enjoy themselves. This Pacific Ocean beach also is popular with surfers and paragliders. The district is home to the Huaca Pucilana, an on-going archeological dig of pre-Inca culture.
The vast adobe city of Chan Chan in Peru was once the largest city in pre-Columbian America. It is estimated that around 60,000 people lived in the city. The city was built by the Chimu around 850 AD and lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire in 1470 AD. Although Chan Chan must have been a dazzling sight at the time, devastating floods and heavy rainfall have severely eroded the mud walls of the city. Today the most impressive aspect of the site is its sheer size.
12 More Amazing Attractions in Peru12 More Amazing Attractions in Peru
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