Our Destinations
“The world of cuisine was looking for diversity and they discovered Peru as the country with the most diversity. People wanted to taste what we have in Peru and it was then we decided to become a movement for this change and after a couple of years we came up with a strategy. We decided we will cook as Peruvians to put a value on our own ingredients, culture, traditions.”
— Gastón Acurio, Peruvian celebrity chef and ambassador, in an interview with The Daily Meal.
Cuzco and the Sacred Valley
The City of Cuzco nestled deep in the Andes at 3400m is the heartland of the Inca Empire and the central hub of tourist activity in Peru. Narrow cobbled stone passageways with Spanish colonial buildings constructed atop of beautiful Inca foundations define the city’s streets. Cuzco was considered the navel of the earth and the capital of the Inca empire – an empire that at its peak spanned north to Colombia, south to Chile and Argentina, and west across the Andes to the Amazon basin. The Incas were outstanding stonemasons and town planners which can still be noted today by admiring the walls that serve as foundations for colonial buildings. Cuzco is not only culturally fascinating and beautiful to look at, but also easily walkable on foot.
An hour’s drive north, the rural region of the Sacred Valley is home to more enigmatic ruins and the colorful artisan markets, rural communities as well as the most beautiful landscapes. At a lower altitude than Cuzco, the climate is considerably milder here making it the chosen area by the Incas, and later Spanish Conquistadors, as a resting place where they established their estates and country homes.
Lima
Lima is the capital of the country and the gateway to the rest of Peru. It is a modern metropolis with a population of over 8 million, which offers its visitors museums, dozens of art galleries, theater productions and every kind of top-notch cultural exhibition, along with the most sophisticated gourmet restaurants and their exquisite innovative cuisine. With several restaurants in Lima featured in the World’s Best 50 Restaurants, there’s no better place on the continent for gourmands to explore. During summer months (January to March) you can walk along the promenade or sail in Lima’s bay to the backdrop of picture-perfect sunsets.
Lima is a place of converging trends, created by its people and their living culture, where you will find every corner of Peru represented. One visit to Lima can never be enough. Lima, filled with colonial-era riches, is the only capital in South America that faces the sea.
The Rainforest
The Peruvian Amazon Region spreads out like a huge, green seemingly endless cloak. Linked to the world only by air and by the Amazon River. Iquitos is Peru’s most important city on the banks of the Amazon River and home to one of the largest hydrographic systems in the world. It’s home to some of the last isolated indigenous tribes and filled with 10% of the world’s species. The Amazon can be explored by luxury Amazon cruises or by basing yourself in a jungle lodge. Cruises are the most comfortable way to see the Amazon in Peru, which departs from Iquitos in the north of Peru. These excursions follow the Amazon River and rivers leading into the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Jungle lodges are in the Tambopata National Reserve in Puerto Maldonado and Manu National Park. Wildlife watching can be complemented by boat rides, climbing tree-top canopy walkways, or spotting colorful clay licks.
The difference centers on the experience being more water or land-based. Overall, the level of comfort is higher on a luxury cruise, though arguably lodges – especially the most remote lodge in Tambopata Research Center – offers a more ‘authentic’ and up-close wildlife experience.
Paracas and the Nazca Lines
Sail to the Ballestas Islands to spot sea lions or take a sand buggy ride in the desert at sunset and explore the Paracas National Reserve are some of the most recommended activities to do in this area.
The sand deserts of Ica reveal treasures of ancestral civilizations, such as the famous Nazca lines, carefully drawn in the sand and only visible from the air. On the other hand, the Paracas National Reserve, which includes the Ballestas Islands, with an incredible ecosystem, is home of the most magnificent marine life. The Paracas National Reserve, Peru’s only marine protected area, extends over a total of 335,000 hectares; it was created to protect large breeding populations of Humboldt penguins, South American fur seals, and sea lions as well as 63 migrant bird species for whom this area is an important stopover. A short distance away are the cities of Ica and Pisco, the wine center and home of the Peruvian national drink: Pisco Sour.
Arequipa and Colca Canyon
The White City of Arequipa not only has beautiful convents, temples, and grand old colonial houses, it also holds a wealth of gastronomy as a result of a mixture of native products of the ancient Pre-Columbian cultures combined with modern culinary techniques. We recommend exploring the Santa Catalina Monastery while in the city, a city within the city or drive out to the Sillar quarry to meet local quarrymen and understand how 'The White City' was built.
Additionally, the highlight of this destination is to visit one of the deepest canyons in the world: the Colca. The canyon is the natural habitat of the Vicuña, with the finest fibre in the world, and the condor that shows its majesty when flying a few meters just above our guests. Colca is located only four hours away from the city of Arequipa via a sublimely scenic drive through the ‘altiplano’ high plains.
Puno and Lake Titicaca
The Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and the cradle of many legends like the one that gave birth to the Inca Empire. Located in the city of Puno and sharing territories with Peru and Bolivia, nowadays the lake still shelters ancient cultures, such as the community of the Uros that inhabits floating islands made of reeds; and the Quechua people who live on Taquile Island and who still keep their traditions alive such as their unique and efficient social systems, as well as weaving techniques by hand, handed down from generation to generation. The fauna of the highlands and lake-dwelling indigenous populations are some of the main draws to Lake Titicaca. The folklore of these communities is often considered to be the richest in Peru with many notable religious celebrations.