Your great trip to Peru

Traveling around Peru, you can see a lot: the ancient cities of the Incas, as if lost in the Andes, colorful mountains reminiscent of a rainbow, beautiful beaches near the ocean and the dense Amazon jungle, a unique combination of Indian and colonial architecture, funny llamas that can be met at every step, magnificent mountain lakes and traditional reed boats, which are the forerunners of modern surfing. Peru is a country with many faces and a huge number of amazing sights.

Cities - Lima and Cusco

Almost all trips begin from airports and, most likely, your acquaintance with Peru will begin from large cities - Lima or Cusco. The city of Lima, the capital of Peru, is located on the Pacific coast, but its attraction for tourists lies not only in its beaches, but in the opportunity to immerse itself in the unique history and flavor of the former Spanish colony. The historic city center, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, invites visitors to see preserved buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries with traditional carved wooden balconies.

If you want to learn more about the ancient history of Peru before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, we recommend visiting the Larco Museum. Here you will find a rich collection of artifacts from the pre-Columbian era, including pottery, silver and gold. Particularly interesting is the erotic hall, where you can see unusual exhibits. After visiting the museum, you can take a taxi to the main square of the city. Here you can explore the Baroque Cathedral and the Monastery of St. Francis. The monastery is known for its luxurious library and dark catacombs. After the underground tour, be sure to stop by the Gold Museum. Here you will find amazing jewelry from ancient Native American cultures, such as funerary masks, ornaments, weapons and household items.

Cusco is often seen as a stopover point on the way to Machu Picchu, but the city itself - the former capital of the Inca Empire - has plenty of interesting places. Don't miss the opportunity to visit the baroque Armas Square and the ruins of the Temple of the Sun - the main sanctuary of the Incas, where the floor and walls were completely covered in gold. After the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, the temple was looted and destroyed, and in its place the Catholic Cathedral of St. Dominic was built.

The site, known as Coricancha in the Indian language, is impressive with its polygonal stonework and mixture of Spanish and Inca cultures. The walls of the Muyukmarka fortress are also striking: huge stones of various shapes fit tightly to each other. The fortress offers magnificent views of the city and the peaks of the Andes.

Machu Picchu

One of the most mysterious objects not only in Peru, but throughout the entire South American continent is the ancient Inca city, lost in the Andes mountains. This citadel is located at an altitude of almost 2,500 meters above sea level and is often shrouded in fog and clouds, which confirms the unofficial name “city among the clouds”.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century, but a century later, during the Spanish invasion, the Incas, for unknown reasons, abandoned this amazing city with its terraces, temples and residential areas. However, the conquistadors were unable to find this sanctuary, and Machu Picchu remained undiscovered by the Western world until the beginning of the last century. Thanks to long isolation, the architecture of this abandoned settlement has been preserved in its original form, impressing tourists with the Incan skill in construction and the level of development of their civilization. To visit Machu Picchu, you need to take the train from Cusco to the village of Aguas Calientes, and then either take a bus or walk 7 kilometers. Entrance tickets must be purchased in advance as availability is limited in order to preserve Inca heritage.

One of the most authentic, yet physically demanding ways to get to Machu Picchu is to trek the Inca Trail. This trail, created by Indians centuries ago, begins at the Urubamba River in the outskirts of Cusco and leads to a high-mountain sanctuary. It is one of the most popular hiking routes in South America: the classic trekking option takes 4 days and is about 45 km. Along the way, tourists pass through subtropical forests, climb hundreds of stone steps, climb a 4,200-meter mountain pass, enjoy panoramas of the snow-capped Andes and green valleys, and also visit archaeological excavations. To walk the Inca Trail, you must have a guide and purchase a tour from an accredited tour operator. Places should be reserved in advance, preferably several months beforehand.

Lake Titicaca

One of the highest navigable lakes in the world, Titicaca, is at an altitude of 3,812 meters and is known to many of us from geography lessons. Fewer people know about the existence of inhabited floating Uros islands on this lake. Many years ago, the local Uru Indians began to create these islands from growing reeds along the shores of the lake to escape from the Incas. The Incas have sunk into oblivion centuries ago, but many generations of Indians continue to live on the water: they build huts and floating boats, make fires and cook food, fish, hunt birds, and sometimes move around the lake. Tourists come to the larger islands to see the floating villages and experience the lifestyle of their inhabitants. To visit Titicaca and the floating islands, you need to take a bus to the city of Puno, from where travel agencies organize excursions.

Surfing in the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific coast of Peru offers excellent surfing opportunities. The resort town of Huanchaco is known as a world reserve for this extreme sport. Here you'll find sandy beaches, long waves and plenty of surf schools to help you get on the board and boost confidence in your skills. Interestingly, local narrow reed boats with curved bows are the forerunners of modern surfboards. For a change, you can also try riding the waves on these unique boats. To get to Huanchaco, you can fly into the large city of Trujillo and then take local transport or a taxi to the resort, or simply rent a car.

Rainbow Mountains

100 kilometers from Cusco, popular Rainbow Mountains are situated, also known as the Mountains of the Seven Colors. Shimmering in vibrant shades of red, turquoise, brown, white, orange and other rich colors, these mountains are a constant delight. The beauty of this place lies in the unique mineralogical composition of the rocks, and at its foot you can see cute llamas! You can take photos with them for a small fee. You must buy a tour to visit this place, and also be prepared, that you will have to walk for about an hour from the parking lot. If you do not like large crowds of tourists, then we advise you to visit the less busy Red Valley, which can be reached along the trail. In any case, it is important to be aware of possible altitude sickness, as this area is situated 5,200 meters above the sea level. Without prior acclimatization it will be difficult to climb.

Amazon Jungle

Iquitos city is the ideal starting point for exploring the Amazon, the largest river on Earth and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Surrounded by dense jungle, this city of about 440,000 people witnessed an economic boom during the rubber rush at the dawn of the 20th century. Incidentally, Iquitos is the largest city in the world without land connections to other cities, so it can only be reached two ways: either by plane from Lima, or by river through the jungle.

Your first stop in Iquitos should be at the local Amazon Indigenous Culture Museum and Amazon Rescue Center to immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of the region. You can then go on an excursion to the Amazon and the jungle. To avoid the dangers, it is recommended to join a guided tour or hire an experienced guide at one of the lodges located along the river. This way, you can enjoy the unique nature and mystery of the Amazon without putting yourself at risk.

Go on an amazing trip to South America, full of novelty and impressions, and don’t be afraid of being left without any connection with fedafone - we won’t allow this.