Introducing Peru
Peru is an epic fantasyland. Imagine forgotten temples entangled in jungle vines, cobwebbed imperial tombs baking in the desert sun and ancient bejeweled treasures beyond reckoning. Wild rivers that rage around Cuzco, pumas that prowl in the night and hallucinogenic shaman rituals that are centuries old. After all, this is the South American country that chewed up and spat out empire after empire – even Inca warriors and Spanish conquistadors didn’t stand a lasting chance. No one could completely conquer this jaw-dropping terrain, from the Cordillera Blanca with dozens of peaks exceeding 5000m, down to the vast coastal deserts and the hot, steamy rainforests of the Amazon Basin.
Wanna take it easy? Follow the Gringo Trail that connects the country’s highlights, winding up to the mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Or step off the beaten path and groove to Afro-Peruvian beats during Carnaval, float in a slow boat down the Amazon and chase that perfect wave along a paradisiacal Pacific coastline.
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Hiker and his guide ascending to the peak of Nevado Vallunaraju, Cordillera Blanca region.
- Damian Turski
- Lonely Planet photographer
