Chinchero
The most extensive ruins here consist of terracing. If you start walking away from the village through the terraces on the right-hand side of the valley,…
Must-see attractions in Peru
Huaraz
On the east side of town, Jirón José Olaya is the only street that remained intact through the earthquakes and provides a glimpse of what old Huaraz…
Lake Titicaca
Dating from 1570, the adobe baroque church of San Juan de Letrán contains richly framed escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco School) paintings that depict the lives of…
Arequipa
A colonial sillar (white volcanic rock) church and convento (monastery) complex that, despite extensive destruction from earthquakes, still retains…
Huancayo
Displays fauna epitomizing Peru's three contrasting geographic regions, plus pottery and archaeology exhibits. What is there is well-presented, but it…
Arequipa
This baroque church was originally constructed in 1575, destroyed in an earthquake in 1868 and then rebuilt by the end of that century. The exterior is…
South Coast
On the Paseo Cívico, this 6m-high bronze fountain is said to have been created by the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame) but these…
Huancayo
Huancayo's cathedral presides over one side of the Plaza de la Constitución. The largest church in the city, it contains a few paintings from the escuela…
North Coast
La Casa de Logia, a block south of the main plaza, is a crumbling mansion with a 67m-long, 400-year-old balcony, said to be the longest colonial balcony…
Museo Chanka y de la Diversidad Lamista
Tarapoto
Small local museum in the town of Lamas, 25km northwest of Tarapoto, explaining the origins and manifestations of the town's strong folkloric culture..
Choquequirao
On the truncated peak, follow the water channel up from the lower plaza to these ruins that include a niche house and carved upper fountain.
Arequipa
This small church in Yanahuara dates from 1750. The highly venerated Virgen de Chapi was moved here after the 2001 earthquake destroyed the church it was…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
The eclectic Museo Ritos Andinos has somewhat-random displays including a mummified child, an impressive number of deformed craniums and possibly an alien…
South Coast
Follow the sound of crashing waves to this blowhole located just one block west of the malecón. There's a tiny beach, plus a few restaurants with perfect…
Santuario de la Virgen del Socorro
North Coast
This church above town is worth a visit. Built between 1535 and 1540, it is said to be the second-oldest church in Peru. There are sweeping views from the…
Arequipa
It's worth a peek inside this casona (large house); the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (UNSA) is located within its 18th-century colonial halls and…
Northern Highlands
This whitewashed church, officially known as the Catedral San Juan Bautista, sits on the Plaza de Armas. Its heavy black wooden doors rarely seem to open…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
Caraz's cathedral, the Templo de Piedra, dominates the Plaza de Armas. Built in a monumental style in 1870s, it's one of the few old churches in the…
Machu Picchu
At the lower end of this area is the Prison Group, a labyrinthine complex of cells, niches and passageways, positioned both under and above the ground.
South Coast
It’s a five-minute walk from the main plaza up to a scenic mirador (lookout) with great views of the town and its surrounding mountains.
Museo Departmental de San Martín
Northern Highlands
Moyobamba's tiny museum devotes most of its space to the Chachapoyas culture and its history including some unearthed ceramics and textile work.
Trujillo
Iglesia de Santa Ana is made of adobe and was one of the first iglesia for indigenous worshippers within a Spanish colonial city.
Central Highlands
Huánuco's main cathedral is sadly not much of a looker, but not ugly enough to detract from the agreeable Plaza de Armas that it faces.
South Coast
The Moorish, pastel-colored City Hall building was badly damaged in the earthquake and sits on the corner of the park awaiting repair.
South Coast
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame) designed the cathedral, noted for its fine stained-glass windows and onyx high altar.
Central Highlands
Second-place in Huánuco's church beauty contest doesn't take too much effort; still, congratulations to Iglesia de La Merced.
Pisac
If you are interested in textiles, it’s worth visiting this weaving community that’s a 40-minute trip by taxi from Pisac.
Arequipa
This colonial church in the city center of Arequipa has a white interior that contrasts with its gold-leaf picture frames.
South Coast
When temperatures are searing from January through to at least March, the beachside aquatic park opens alongside the sea.
Trujillo
The 1709 Casa de Mayorazgo de Facala mansion now houses Scotiabank, and is a great example of colonial architecture.
Ica
This hulking church withstood the 2007 earthquake and continues to show off its fine stained-glass windows.
Northern Highlands
A 10-minute stroll northwest along Salamanca brings you to this modest lookout with a city panorama.
Northern Highlands
This small museum in the town of Huamachuco houses pottery from the Huamachuco and other cultures.
Trujillo
This noteworthy central church has twin towers and was built around the turn of the 17th century.
Choquequirao
A residential area with inferior building quality where the lower classes may have lived.
Machu Picchu
Little is known about these mysterious ruins, located opposite the Principal Temple.
Trujillo
Iglesia de San Agustín has a finely gilded high altar and dates from 1558.
Lima
The now notorious Museo de Oro del Perú, a private museum, was a Lima must-see until 2001, when a study revealed that 85% of the museum’s metallurgical…
North Coast
The town of Huaura, opposite Huacho, is where José de San Martín is said to have first proclaimed Peru’s independence a full six months before his famous…
