South Coast
A tiny settlement 6km further up the valley from Lunahuaná, Catapalla is a traditional mountain village with quiet, traffic-free streets and a pretty…
Must-see attractions in Peru
Central Highlands
This ruin is also known as the Temple of the Crossed Hands because of its highlight, a life-sized mud molding of a pair of crossed hands that dates to…
Cajamarca
Outgunning the cathedral on Plaza de Armas is this elaborate church with striking stone carvings and decadent altars. Unlike other illustrious Cajamarca…
Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén
Amazon Basin
North of Oxapampa rear the cloud-capped hills of this little-visited park, preserving spectacular cloud forest and diverse flora and fauna, including the…
Northern Highlands
This interpretation center 15 minutes west of the village of San Lucas de Pomacochas maintains feeders on a private reserve that attracts the Marvelous…
South Coast
Provoking many visitors to make the trip all the way down from Lima, this former slave plantation with its stately hacienda offers a window into race and…
Amazon Basin
This lake, 15km south of Iquitos, is served by minibus (S2) several times an hour from near Plaza 28 de Julio (corner of Bermúdez and Moore), as well as…
Tarapoto
You’ll find good swimming, boating and fishing at this popular local spot, also called Laguna de Sauce. Day tours (S85 per person, minimum two people) and…
South Coast
Located on the site of the former cathedral, this museum funded by a multinational mining company is an excellent little repository of local…
Cuzco
Winning entries in Cuzco’s annual Popular Art Competition are displayed in this engaging museum. This is where the artisans and artists of San Blas…
South Coast
Just before the Lagunillas turnoff, a spur road branches off the main La Mina road and heads to the southwest for a few kilometers to a parking area near…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
A demonstration of the Incas’ mastery over their environment, this extensive Inca site consists of some impressive terracing at the head of a small valley…
South Coast
This 43-hectare archaeological site is an outdoor gallery of pre-Hispanic art and is considered to be one of the most important collections of rock art in…
South Coast
This vast desert reserve occupies most of the Península de Paracas and houses remote beaches backed by dramatic arid landscapes and plenty of wonderful…
Museo Arqueológico Municipal de Moche
North Coast
Not to be confused with the Museo Huacas de Moche at the Huaca de la Luna site, this museum on the main square in the town of Moche houses around 500…
Lake Titicaca
These pre-Inca ruins are spread out across a large area above the town and consist of nine pyramid-like structures, the largest of which gives the site…
Nazca & Around
The most popular excursion from Nazca, this cemetery, 28km south of Nazca, will satisfy any urges you have to see ancient bones, skulls and mummies…
Trujillo
Northeast of the cathedral, this c 1735 mansion, also known as Casa de los Léones, is considered to be the best-preserved mansion of the colonial period…
Tarapoto
Some deride it as a tasteless white elephant; others laud it for its eccentricity. Whatever your position, this ‘mock’ Italian castle that rises out of…
South Coast
Right next to the park visitor center, in front of the Paracas Necropolis burial grounds on Cerro Colorado, this recently expanded museum features…
Bosque de Piedras de Pampachiri
Central Highlands
A stunning bosque de piedras (rock forest) standing out of a plain in surreal, conical shapes. The village of Pampachiri, about 2½ hours' drive south of…
Puerto Maldonado
Although this strangely cosmic blue building, surrounded by statues of locals in various poses of labor outside, was designed as a modern mirador (lookout…
Chiclayo
This is one of Peru’s most interesting markets, sprawling over several blocks. Most notable for tourists is the mercado de brujos (witch doctors’ market)…
Nazca & Around
Like Nazca, Palpa is surrounded by perplexing geoglyphs, the so-called Palpa Lines, which are serially overshadowed by the more famous, but less abundant,…
Trujillo
Owned and maintained by Banco Central de la Reserva del Perú since 1972, this beautiful colonial mansion’s history dates to 1604, though the original…
South Coast
This beach is a short drive or walk south of Lagunillas on a dirt road and has gentle waters that make it the best swimming area in the reserve…
Hacienda Concepción Research Center
Amazon Basin
Formerly the ITA Aceer Tambopata Research Center, Inkaterra’s reconstructed lodge, 8km downriver from Puerto Maldonado, is an important research center of…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Dating from the 17th century, this Jesuit church houses many carvings and paintings, including a canvas of the Immaculate Conception attributed to Esteban…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Named after the Inca site of Rimactambo, Limatambo is popularly known as Tarawasi. The site was used as a ceremonial center and a resting place for the…
Nazca & Around
On the east side of town, this excellent archaeological museum has an aqueduct running through the back garden, as well as interesting reproductions of…
Central Highlands
Dazzling on a sunny day when the surrounding mountains are mirrored in its waters, Laguna de Choclococha at 4700m is one of many lakes adorning the…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
A remote 4157m pass in the Cordillera Negra is the center of a huge stand of 5000 rare Puya raimondii plants; the biggest known for these 10m-tall members…
North Coast
This clean beach, accessed by a spur road south of the town of San Pedro de Lloc, has a fine long left break and has become a popular spot for those in…
Cajamarca
This garden-covered viewpoint, overlooking the city from the southwest, is a prominent Cajamarca landmark. It is easily reached by climbing the stairs at…
Arequipa & Canyon Country
This remote canyon is the deepest known canyon in the world - around twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, with stretches dropping down to below 3500m (11…
Iquitos
Every guidebook mentions the ‘majestic’ Casa de Fierro (Iron House), designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame). It was made in Paris in 1860 and…
Amazon Basin
There are many impressive waterfalls around San Ramón, but this 35m cascade is the most visited. El Tirol crashes down 5km east of San Ramón off the La…
Museo de Arte Virreinal de Santa Teresa
Arequipa
This gorgeous 17th-century Carmelite convent is open to the public as a living museum. The colonial-era buildings are justifiably famed for their…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
Many Peruvian towns have a cross on a hill with a path leading tantalizingly to the top, but no others have a pinch-yourself view of the snowy Huayhuash…
Central Highlands
A small astronomical observatory above Hospedaje Central takes advantage of Tarma's high-elevation location, where the clear nights of June, July and…
