Regions of Peru

Regions of Peru - Lima

Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is now the Capital City of Peru. After the Spanish settled and named it ´The City of the Kings´, Lima grew to become an important and powerful commercial trading centre for South America stretching from Santiago (Chile) to Quito (Ecuador). Once considered to be the wealthiest city in South America, the city boasts some of Americas´ finest Baroque and Renaissance buildings, Mansions, Churches and Palaces. Lima fell into decline when the Spanish created a rival vice regency in Rio de la Plata (River of the Silver), which later became supremely rich though the mining of Silver.

Nowadays, only the colonial buildings in the centre remain as a reminder to riches of the past. Modern day Lima has become a sprawling metropolis of extreme wealth and poverty. Shanty towns on the outskirts of the city are in extreme contrast to the wealthier inner suburbs of Baranco and Miraflores, where locals drive around in expensive cars and dine at expensive restaurants.

Modern day Lima has over 8 million residents, which represents one third of the Peruvian population. It is an often over-looked destination, considered an un-interesting and a dangerous city. However, if you take time to look under dust of Lima you will find that it offers incredible architecture, some of the best museums in South America and fantastic gastronomy.

 

Regions of Peru – Cusco

In the highlands of the Andean Mountain range, the region of Cusco offers some of the most spectacular sites the world has to offer. Located in southern Peru a short one hour flight from the capital Lima, Cusco is a stately and historic town, with cobbled streets and building foundations laid by the Incas over 5 decades ago.

 

As the capital of The Incan Empire and gate way to the imperial city of Machu Picchu, the city was once named - Q´osqo, meaning ´navel of the world´. Cusco was the center of the Incan Empire that stretched from Chile to Ecuador, and was responsible for all the political, economic and military decisions made during that era.

 

Cusco fell to the rule of the Spanish after the great battle of Saqsayhuamán in the fifteenth century, and was subsequently destroyed in the struggle for power, only the foundations of the city remained, which are still evident today.

 

Nowadays Cusco´s highlights include the Inca ruins such as the fortress of Sacsayhuamán on the hill top over-looking Cusco, the Temple of Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun and colonial-era baroque churches. 

 

Although foreign visitors to Cusco have increased at a rapid rate over the last few years, Cusco still holds onto its colonial past, preserving its unique character and enduring appeal despite its new found prominence. Definitely one of the highlights of Peru, if not South America!

 

Regions of Peru – The Sacred Valley

One hour north of Cusco and at a slightly lower altitude of 2,900 meters (9.500 ft), is the breath-taking Urubamba Valley also known as The Sacred Valley of The Inca´s. This 100km (62miles) stretch of beautiful Peruvian countryside largely remains unchanged, with Quechan speaking natives harvesting their crops in the large patchwork of colored fields, set below the mighty snow capped mountains of the Andes.

 

The valley eventually leads to Imperial city of Machu Picchu at the western end, but also features impressive Inca ruins of its own. The ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac are most often visited along with the smaller but equally interesting site of Moray. The daily artisan market of Pisac and the large Sunday market of Chinchero, where traders sell everything from fruit and vegetables to hand-made woven textiles, also draws visitors seeking to find something interesting and different. Many travelers to this region of Peru opt to base themselves in the Sacred Valley rather that Cusco, to take advantage of the lower altitude and warmer weather. There are many first class hotels located centrally in the valley, making it suitable for day trips to all the major places of interest.

 

Regions of Peru – Machu Picchu

Possible one of the best known Inca sites, and increasing becoming a destination of choice for many visitors to South America. Officially discovered by the historian and archeologist from Yale University – Hiram Bingham in 1912, Machu Picchu was one of the only Incan sites not to be destroyed when the Spanish invaded.  

Perched high up on the edge of a cliff set deep in the high jungle of Southern Peru, Machu Picchu fabled ´the Lost City of the Incas´ is truly a first class destination for many world travelers. Located 120km´s (75 miles) north-west of Cusco (the closest major city), the citadel was reputed to be an important place or retreat for the royalty and hierarchy of the Incan Empire.

Invisible from the Urubamba Valley below, Machu Picchu lay dormant for more than 4 centuries, nestled neatly at 2,800m (4,000 feet) above sea level. It was considered to have been abandoned by the Incas at the time of the Spanish invasion, and became something of folklore and mystery, until it was re-discovered hidden and preserved in the dense jungle of Vilcabamba.

Nowadays, each year the site attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. There are no roads to Machu Picchu, and most visitors arrive by train from Cusco or The Sacred Valley. There are daily departures from Cusco travelling up the sacred valley stopping at the small town of Ollantaytambo, before heading onto Machu Picchu. The journey is about 4 hours from Cusco, but combining the train with road transport from Ollantaytambo the journey time can reduced significantly. The well known Orient Express Group operate the only train service, and offer three classes of train, the Backpacker train, the first class Vistadome service which offers comfortable seats and carriages with larger windows, and finally the luxury class Hiram Bingham set in the style of the famous Pulman carriages of the 1920´s, the journey includes brunch on the way, and a 4 course silver service dinner on the return leg. 

Alternatively, if you are feeling energetic you can opt to hike the Inca Trail, which runs from KM82 the official start point in the Urubamba Valley, to Machu Picchu. The classic Inca Trail is a 4 day hike which takes you along a route of amazing beauty rising and falling through several high altitude passes, partially following the network of ancient Inca trails that connected the important Incan settlements. Following international pressure to preserve this historic trail, the Peruvian government now operates a permit system for entry to the trail. All trekkers must hike with a qualified and professional guide, with a maximum allowance of 500 permits available per day, which also includes porters and guides.

 

Regions of Peru – The Central Coast Line / Nazca & The Ballestas Islands

The long desert stretch of coast-line leading south from the capital - Lima is rich in history dating back some 3000 years to the Paracas era, and later to the Nazca era. The coast line also features the Paracas National Park and the Ballestas Islands, which offers visitors an amazing chance to see a diverse range of wildlife feeding from the rich waters of the Humboldt Current.

Some 440 km´s (275 miles) south of Lima etched into the sand in the Pampa desert, are the famous Nazca Lines. The Nazca people created a vast tapestry of trapezoids and triangles, creating some 70 strange animal and plant figures which have mystified observers for thousands of years. Also in this region a little further south from Nazca are the Aqueducts of Cantalloc, where there are some 35 beautifully built Incan or pre-Incan air vents which form part of the sophisticated underground water system. Also many visitors choose to visit the Cemetery´s of Cantolloc, a vast ancient burial ground, opened to the public in 1997, where you can find preserved open tombs, and mommies thought to be from the pre-Incan period.

 

Regions of Peru – Lake Titicaca / Arequipa / The Colca Valley

This region of Peru is a popular area for visitors looking to experience the distinctive rugged landscapes of Peru, formed by the natural canyons and rolling planes of the highlands.

Straddling the border of Peru and Bolivia in the far south of Peru, you can find the world´s highest navigable lake – Lake Titicaca, covering an area of more than 8,500 sq. km (3,280 sq. miles), and home to the amazing floating read Islands of the Uros Indians. The Uros Indians were said to have fled to the lake to protect themselves from conflicts of the Collas and the Inca´s, constructing floating islands made from totora reeds found in abundance around the shores of the lake.

 

In between Lake Titicaca and Arequipa, is the Colca Canyon, one of the most beautiful and scenic regions of Peru. The Canyon is reputed to be twice as deep as the Grand Canyon (USA) reaching depths of 3,400m (11,150 feet). It is a popular destination for trekkers and is a great place to see some of Peru´s famous wildlife such as the llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and the celebrated giant Andean condors.

 

Arequipa, also located in this region is the second largest city in Peru, founded in 1540, is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. The elegant and colonial centre of the city is constructed mainly from the white volcanic rock called sillar, which gives the city a white and almost Mediterranean feel. Arequipa has almost perfect weather year round, with clear bright sunny days and low humidity, that make it easy to spend time exploring this city and surrounding areas. The colonial center is abundant with sumptuous churches, mansions and stunning architecture. A popular destination with visitors is the Santa Catalina Convent, founded in 1579, and only opened to the public in 1972. The convent is a small labyrinth of cobblestone streets, plant lined passageways and beautiful plazas with dozens of small cells where more than 200 sequestered nuns once lived.

 

Regions of Peru – The Amazon Jungle

The Amazon Jungle a dense mainly impenetrable region of Peru covering some two-thirds of the country, and is considered to have the greatest bio-diversity on earth, offering some 595 different species of birds, 1,200 types of butterflies, 2,000 species of fish, 300 reptiles, and more than 50,000 plants.

Stretching along the eastern border of Peru, the Amazon Jungle is split into two regions the north and the south, within which there are several important national reserves, two of which ´Manu National Reserve´ and ´Tambopata National Reserve´ are located in the south. Tambopata National Reserve is popular and accessible region for eco-tourists and covers an area of some 275,000 hectares (680,000 acres). It´s proximity to Cusco, and accessibility by air make this reserve an excellent choice for visitors wanting to experience the Amazon without too much difficulty.

Iquitos founded on the rubber boom of the late 1860´s, in the Loreto district, accessible only by plane is the gateway to the northern Amazon. Connecting further north with the Columbian and Brazilian borders this large expanse of the Amazon is nearly the same size as the country of Germany. Eco-tourism has been active in here for over 50 years, and some of the best established eco-lodges and Amazon River Cruises can be found here.

 

Regions of Peru – Northern Peru

A somewhat forgotten region of Peru, and largely underdeveloped for tourism, northern Peru is less travelled than the more popular destinations of the south. However, this region also offers a plethora of interesting pre-Columbian archeological treasures, like Chan Chan the great adobe city of the Chimú civilization, the 1,500 year old Moche temples and the royal tomb that bought the great Lord of Sipán to the world´s attention in 1987. In addition to this, every year the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca draw thousands of extreme sports enthusiasts to climb, hike, hand-glide and white water-raft in one of the most rugged and beautiful places on earth. Increasingly becoming more popular over the last few years with sun seekers is the small beach resort of Mancora, which offers good clean beaches and some of the best surfing conditions in South America.

More and more visitors are travelling to the north of Peru and enjoying the delights of this largely untraveled road. However, you need to remember that you are still in a developing country, and the undeveloped road system makes for long journeys between destinations, and in places the quality of the food and accommodations can be somewhat different to that of the more developed southern destinations.