Peru

Must-Do Peruvian Adventures

1. Tackle the Inca Trail: trekking the Inca Trail will leave you gasping with astonishment. Pass through Inca ruins and exotic cloud forests as you walk the worn Inca pathways to the glorious citadel of Machu Picchu. It’s an unforgiving but unforgettable journey.

2. Marvel at Machu Picchu: a mysterious lost city hidden for hundreds of years above the clouds, the view stretching from Machu Picchu across the Andean mountains is perhaps the most famous in all the world. This is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, and there’s no wonder why.

3. Island hop on Lake Titicaca: this revered body of water is South America’s largest lake and awash with possibilities for adventure travel. Clear azure blue waters are punctuated by ancient manmade floating islands, where indigenous communities with centuries-old customs await.

4. Gaze over Colca Canyon: easily as impressive, twice as deep but nowhere near as famous as the Grand Canyon, Colca is a 100 km long, 3000 metre deep canyon surrounded be volcanoes with snow peaked mountains in the distance. It’s home to decoratively adorned Quecha women, traditional Peruvian villages, and families of condors cruising on thermals above. 

5. Solve the mystery of the Nazca Lines: super-sized neoglyphs of animals, abstract symbols and geometric shapes etched into the desert, the Nazca Lines are spread across an astounding 500 sq km, and only visible from the sky. Their purpose and origin is a mystery, and we can we still only guess what they were made for: astronomical calendars, water worship or even extraterrestrial airports? Flying over these intricate ancient artworks will amaze you.

6. Roam the Amazon Rainforest: be overwhelmed in the Amazon Rainforest by the sheer mass of towering trees, damp and dense undergrowth, unusual flora, buzzing insects, animal noises and amazing wildlife sightings you won’t get anywhere else on the planet. Tragically, the forest is disappearing fast, but that’s all the more reason to visit before it’s too late. Travel responsibly and let your tourist cash contribute to the conservation of this most precious natural resource.

7. Adventure into the Andes: for an off-the-beaten-track adventure, try the Moonstone Trek or extend your Inca Trail trek with several days’ hiking around the snow-capped peak of Salcantay, or hiking in the Cordillera Huayhuash, the peaks made famous by Joe Simpson in ‘Touching the Void’.