Peru Guide
Peru is land of the Incas – fabled city of Macchu Picchu and Inca capital Cuzco are must-sees. But there's much more, including pre-Inca sites such as the mysterious Nazca, high altitude Lake Titicaca with its reed island inhabitants and lively capital Lima.
Lima is a brash, modern city superimposed on a much older settlement; both Spanish colonial and pre-Columbian vestiges remain. The jewel of the Incas is Cuzco; its temples have withstood earth tremors better than any architecture since. The well-preserved colonial architecture of Arequipa gives that city a distinctly Spanish air.
Sample the nightlife in Lima and the pisco (grape brandy) and wine at the vineyards of Ica. Ride a horse around Inca sites scattered on the outskirts of Cuzco and sandboard down skyscraper-high dunes by the Huacachina oasis. Take an all-day boat trip across glassy Lake Titicaca and fly over the Nazca lines to decide their meaning for yourself.
Bring back a bottle of pisco (and a pisco sour recipe) from Ica and watch your ceramic pot being fired at Nazca. Shop for Indian crafts at Pisac market and silver jewellery in Cuzco. Barter for typical tapestries on the Uros reed islands and stay warm at high altitudes with Punos alpaca woollens.
Be surprised by Peruvian cuisine, from ceviche (seafood marinated in spices and lime juice) and parihuela (rich seafood stew) on the coast, to roast guinea pig and alpaca steaks in the Andes. Lake Titicaca is home to tender pejerrey fish, while more than 200 varieties of potato are made into dishes such as papa a la huancaina, served with spicy cheese sauce.
Get a view of Macchu Picchu away from the crowds by climbing Putukusi peak, whose base is in the small town of Aguas Calientes. It's a fairly steep climb that takes about an hour, but you'll be rewarded with a great panorama of the site and surrounding landscape from an unusual angle.
