Raub Kevin - Discover Peru Travel Guide

This Is Peru

Luminous archaeological sites? Check. Lush rainforest? Check. An arid coast lapped by a highly surfable Pacific swell? Check. Peru, it seems, has it all.

Every cranny of the Andes offers a unique glimpse into singular cultures. Not to mention incredible foods and enough natural wonders to keep a National Geographic photographer employed for decades. On the coast, adobe pyramids and ancient temples sit quietly amid shifting desert sands and bulging seaside cities. Here, the culture is boisterous infused with African soulfulness, indigenous know-how and the feistiness of the Spanish. The people are effusive and the music is bound to get your hips shaking.

To the east lie the Andes. This mountain range has served as the heart of countless empires. Its sights are staggering: mountains that seem to erupt from the earth into the heavens, plunging gorges, icy pinnacles and steamy cloud forest. Plus, of course, the masterful ruins of a civilization that could be put on par with ancient Rome in terms of size and infrastructure: the Incas. This is a place of chilly windswept plains and coffee-colored soil, where Catholic ritual veils indigenous belief, where the culture is stoic and the music is laced with pre-Columbian instrumentation. In comparison to the coast, it might as well be another planet.

Lastly, there is the Amazon the earths most fabled rainforest. It is in this tangled jungle that Peru fuses with the lowland cultures of so many other South American countries. This sprawling lowland area is home to companies of cackling macaws and playful pink river dolphins, as well as remote ethnicities that maintain a deep knowledge of the forest. Scattered about are old rubber boomtowns, where a previous centurys entrepreneurs left behind town squares dotted with tropical architecture.

All of this, combined, comes together to make up Peru. It is a wondrous, surreal mix of peoples, cultures, geographies, languages and food. Enjoy the trip. Its going to be an adventure.

Playing a traditional bamboo flute
PHOTOGRAPHER: RALPH LEE HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES

Perus Top Experiences

Machu Picchu

A fantastic Inca citadel lost to the world until its rediscovery in the early 20th century, Machu Picchu ( ) stands as a ruin among ruins. With its emerald terraces backed by steep peaks, and Andean ridges echoing on the horizon, the sight simply surpasses the imagination. This wondrous marvel of engineering has withstood six centuries of earthquakes, foreign invasion and howling weather (not to mention millions of foreign travelers). Discover it for yourself: wander through the stone temples and scale the dizzying heights. Youll be glad you did.

ARASH JAMES IRAVAN/GETTY IMAGES

Islas Ballestas

A barren collection of guano-covered rocks that protrude out of the Pacific Ocean, the Islas Ballestas ( ) support an extraordinary ecosystem of birds, sea mammals and fish. They also represent one of Perus most successful conservation projects. Boat trips around the islands cliffs and arches allow close encounters with barking sea lions, huddled Humboldt penguins and tens of thousands of birds.

MARKUS RENNER/GETTY IMAGES

A unique experience your children will never forget. ( )