Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet: Peru

Peru is as complex as its most intricate weavings. Festivals mix ancient pageantry with stomping brass bands. The urban vanguard beams with artistry and innovation. Trails mark the way from dense jungle to glacial peaks.

A visit to South America isnt complete without a pilgrimage to the glorious Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, but, the truth is, this feted site is just a flash in a 5000-year history of peoples. Walk through the dusted remnants of a vast ancient city at Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian ruins in all the Americas. Fly over the puzzling geoglyphs etched into the arid earth at Nazca. Or venture into the rugged wilds that hem the stalwart fortress of Kuelap. Limas great museums, with priceless ceramics, gold and some of the finest textiles in the world, reveal in full detail the sophistication, skill and passion of these lost civilizations. Visit remote communities and see how old ways live on. Immerse yourself, and you will leave Peru a little closer to the past.

Some cultures are haunted by the existential. For many Peruvians, the question that gnaws at them daily would seem simple: what to eat? Ceviche with slivers of fiery chili and corn, stews simmered for hours in beer and cilantro, velvety Amazonian chocolate. In the capital of Latin cooking, so many choices can be perplexing. Great geographic and cultural diversity has brought ingredients ranging from highland tubers to tropical jungle fruits to a cuisine created with the complex history of Spanish, indigenous, African and Asian influence. The truth is, fusion existed here long before it came with airs. Treat your taste buds with missions to the chaotic markets. Sample grilled anticuchos (beef skewers) on the street corners and splurge a little on exquisite novoandina (Peruvian nouvelle ) cuisine. Because going hungry was never an option.

Giant sand dunes, chiseled peaks and Pacific breaks a few heartbeats away from the capitals rush-hour traffic: from downtown Lima to smack-dab nowhere, this vast country translates to paradise for the active traveler. All the usual suspects rafting, paragliding, zip lines and bike trails are present. But that doesnt mean your adventure has to be an Olympic event. It could be spotting scarlet macaws and following big cat tracks in the Amazon, watching the sun set over the dusty remnants of an ancient civilization, or joining a holy pilgrimage to an Andean peak believed to be a god. Our advice? Dont rush. Set out to do less than you think you should. Delays pop up. Festivals can swallow you whole for days. And thats when you realize: the adventure is getting there.

San Antonio Pass, Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit ( ) KELLY CHENG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES

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 that echo on the horizon, the sight simply surpasses the imagination. Beautiful it is. This marvel of engineering has withstood six centuries of earthquakes, foreign invasion and howling weather. Discover it for yourself, wander through its stone temples, and scale the dizzying heights of Wayna Picchu.

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Floating Reed Islands, Lake Titicaca

Less a lake than a highland ocean, the Titicaca area is home to fantastical sights, but none more so than the surreal floating islands crafted entirely of tightly woven totora reeds. Centuries ago, the Uros people constructed the Islas Uros ( ) in order to escape more aggressive mainland ethnicities, such as the Incas. The reeds require near-constant renovation and are also used to build thatched homes, elegant boats and even archways and childrens swing sets. See this wonder for yourself with a homestay visit that includes fishing and learning traditional customs.

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Hiking in the Cordillera Blanca

The dramatic peaks of the Cordillera Blanca ( ) stand sentinel over Huaraz and the surrounding region like an outrageously imposing granite Republican Guard. The range is the highest outside of the Himalayas, and 16 of its ostentatious summits breech 6000m, making it the continents most challenging collection of summits-in-waiting. Glacial lakes, massive Puya raimondii plants and shards of sky-pointed rock all culminate in Parque Nacional Huascarn, where the Santa Cruz trek rewards the ambitious with a living museum of razor-sharp peaks.

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Colonial Arequipa

Perus second-largest metropolis bridges the historical gap between the Inca glories of Cuzco and the clamorous modernity of Lima. Crowned by some dazzling baroque- mestizo architecture hewn out of the local white sillar rock, Arequipa ( ) is primarily a Spanish colonial city that hasnt strayed far from its original conception. Its ethereal natural setting, amid snoozing volcanoes and the high pampa is complemented by a 400-year-old monastery, a huge cathedral and some interesting Peruvian fusion cuisine eloquently showcased in traditional picanteras (spicy restaurants).

Arequipas cathedral ( ), LINDA WHITWAM/GETTY IMAGES

Parque Nacional Manu

Traverse three climatic zones from rearing Andean mountains to mist-swathed cloud forest on the lower slopes en route to the bowels of the jungle in Parque Nacional Manu ( ), the Amazons best adventure. Manu has long been Perus best-protected wilderness, brimming with opportunities to see fabled jungle creatures such as the anaconda, tapir, thousands of feasting macaws festooning clay licks with their colors, and jaguar. In this deep forest, tribespeople live as they have for centuries, with barely any contact with the outside world.