Peru is a trip that meets the expectations of any traveler: from the history lover traveling alone to the group of friends just looking to have fun to the couple in love trying to make their honeymoon an unforgettable experience. Why? Because a trip to Peru has it all: monuments full of history, leisure, restaurants, and enviable gastronomy. And landscapes? Landscapes, too, of all types and colors!
It is among the 10 most biodiverse countries in the world.
Peru concentrates a great diversity of species, natural resources, and ecosystems in its territory. So much so that 10% of the world’s flora grows on Peruvian soil and 30% of its species are endemic! Also, most Peruvian plants have essential healing properties. In terms of fauna, Peru is the country in the world with the most incredible variety of fish, the second with the most birds, and the third in amphibians!
If you don’t believe us, you can check all this yourself. How? Visiting the Ballestas Islands in Ica, one of the largest and most impressive nature reserves in Peru!- or the Manu National Park, a beautiful combination of Andean mountains, cloud forest, and lowland jungle.
The best culinary destination in the world for the seventh consecutive year
Most inveterate travelers have an added detail, and that detail is that they love to eat! Are you one of them?
Who has never experienced a trip as a unique opportunity to learn about a new culture through the palate? Believe it or not, gastronomy says much about the town to which it belongs. And if not, tell it to the fruity notes of the ceviche, to the pachamanca -meat cooked in an underground hole, a heritage of the Inca culture- to the tasty potato a la hucaína or the spicy stuffed rocoto. You know what they say, don’t you? If it doesn’t itch, it’s not Peruvian! And is that a gastronomic trip to Peru is to transfer all the exoticism of Latin America to the taste buds through aromas, colors, and flavors that are impossible to decipher?
It has 12 World Heritage Sites.
The cultural richness of Peru knows no limits! Thanks to it, it has won UNESCO recognition on numerous occasions. Within this recognition is Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, a versatile city that fuses the essence of the past with the modernity of the present; Machu Picchu, the most famous Inca ruins in the world, and the historic center of Lima or, what is the same, the city of kings.
If nature is your goal, get ready to read the following: Manu National Park not only has over 20,000 varieties of plants, 1,200 species of birds, and over 200 mammals, but it is also inhabited by tribes that have none! They have never had contact with civilization! Do you want to know the rest of the points of interest? Book the next flight to Peru and enjoy its wonders!
It has the highest navigable lake in the world: Titicaca.
Legend has it that Maco Cápac and Mama Ocllo were born from this well-known lake, founders of the advanced Inca Empire! This lake, shared by its Bolivian neighbors, is not only the highest navigable lake in the world but also preserved in perfect condition, thanks to its cold blue waters, all the biodiversity, and the tradition of the city of Punto: the city of the sun! This little corner of the Andes will leave you breathless, not only because of its beauty! Here, taking a step costs twice as much. Are you ready to get in shape?
Iquitos: a city that can only be accessed by air
Iquitos is the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. This city, which is only accessible by air, is undoubtedly one of the most valuable jewels of a trip to the country of the Incas. If you have been to Peru before, you will know that it is characterized by calm, its extensive cultural legacy, and a pace of life that is considerably different from the big cities that have accustomed us. However, Iquitos has no place in the traveler’s imagination of Peru; the exception confirms the norm: chaos full of life that breaks the Peruvian peace at times.
Although most people travel to Iquitos to get to know the Amazon, visiting the historic center of its city is also an indirect way of doing it. He walks among its European-style and luxurious Italian-design mansions. He discovers the reasons that led the French engineer Eiffel to leave a sample of his civil architecture in this part of the world.
It has the archaeological capital of all of America: Cuzco
Although it timidly hides behind the feet of Machu Picchu, Cuzco does not go unnoticed! And it is that the capital of the Inca Empire is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Peru: something that is appreciated as soon as you walk through the Plaza de las Armas, among bars, shops, and restaurants; when you discover the fortress of Sacsayhuaman or after visiting the famous ruins of Pisac, located in the center of a sacred valley. Did you think all roads led to Rome? You’re wrong! All roads lead to Cuzco!
It is bathed by the most extensive and longest river in the world: the Amazon
To say that you have been in front of the most impressive river in the world is already worth it! Its waters full of life nourish the Amazon – the largest tropical forest on the planet – making it one of the main lungs of the Earth! It is also home to more than two thousand fish species and serves as a communication channel for the various towns surrounding it.
It has the highest tropical mountain in the world: Huascarán
Also known as the Cordillera Blanca and with an extension of 180 kilometers, Huascarán groups more than 60 peaks that exceed 5,000 meters in height! If it is already impressive to see Machu Picchu up close, imagine seeing it from the excellent views of the Peruvian Andes!
It is the country with the most butterflies in the world
Did you know that more than 20% of the world’s butterflies live in Peru? Such is the passion for this little colorful being that, in their fight to preserve it, Peruvians created 20 years ago ” the house of butterflies, “a small space in the Amazon near Iquitos, dedicated entirely to breeding and study of these exciting animals by real experts in biology! Are you coming to get to know the planet you live on a little better?
Machu Picchu, the wonder of the modern world
It is undeniable that visiting Machu Picchu is the main objective of every traveler who wants to get to know Peru. Who has not ever dreamed of taking a train from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes and walking among the ruins of the ancient Inca city surrounded by slender mountains steeped in history and vegetation typical of an action movie set? Unearthing half of the town has been enough to include it in the list of the world’s seven wonders!
To travel to Peru, you don’t need reasons, and there are plenty of them!
