Peru
Peru surprised me on so many different levels.
I’ll be honest, I hadn’t done much research about South America’s third largest country before I went. All I knew is that this is where Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was located. I started my South American travel adventure in Chile and knew I wanted to go to Brazil to experience parts I hadn’t seen before. But other than that, it was a case of, “where to next?”
Peru turned out to be a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. And, of course, a foodies’ paradise with its wildly popular Spanish, Andean, and Asian fusion influences.
While I was based in the capital, Lima, during my six weeks in this beautiful country, I also visited Cusco, Arequipa, and Huacachina. When I arrived in Lima, I was immediately struck by how many people spoke English. As someone who is still learning Spanish, this came as a pleasant (and very helpful) surprise. I found Peruvians to be incredibly friendly and laid back. Cafe culture is quite popular in Lima and families can be seen enjoying the many activities available, from picnicking in parks to wandering around museums.
Let’s dive a little deeper into some of the places I visited while I was in Peru.
LIMA
More than 8 million people call Peru’s capital home, making it the 2nd most populous city (and one of the largest) in South America. And the city’s history dates thousands of years before the Spanish conquest.
Lima is also where ‘chaufa’ originated. The first Chinese immigrants came to the city back in 1849 to work on the plantations. Like most immigrants, they brought their traditions and, of course, their cuisine with them. Fried rice became popular under the name of “in chi fan”, which means “have you eaten?”. This evolved to Chaufa which is the current name for fried rice, and Chifa, which Peruvians use to refer to Chinese restaurants. This friend rice is often mixed with chicken or beef and vegetables and is delicious.
Nicknamed “The City of Kings” by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizzaro, in 1535, Lima is the second-largest desert city in the world (after Cairo, Egypt). It’s also home to the oldest continuously operating university in the Americas. La Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (The National University of San Marcos) was founded back in 1551 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, and is the most prestigious university in the country.
HUACACHINA
Bend your imagination for a minute and try to picture the quint essential desert oasis—a natural desert lake surrounded by busy palm trees and shrubbery, all reflected in the water and surrounded by sand dunes
This is the town of Huacachina in the only natural desert oasis in South America. Just a few minutes drive from the town of Ica, Huacachina is located in west Peru and has a permanent population of just 100 people. And yet, due to its growing popularity, each year thousands of tourists descend on the town.
Huacachina has become an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding on the sand dunes that can reach heights of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft), and dune buggy rides on vehicles known locally as areneros. While visiting Huacachina, make sure to take a hike up to the top of the dunes surrounding the oasis and snap some photos. If you happen to be staying overnight or are still in town later in the day, this is also one of the most magical and photogenic places in Peru to enjoy a sunset.
Getting to Huacachina
If you’re visiting Peru on a guided tour package, you can easily add a stop in Huacachina to your Paracas tour or Nazca tour. If you’re doing it by yourself, I recommend taking a bus from Lima to the city of Ica. This is what I did. The ticket was about S60 (60 Peruvian Soles, about US$15) one way and the ride is about 5 hours. You can easily get a return ticket back to Lima from the bus station in Ica. From Ica, take a taxi to Huacachina. It’s a short 5-minute drive and costs about US$5. Be sure to bargain or haggle with drivers who more than likely will try charge you more.
Where to stay
Much like the laidback atmosphere you’ll experience in Huacachina, most of the accommodation you’ll find there is quite basic. Hostels, 2 or 3-star hotels, some bed & breakfasts. Check out Wild Rover Hostel, located at the foot of the sand dunes in the heart of Huacachina and just 1 block from the oasis. Popular with tourists from the United States and Europe, standard dorm room prices start at about US$17/day. Another is Wild Olive Guest House, a converted colonial family house right next to the lagoon. The average price per night in a basic 8 bed mixed dorm is about US$11. I stayed at Bananas Adventure Hostel, a 3-level hostel with private rooms and an outdoor restaurant and swimming pool. The Hostel is located steps from the oasis and I stayed in a superior deluxe room with en-suite for about US$70 a night.
Booking activities
Sandboarding is usually top of the list of things to do in Huacachina. Hike to the top of the dunes (or take a buggy) and fly down like you’re sledging on snow. It’s an exhilarating experience and you’ll get an incredible view of the town from the top of the dunes.
Dune buggies are an exhilarating experience where your experienced driver will reach speeds that will make your heart skip a beat and fly over the lip of a dune and have you suspended in mid air for a few seconds before hitting the sand again and taking off. I recommend taking the 4pm ride. That’s when your driver will take you out, getting your heart racing, then stop for a few minutes so you can take in the breathtaking sunset over the dunes and grab a few photos for memories to take home with you. Check out and book these activities here.
CUSCO
Some people know Cusco as the gateway to Machu Picchu. But there’s so much more to the historic capital of Peru and UNESCO-recognized cite in the Peruvian Andes.
Under the Inca ruler, Pachacutec, Cusco became a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions. When the Spaniards conquered the city in the 16th century, they preserved the basic structure but built Baroque churches and palaces over the ruins of the Inca city. If you explore the city by foot, you’ll find remnants of the Inca civilization on every street corner.
I recommend you plan to spend at least a few days in Cusco, exploring everything it has to offer, from the exquisite cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas to the cobblestone streets of the beautiful La Blas neighborhood.
Where to stay
Cusco is used to the hordes of tourists, so there is a plethora of places to stay in this beautiful city, from luxury hotels (including Palacio del Inka, Inkaterra La Casona, and JW Marriott El Convento) to Airbnbs, and hostels for travelers on a budget. I stayed in one of Airbnb’s “Guest Favorites” - a cozy loft close to the center for just US$49 a night.
Where to eat
My first recommendation has to be PER.UK, a little local Peruvian kitchen and bar tucked away so inconspicuously you could easily miss it if you’re not looking for it. Without doubt, one of the best meals I had in Peru.
My second recommendation is Republica del Pisco, a fantastic restaurant with locations in both Lima and Cusco. The food is incredible, the service is fantastic, and the ambiance is unmatched.
Where to go
La Blas neighborhood is usually on most travelers’ itinerary when visiting Cusco. Many travel blogs and websites recommend exploring this gorgeous neighborhood. Beautiful old stone buildings, cobblestone streets.
There’s a fantastic lookout spot or viewpoint in La Blas that gives you an awe-inspiring view across all of Cusco where you can gaze on the red-tiled rooftops of the many homes, see the mountains in the distance, and enjoy an aerial view of the Plaza de Armas.
Things to watch out for
Altitude sickness and people constantly bombarding you with travel tours/deals.
MACHU PICCHU
Ah, Machu Picchu, designated one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, and the most visited tourist destination in Peru.
Machu Picchu was built by the Incan Empire around 1450AD and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. This site has an incredibly storied past and is made up of more than 150 buildings ranging from baths and houses to temples and sanctuaries.
But unless you’ve organized your entire trip through a tour company, the process of getting to stand and look out across these spectacular ruins can be quite complicated.
First, you’ll need to get to Cusco. Once in Cusco, you’ll need to get to your train station of choice. We took a taxi to Ollantaytambo Station which was an hour and a half from Cusco. From Ollantaytambo Station, we hopped on the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo Station (the main train station in the town). As soon as we arrived, we had to quickly get to the Machu Picchu Cultural Center as we could only book our tickets to the site in person. We checked into our overnight hotel, then grabbed something to eat before exploring this cute town which is definitely geared to the streams of tourists passing through. That night we had
AREQUIPA
Nicknamed “The White City” because of the sillar, a white volcanic stone, that is mined nearby, Arequipa was founded in 1540 in a valley that had been intensively farmed by pre-Hispanic communities.
Often overlooked by tourists who either fly into Lima and straight on to Cusco, Arequipa sits at 2,335 meters (7,661 feet) high, surrounded by over 80 volcanoes.
The historic center of Peru’s second-largest city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and for good reason. Nestled in the heart of the city center is of the most interesting colonial buildings in Peru, El Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena (The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena).
Founded in 1579, the Convent served as a cloister for Dominican nuns—whose families paid a dowry for their admission—from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, and still houses a small religious community today. The complex, which stretches over 20,000 square meters, is built from volcanic sillar stone and is organized into cloisters, living quarters, a plaza, a gallery, and a chapel.
Admission to the Convent is 45 Sols (about US$12) for foreign tourists and you can get an audio guide or join a tour.
You’ll no doubt get hungry, so here are two restaurants I highly recommend in Arequipa. The first is called Zig Zag, a cozy two-level restaurant close to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. Everything about this restaurant was just incredible. The service, the food, the setting. I decided to treat myself and went one night for dinner. No reservation, I was just hoping that on the off chance they had space for me, which luckily they did. What an experience. If you eat meat, try the alpaca steak. Google the restaurant and read the glowing reviews.
The second is Chicha por Gaston Acurio, a beautifully designed rustic restaurant also very close to the Convent. The food was amazing, the drinks were beautifully crafted, but the service was very slow.
And no visit to Arequipa would be complete without a visit to Mundo Alpaca, a sanctuary for alpacas & llamas where visitors can pet and feed them as well as watch how the wool is dyed and spun before exiting the shop where you can pick up a local souvenir.
There is so much to do and see and experience in Peru. Add a few extra days to your travel itinerary and soak up everything that this goregous country has to offer.
