Best Places to See when Vacationing in Peru

Machu Picch, Peru/ Pixabay

Peru is a beautiful country in South America from their beaches to the high Andes Mountains. Peru is home to many Inca settlements that date back thousands of years. Their most popular attraction is Machu Picchu, but there are many other places to visit in Peru.

Peru is easy to get to from the United States with many airlines flying to the capital of Lima every day. Citizens of the Americas and most western European countries do not need a tourist visa to enter the country, but you must have a valid passport.

Places to See in Peru

Machu Picchu

Known as The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, Peru is a tourist favorite. The elevation ranges from 5,900 feet to 12,470 feet. The climate changes with the elevation, at low altitudes the average temperature is 61 F and at 8,000 feet and above the temperature averages a cool 50 F. The wet season is from October to April and the dry season is from May to September.

Machu Picchu / Rodrigo.Argenton Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

Inca Trail

The Inca trail is the most popular place to visit. This is possibly one of the most spectacular trails in South America or all of the Americas. You can walk the trail or you can take a bus, the trail is steep which makes for some tough hiking. This is area is full of history and Inca remains and more are being uncovered all the time. The Inca trail is about 20 miles long between Cusco on the South to Quillabamba to the North.

Cusco, This town is at the southern end of the Inca trail. The crowds might be less here in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, as most tourist go directly to Machu Picchu.

Cajamarca is located in the northern highlands and another sacred Inca site. A visit here as well as the other places would be well worth it as most tourists go to the other sites and this would be less crowded.

Inca Trail / Colegota Wikipedia CC BY-SA 2.5 ES

Best Meals in Peru

• Indio Feliz in Aguas Calientes and ask for the tables upstairs
• Retaurant Ayllu in Aguas Caliente
• Toto's in Agua Caliente
• Machu Picchu Inkaterra hotel
• Pollo Brasas in Cajamarca
• Inkan Grill in Cusco

And if you hike the trail for more than a day and camp, the cook will cook great meals also.

 

Cusco Cathedral / Peru Travel Flickr CC BY 2.0

 

Best Accommodations in Peru                                      

• Sauce Hostal in Ollantaytambo
• Orient Express Hotel in Machu Picchu
• Machu Picchu Inkaterra Hotel
• Sol y Luna Hotel in Urubamba

Activities certainly would be sightseeing and traveling on the Inca trail either by foot and or by train, and visiting all of the Inca ruins and settlements.

Take the Orient Express train to Agua Caliente.

There are rafting trips down the Apurimac River, it is reported that this river has class 4 or 5 rapids with not much flat water.

And of course there is plenty of shopping at the street vendors and open markets where you can buy beautiful Peruvian sweaters, scarves, silver and gold jewelry and souvenirs.

Copyright © 2009 Sam Montana

Sources

Peru Travel