The mystery, history, and adventure that Peru has entranced outsiders with started here in Southern Peru. Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu in 1911. Then, Toribio Mejia Xesspe rediscovered the mysterious Nazca Lines in 1927. The “Inca Trail” was made known to adventurers decades after, and a resurgence in indigenous identity more recently occurred in the Sacred Valley.
That’s just scratching the surface, though- there’s a TON to see in this region! Because of that I’ve developed these travel tips for Southern Peru. This will make planning your adventure easy.
You can spend days in traditional villages hiking and learning ancient customs. Or go up and over sacred mountains on the way to precolonial cities. And end your trip sandboarding in a desert oasis.
No matter what, take your time here. Southern Peru is an amazing place to escape, get lost in another world, and experience fulfilling adventures. This is cliche, but here there always seems to be more to discover!
From Lima you can visit “Peru’s Galapagos”, Las Islas Ballestas, only a few hours south of the city. It’s worth it for the penguins alone!
Less than two hours from there is Ica and the oasis of Huacachina. Backpackers go for its sandboarding adventures.
Nazca is four hours further inland. You can fly over the famous Nazca Lines and visit the gigantic site of Cahuachi (they have yet to uncover 85% of it!). You can also sandboard the largest dune on Earth at Cerro Blanco.
And of course you have Cusco! The Incan infrastructure of the streets and main plaza are an attraction alone. In addition you have museums, churches and the ancient Qorikancha temple. Just outside the city are Incan sites such as Sacsayhuaman.
Further outside Cusco are the villages dotting the Sacred Valley. Each is known for something different. For example, Pisac and Chinchero have traditional markets and archaeological sites. And Ollantaytambo arguably has the most impressive examples of Incan architecture anywhere.
An hour from Ollantaytambo (by train only) is Aguas Calientes, which is a 25-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu. You can reach Machu Picchu either this way, the roundabout way via Santa Teresa, or the Inca Trail. The Inca Trail comes in 2 and 4-day variants.
The department of Madre de Dios is home to large swaths of protected Amazonian forest. It can be visited from neighboring Cusco.
Puno borders Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, where homestays with indigenous communities are a big attraction. Puno is also known for its colorful festivals.
Just east of Puno is Arequipa, whose city is the second largest in Peru. Arequipa is famous for its cleanliness, academia, and food (hello!!!). It’s the jumping-off point for Colca Canyon. Also it lies in the shadows of three snow-capped volcanoes.
To get off the beaten path consider Ayacucho in the Andes, or Moquegua and Tacna at the very southern part of the country.
Here are the most popular experiences in Southern Peru:
Here are top off-the-beaten path adventures in the region:
Avoid the rainy season. That’s generally November through March except on the coast (it’s a desert).
Inti Raymi in Cusco is celebrated on the Southern hemisphere’s winter solstice. This is the peak of the tourist season in Cusco.
Candlemas is observed from February 2-18 and is a large festival in Puno.
The lesser-known but culturally important Sonor Raymi of Apurimac is celebrated in June.
The most important Peruvian national holidays are Holy Week, Independence Day (July 28th), Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
So did a specific place or experience stand out to you? In that case, please comment below! I’ll respond as quickly as possible.
Finding fun, affordable vacations in exotic places is hard. This is especially true when there’s so much to see and do!
But that’s why I’ve started Gringo Inca. Check out this sample itinerary for Southern Peru to start your awesome trip!
Also check out my articles on these Southern Peru destinations:
Gracias and we’ll be in touch!
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