75 minutes by air, south of Lima, Arequipa is dominated by the snow-capped El Misti volcano, built of a white stone called sillar. The pretty Plaza de Armas forms the city core, bordered on one side by a Jesuit church founded in 1689. There are many fine restored mansions and churches, such as San Agustin with its churrigueresque (Spanish Rococo Style) facade, being the main religious monument the Santa Catalina Monastery, a flowering complex of buildings that once sheltered a community of 400 nuns
Ayacucho
Ayacucho is located in the central Andes and traditionally has been one of the most isolated areas of the Andes, preserving many of the ancient artist traditions of the Andean people.
Cajamarca
A relaxed day-drive inland from Trujillo, the isolated mountain city of Cajamarca is known for its history (Pizarro captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa here), unique Andean architecture and beautiful countryside. Large archaeological complex located atop the La Copa mountain, made up of a large ceremonial complex with various platforms supported by enormous rocks, there also is a site museum where valuable pre-Inca jewelry and other artwork is displayed.
Chiclayo
At 124 ml north of Trujillo is the city of Chiclayo, a region inhabited in ancient times by the Lambayeque, Mochicas and Chimus. Near the city is the Bruning Museum, displaying pieces from the greatest, most recent Peruvian archeological discoveries, notably the Tumba Real do Senhor de Sipan (the Royal Tomb of the Senor de Sipan).
Chivay
Colca
The Colca Canyon is the deepest in the world, habitable, with pre-Colombian terraced fields still supporting agriculture and human life.Home of the Andean Condors. There you can see them as they float on the rising thermals. Colca River and valley were well-known to the Incas and their predecessors.
Cuzco
The storied capital of the Inca dynasty and gateway to the imperial city of Machu Picchu, Cuzco is one of highlights of South America. Also known as the Archaeological capital of South America, Cuzco is rich in pre-Columbian remains such as Koricancha Temple, the Inca Baths with their sophisticated canal system and the vast Sacsayhuaman Fortress site of ancient religious celebrations. Colonial treasures include mansions and churches built on Inca foundations. Churches are full of marvelous works from the Cuzco School of painting, distinguished by its mix of Catholic and pagan imagery. Cuzco's beautiful natural setting, colorful festivals, sheer number of sights--unparalleled in Peru--and facilities and services make it the top destination in Peru and one of the most exciting places in South America. It is loaded with good restaurants, hotels and lively bars. For the adventurers, superb trekking, river-rafting, and mountain-biking throughout the Sacred Valley.
Huaraz
A quaint mountain town, Huaraz sits in the fertile Callejon de Huaylas valley, framed by the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra mountain ranges. Easily combined with a visit to Trujillo, Huaraz is the starting point for day hikes in the mountains or adventurous mountain climbing expeditions.
Ica
Ica is a small, colonial city that sits slightly inland in the middle of a verdant oasis along Peru´s southern coast. The country´s finest Pisco brandy and wine is made here.
Iquitos
Nonstop jets hop over the Andes from Lima to Iquitos. The busy port was built in the rubber-boom days of the Amazon and is now a base for riverboat departures to rustic but comfortable jungle camps up and down river. By day, guests take boat trips up small tributaries, walk along rain forest trails and visit Indian villages. By night, alligator hunting in dugout canoes is a favorite pastime. Larger vessels carry passengers on three-night cruises to the Brazilian-Colombian border.
Lima
Lima, the center of Spanish power in the New World for three centuries after Pizarro's conquest of Peru, is the focal point that draws the country into one land. The capital and the starting point for most visitor itineraries has a considerable legacy of art and architecture from its colonial period, while its museums are bursting with artifacts of gold, ceramic and weavings unearthed from the country's ancient settlements. The construction of deluxe hotels has boomed in the lovely residential districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, whose attractions are beautiful homes and flowering parks, cafes and restaurants, theaters and an active nightlife. Shopping in Lima is excellent. Its boutiques and craft shops are full of good buys in gold and silver jewelry, leather, pottery, weavings, soft alpaca and vicuna wool knits. Dining is also a special treat-for Peruvian cuisine is, quite simply, superb-served up in chic or cozy restaurants, in garden settings or by the sea.
Machu Picchu
The Lost City of the Incas was a remote fortress/sanctuary abandoned by the Inca, reclaimed by the jungle and hidden from view until Hiram Bingham of Yale University rediscovered it in 1911. With altars, temples, staircases and terraces, this is one of the world's most extraordinary sites that can be visited (by train or helicopter) on a day trip from Cusco, but better yet with an overnight stay.
Nazca
Located 275 miles south of Lima, Nazca would just be a dusty little desert town of little interest were it not for the strange presence of massive, mysterious lines, etched into the sands of the pampas more than a millennium ago. Ancient peoples created a vast tapestry of "geoglyphs"--trapezoids and triangles, 70-odd animal and plant figures, and more than 10,000 lines--that have baffled observers for decades. They are so large, they can only be appreciated from the air. Over the years, theorists have posited that they were signs from the gods, agricultural and astronomical calendars, or even extraterrestrial airports. The surrounding desert is a strangely impressive place. Flying over the Nazca Lines, you see an unending expanse of craggy, dusty, origami-like folds in the sands, like deep wrinkles in a wizened face and also, the town does have a couple of good museums and two archaeological sites that evoke the Nazca culture that flourished in the area.
Puerto Maldonado
Puno
By plane from Lima and Arequipa, or by train across the altiplano from Cuzco, is Puno, Peru's folkloric center, with a rich array of handicrafts, costumes, traditional dances, fiestas and markets. The mysterious, circular chulpas of Sillustani, burial chambers of the Aymara Indians, lie 20 miles outside the town. Puno is the stepping-off point for exploring the region's amazing array of islands, indian inhabitants and colorful traditions. The best-known are the Uros people who live just offshore on floating islands made of totora reed. From Puno, visitors can cruise across lake Titicaca to Bolivia.
Tambopata
Tambopata, a stunning rainforest on Madre de Dios River and one of the most biologically diverse environments on earth. Birders often count 100 different species in a day, and the reserve is home to the largest known Macaw Lick in the world.
Trujillo
Timeless monuments of the earliest indian cultures, the Chimu and the Moche, flourished in the narrow desert strip between the ocean and the Andes, and the discovery of the gold-filled tomb of the Lord of Sipan in 1988 has boosted the region's visitor fortunes. Surfers too, in search of the big wave, are drawn to the beaches outside Trujillo, as are anglers looking for the big catch in black marlin and swordfish, further up the coast.
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