Caral

Peru

　　Before metal or ceramic was invented and well before the Maya and Inca cultures ruled, there was Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas. Having dominated Peru’s coast from 3000-1800 BCE, Caral (also referred to as Norte Chico) would leave behind a massive complex, less than 130 miles from Peru’s...

Chavín de Huántar

Peru

　　In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most sophisticated early civilizations, and a Unesco World Heritage Site to boot. 　　Most visitors zip by on a day trip, ignoring...

Laguna Parón

Peru

　　The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca — a snowcapped range of the Andes in west central Peru — and a gorgeous natural reservoir, Laguna Paron is a unique destination for hikers, rock climbers and nature enthusiasts. 　　Located within the Huascaran National Park and 62 miles north of the hiking...

Kuélap

Peru

　　Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the Amazonas region. Overlooking the lush Utcubamba Valley, situated at 3000m (9842ft) above sea level, this remote pre-Inca site is spread over 15 acres, making it...

Iglesia Vírgin del Carmen

Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

　　The Catholic church of Aguas Calientes sits along the main square. ...

Las Termas

Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

　　Weary trekkers soak away their aches and pains in the town’s hot springs, 10 minutes’ walk up Pachacutec from the train tracks. These tiny, natural thermal springs, from which Aguas Calientes derives its name, are nice enough but far from the best in the area, and get scummy by late...

Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón

Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

　　This museum has superb information in Spanish and English on the archaeological excavations of Machu Picchu and Inca building methods. Stop here before or after the ruins to get a sense of context (and to enjoy the air-conditioning and soothing music if you’re walking back from the ruins after hours...

Iglesia de Ollantaytambo

The Sacred Valley

　　A modern colonial-style church. ...

Inca Quarry

The Sacred Valley

　　The 6km hike to the Inca quarry on the opposite side of the river from the main ruins is a good walk from Ollantaytambo. The trail starts from the Inca bridge by the entrance to the village. It takes a few hours to reach the site, passing several abandoned blocks...

Pinkulluna

The Sacred Valley

　　It's a very steep climb up the hillside, but views are magnificent. You will see the Ollantaytambo ruins from the best vantage point, and it's nice to wander around Inca ruins that aren't swamped with tour groups. There's terraces and a handful of constructions in decent shape. Wear sturdy shoes....

Ollantaytambo Ruins

The Sacred Valley

　　Both fortress and temple, these spectacular Inca ruins rise above Ollantaytambo, making a splendid half-day trip. (Admission is via the boleto turístico tourist card, valid for 10 days and for 16 other sites across the region.) The huge, steep terraces that guard Ollantaytambo’s spectacular Inca ruins mark one of the...

Mirador de la Biodiversidad

Amazon Basin

　　Although this strangely cosmic blue building, surrounded by statues of locals in various poses of labor outside, was designed as a modern mirador (lookout tower), its 30m height unfortunately does not rise high enough above the city for viewers to glimpse the rivers. The view is still fantastic: a distant...

Río Madre de Dios Ferry Dock

Amazon Basin

　　This dock close to the Plaza de Armas is a cheap way of seeing a little of the action on a major Peruvian jungle river (the Río Madre de Dios), which is about 500m wide at this point. River traffic is colorful − multiple peki-pekis (canoes powered by two-stroke motorcycle...

Mariposario Tambopata Butterfly Farm

Amazon Basin

　　Peru has the greatest number of butterfly species in the world (some 3700) and you can see many of them here at this well-run butterfly conservation project, one of Peru's best, initiated in 1996. There are also displays on rainforest conservation. Butterflies are nice, but at this price remember you’ll...

Puente Guillermo Billinghurst

Amazon Basin

　　This bridge, since 2011 carrying the Carr Interocéanica across the Río Madre de Dios – connects Puerto Maldonado by paved road to the outside world for the first time and thus is probably the most significant structure in the city's history. It is particularly impressive if you remember what the...

Cathedral

Huancayo

　　Huancayo's cathedral presides over one side of the Plaza de la Constitución. The largest church in the city, it contains a few paintings from the escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco school) of art. ...

Museo Salesiano

Huancayo

　　Displays fauna epitomizing Peru's three contrasting geographic regions, plus pottery and archaeology exhibits. What is there is well-presented, but it will not detain you too long. Enter from the Salesian school. ...

Iglesia de La Merced

Huancayo

　　Huancayo's most attractive church, built in colonial style, and seat of the first Congress of Peru in 1839. ...

Iglesia de La Inmaculada

Huancayo

　　With its duel cupolas capped in sky-blue, this may be a modern place of worship (built 1965), but it is also one of Huancayo's prettier churches. ...

Cerro de la Libertad

Huancayo

　　A popular recreational and dining locale with a great view of the city, as well as artwork stalls and a playground. It's about 2km from the town center; head northeast on Giráldez to get here. ...

Parque de la Identidad Huanca

Huancayo

　　This fanciful park is full of stone statues of famous regional personalities, as well as miniature buildings representing the area’s culture. It's in the suburb of San Antonio, 3km northeast of the center. ...

Museo de Arqueológico & Etnográfíco

Cajamarca

　　This small museum has exhibits of pre-Columbian pottery and stone statues, as well as displays on local costumes and clothing, domestic and agricultural implements and musical instruments. The most disturbing exhibit is the mummified remains of a baby in a ceramic vase. 　　The museum is housed inside the Antigua Hospital...

Catedral de Cajamarca

Cajamarca

　　This squat but ornate building was begun in the late 17th century and only recently finished. Like most of Cajamarca’s churches, the cathedral has no belfry. This is because the Spanish Crown levied a tax on finished churches and so the belfries were not built, leaving the church unfinished and...

Cerro Santa Apolonia

Cajamarca

　　This garden-covered viewpoint, overlooking the city from the southwest, is a prominent Cajamarca landmark. It is easily reached by climbing the stairs at the end of Calle 2 de Mayo and following the path that spirals around the hilltop. The pre-Hispanic carved rocks at the summit are mainly from the...

Iglesia de San Francisco

Cajamarca

　　Outgunning the cathedral on Plaza de Armas is this elaborate church with striking stone carvings and decadent altars. Unlike other illustrious Cajamarca churches, the San Francisco has two belfries. It houses the slightly dog-eared Museo de Arte Religioso full of 17th-century religious paintings by indigenous artists. The museum includes some...

El Complejo de Belén

Cajamarca

　　Construction of this sprawling colonial complex, comprising a church and hospital made entirely from volcanic rock, occurred between 1627 and 1774. The hospital was run by nuns and 31 tiny, cell-like bedrooms line the walls of the T-shaped building. The baroque church next door is one of Cajamarca’s finest and...

El Cuarto del Rescate

Cajamarca

　　The Ransom Chamber, the only Inca building still standing in Cajamarca, is where Inca ruler Atahualpa was imprisoned. The small room has three trapezoidal doorways and a few similarly shaped niches in the inner walls – signature Inca construction. Visitors are not permitted to enter the room, but from outside...

Museo Chanka y de la Diversidad Lamista

Tarapoto

　　Small local museum in the town of Lamas, 25km northwest of Tarapoto, explaining the origins and manifestations of the town's strong folkloric culture.. ...

Chazuta

Tarapoto

　　This small village is famed throughout the region for its elegant pottery. It has artisan workshops, a small museum showcasing pre-Inca funerary urns, and a port on the Río Huallaga with great fishing. Nearby are the impressive 40m, three-level Tununtunumba waterfalls and the Chazutayacu thermal baths. 　　Combis (minibuses; S10, two...

Castillo de Lamas

Tarapoto

　　Some deride it as a tasteless white elephant; others laud it for its eccentricity. Whatever your position, this ‘mock’ Italian castle that rises out of jungle-like vegetation on the edge of the town of Lamas is certainly – ahem – different. It was built in the early 2000s by Italian...

Laguna Azul

Tarapoto

　　You’ll find good swimming, boating and fishing at this popular local spot, also called Laguna de Sauce. Day tours (S85 per person, minimum two people) and overnight excursions are available, as are accommodations, from camping to upscale bungalows. There are also a couple of waterfalls nearby and some fairly undeveloped...

Cataratas de Ahuashiyacu

Tarapoto

　　This 40m waterfall has a small restaurant nearby and a locally favored swimming spot. Four-hour tours cost around S35 per person. It's possible to reach the entrance, a short walk from the falls, on public combis (minibuses) heading toward Yurimaguas. Heading back to town can be a problem, though, as...

Lamas

Tarapoto

　　This town, a short drive from Tarapoto, is remarkable in the way that it is split into two distinct halves with mestizo (person of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent) residents positioned on the upper plateau while the indigenous community resides on the lower. A large faux-European castle has been constructed...

Alto Shilcayo

Tarapoto

　　Dense jungle lies just 3km from the city limits of the crazy, cacophonous metropolis of Tareapoto. This section of the Aréa de Conservación Regional Cordillera Escalera protects the thick foliage around the upper Río Shilcayo. The zone is populated by monkeys and many bird species, and there are five rarely...

El Arco Deustua

Puno

　　A fairly simple arch jazzed up with adornments makes for a tourist attraction in Puno. El Arco Deustua dates from 1847 and was a tribute to those who fought in the battles of Junín and Ayachuco. Today its name is mostly uttered as a landmark. The arch is seven blocks...

Catedral de Puno

Puno

　　Puno’s baroque cathedral, on the western flank of the Plaza de Armas, was completed in 1757. The interior is more spartan than you’d expect from the well-sculpted facade, except for the silver-plated altar, which, following a 1964 visit by Pope Paul VI, has a Vatican flag placed to its right....

Museo de la Coca y Costumbres

Puno

　　Tiny and quirky, this museum offers lots of interesting information – historical, medicinal, cultural – about the coca plant and its many uses. Presentation isn’t that interesting, though: reams of text (in English only) are stuck to the wall and interspersed with photographs and old Coca-Cola ads. The display of...

Yavari

Puno

　　The oldest steamship on Lake Titicaca, the famed Yavari has turned from British gunship to a museum and recommended bed and breakfast, with bunk-bed lodging and attentive service under the stewardship of its captain. And no, you don’t have to be a navy buff reflecting on Titicaca. The Yavari is...

Casa del Corregidor

Puno

　　An attraction in its own right, this 17th-century house is one of Puno’s oldest residences. A former community center, it now houses a small fair-trade arts-and-crafts store and a cafe. ...

Museo Carlos Dreyer

Puno

　　This small museum houses a fascinating collection of Puno-related archaeological artifacts and art from pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and the Republic periods. Upstairs there are three mummies and a full-scale fiberglass chullpa (funerary tower). 　　It's around the corner from Casa del Corregidor. Guides tend to leave an hour before closing. ...

Iglesia del Carmen

Trujillo

　　The Iglesia del Carmen and its charming monastery is home to an impressive Carmelite museum – the Pinacoteca El Carmen – but visiting is a real mission. You'll need to make an advance reservation and have a minimum of three visitors and even then must come in the specified hours...

Basilica Menor Catedral

Trujillo

　　Known simply as ‘La Catedral,’ this bright, canary-yellow church fronting the plaza was begun in 1647, destroyed in 1759, and rebuilt soon afterward. The cathedral has a famous basilica, which is generally open to visitors, and a museum of religious and colonial art, though there are intriguing frescoes in the...

Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Trujillo

　　Iglesia de Santo Domingo is an interesting church near the Plaza de Armas. The original church, built in the 16th century, was one of the first constructed in the region, but was destroyed in the earthquake of 1619 before being rebuilt in 1642 using the original plans and materials. The...

Casa de la Emancipación

Trujillo

　　Now the Banco BBVA Continental, this building features a mishmash of colonial and Republican styles and is best known as the site where Trujillo’s independence from colonial rule was formally declared on December 29, 1820. Check out the unique cubic Cajabamba marble stone flooring; there are also galleries dedicated to...

Palacio Iturregui

Trujillo

　　This imposing gray early 19th-century mansion is impossible to ignore. Built in neoclassical style, it has beautiful window gratings, 36 slender interior columns and gold moldings on the ceilings. General Juan Manuel Iturregui lived here after he famously proclaimed independence. 　　Today it’s a private social club, so visits are restricted...