Backpacking in Peru

Peru is a feast of delights; mother nature at her finest!

A wealth of history blends in this environment shaping a landscape of breathtaking views.

Visit the ancient Incan capital of Cusco, explore the lost city of Machu Picchu and be puzzled by the enigma of the Nazca Lines. Revel in the Peruvian Andes; arguably the most beautiful on the continent. Standing at over 20,000ft the mountains are home to many highland Indians who still speak their ancient tongue and maintain a traditional way of life. The lush Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots'; an area rich and rare in species of tropical rain forests. Coastal deserts with huge rolling dunes, farmlands and fishing villages, usually missed by the traveler but offer a great opportunity to get off of the beaten track.

The people of Peru have a full, diverse background; although they are predominantly of mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage. The lifestyle of a Peruvian contrasts greatly from influenced western societies residing mostly along the coasts and highland cities, to time-honored settlements and villages in the jungles and high mountains. Their clothing is a blend of pre-Hispanic influences with the European clothing that the natives were forced to wear during the colonial era. Today you can see women wandering in bowler hats and multicolored, striped petticoats and men in floppy, bright, woolly hats.

Music and dance are as particular as clothing to each region and as strong today as they were in the past, a fact easily recognized by the countries innumerable festivals. Peruvian's are great dances as well as musicians. Dance themes are usually very lively, full of color, sensual and sometimes exotic. The Marinera, a sexy and complex dance of coordinated choreography, is derived from folklore dances in Peru and a celebrated yearly festival in January at the city of Trujillo.

Once the seat of the Inca Empire, Peru ruled much of South America. The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1527 drawn by the riches of the Inca Empire. Returning some years later he captured, ransomed and executed the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1533. For the next three hundred years its culture was influenced by Spain, finally gaining independence in 1824. Despite these losses in the past, Peru's heritage is still deeply rooted, especially thanks to the new government committing themselves to the preservation of native language, traditions and the wealth of flora and fauna in this rich country.

For the traveler, Peru is easily accessible either solo or with an organised group, offering the chance for many to explore some true treasures of this world.

Lima & The Southern Coast: The Pacific coastal region is quite narrow running from one end of the country to the other and covered almost entirely in desert. Lima, Peru's capital, is crowded, polluted and often has terrible weather like most big cities. Nevertheless, the inhabitants are friendly and hospitable, opportunities for dinning and nightlife are vast and the city has a great selection of museums. The Museo de Arte exhibits colonial furniture and pre-Columbian artifacts as well as 400 years of Peruvian art, while the Museo Nacional de Antropologia y Arquelogia is well noted for its excellent exhibits of prehistoric Peru. To the south is one of the driest areas on earth and the cradle of several of Peru's most important ancient civilizations, such as the Nasca Lines and Ballestas Islands, also known as the 'Peru Galapagos'. The Paracas culture can be found in Ica, celebrated for its incomparable textiles, tombs and Paracas National Reserve.

Cusco & The Sacred Valley: The monstrous Andes Mountains in south-central Peru host the most famous sights, including the former Inca capital of Cusco. One of the prettiest towns on the planet constructed in the 15th century, with lower walls built by the Inca and upper parts added to with pure Spanish colonial style, full of gorgeous Inca architecture and colorful locals. The city itself sits at some 3,300 m and the regions culture is particularly strong. Running down the scenic highland villages you will pass along the beautiful Sacred Valley dotted with numerous mysterious ruins, including the most famous being no less than the 'Lost city of the Incas'. Machu Picchu is the archaeological capital of the Americas and the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent, undoubtedly the best-known and most spectacular ruins in the Sacred Valley. You can catch a helicopter up to the top or take a few days and hike the Inka Trail, the most famous hiking route in the world which is easily completed with the help of professional guides (guides are a must these days). Cusco also celebrates the second biggest festival in Latin America after Rio. Inti Raymi once celebrated by the Incas as the Festival of the Sun where the Sun God Wiracocha is honored. On June 24 they celebrate the winter solstice, or the beginning of the Sun's New Year. The inhabitants of Cusco traditionally involve everybody, including tourists, to enjoy and marvel this special day. Countless additional events are to be seen before, during and after the 24th.

Southern Peru: Lake Titicaca, shared with Bolivia, is the world's highest navigable body of water at 3,800m and obviously the largest lake in South America. Many ancient villages inhabit islands in the middle of the grand lake, some of them even being man-made such as the floating village of Uros, weird! The island Taquile is of great ethnic and cultural value, where the classic Inka traditions are still preserved by its locals. Puno sits at the edge of Lake Titicaca, known as a rough town it is also known to hold Peru's liveliest festivals. The elegant, second most important city in Peru, Arequipa, is located at the base of the great snow capped Misti Volcanoes. Nearby is the superb Colca Canyon, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and the best place to view the regal condors.

The Amazon Basin: Around 60% of Peru is lush, dense Amazon rain-forest with only 5% of the country's inhabitants residing there. The Amazon houses astronomical amounts of diverse wildlife; birds, fish, monkeys, deer, jaguars just to name a few. There are two primary jungle destinations, Iquitos being the more popular choice with most facilities. Iquitos is Peru's largest jungle city and nestles in the Amazon basin without road links; it is connected only by air or boat. The other choice is Madre de Dios which contains the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Puerto Maldonado and Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve. The Canopy Walkway is an experience unequaled in the rain-forest. At a height of over 35 meters and extending for 500 meters the Canopy Walkway provides a view of the rain-forest from the treetops, the best vantage point for observing Amazon wildlife and vegetation. The suspended walkway is spread between 14 of the area's largest rain-forest trees and is the longest canopy walkway in the world.

Northern Peru: Peru's north is less visited but that’s not to say it does not have anything to offer. The north possesses some of the country's most outstanding archaeological sights. Trujillo, Chiclayo and Cajamarca are the main colonial towns of interest along with the cities Chan Chan, Tucume and Sipan. Numerous ruins, pyramids, royal tombs and treasures fill the land that predates the Incas.

Hostelsclub provides you with a large, diverse number of well established cheap accommodations throughout Peru.