Peru - Lima, Machu Picchu and the Inca trail

This magical spot is heir to ancient cultures and a rich colonial tradition, Peru involves one of the richest biodiversities of Earth, and is a melting pot of different cultures who together are forging the promise of a better future.

Everyone agrees that this corner of South America is a land of extremes. Peru pulsates with a rich cultural heritage, whirls under incredible political fluctuations, and dazzles the imagination with some of the world's most astounding geographical diversity. To the east, chilly Andean slopes plummet into the humid Amazon Basin, while in the west, those snow-crowned peaks fall to the driest desert on earth. Indeed, this is a region brimming with superlatives. One of the most extensive empires in history called Peru home. The world's highest navigable lake laps Peruvian shores. Some of the world's longest and tallest waves crash onto Peru's beaches. UNESCO has named no fewer than ten World Heritage Sites in Peru. Offering myriad opportunities for the adventurous of heart and the inquisitive of mind--from sand surfing to jungle-tripping, museum-hopping to llama-spotting--Peru has many secrets to share.

Lima - Its 500 years of life has left important remains from its rich history. It must be said that Lima, because of its origin and marked centralism attracts the greatest attention from visitors. Beautiful beaches, a varied cuisine and a variety of spectacles, everything you could want can be found in this city. In Lima reigns the 'criollismo'. The religious faith, whose greatest expression is the world wide known procession of the Señor de los Milagros or Cristo Morado de Pachacamilla (the month of October). An equally traditional custom is that of the corridas which take place in the Plaza de Acho and the festivities of Santa Rosa de Lima (August). The City of Lima has many attractions: museums such as the Magdalena, and the Gold Museum; site museums in Pachacamac and Puruchuco; churches and colonial houses such as San Francisco, La Merced and the Palace of Torre Tagle; archaeological ruins such as Pachacamac, Cajamarquilla, El Paraíso and Chilca; scenic landscapes such as the Infiernillo, Chillón and Río Cañete Canyons. There are also thermal baths such as the Churín and numerous beaches within Metropolitan Lima.

Arequipa - or ‘the White City’ as it is known due to the predominance of the structures built using ashlar stone, provides the you with many samples of its diverse architecture like temples, convents, monasteries and the very famous Santa Catalina Convent which dates from 1580 as well as a large number of seigniorial houses. Its countryside has very beautiful landscapes as well as the bordering towns like Cayma, Carmen Alto, Yanahuara and Characato where there is an observatory. Its background is formed by the impressive and beautiful volcanic cone of the Misti. The Colca Canyon, located in the Province of Cailloma, has more than 100 km long and its depth is started far from Chivay, achieving its deepest point at 3400 meters. It is considered the deepest canyon of the world. The Aguada Blanca Reserve is one of the principal reserves dedicated to the vicuña reproduction which is a thin American Camelidae that has the finest fur used for high quality textiles.

Puno - The main attraction of Puno is the Titicaca Lake, located in the Collao Plateau. This is the world's highest navigable lake. It has 193 KM long and 64 KM wide, with a maximum depth of 300 meters. It has a wonderful landscape and the impressive snow capped mountains of the Cordillera Real confer it a mysterious atmosphere. It is said that the Uros, of strong physical condition, who live over the artificial totora islands, are descendants of the oldest race of the world. Some great monuments are the Cathedral, the Conde de Lemos's Balcony, the Arch Deustua, the Municipal Paintings Room, the Dryer Museum and the Popular Art Museum. 30 KM away from Puno, capital of the department, are the Chullpas of Sillustani, which were tombs of the hatuncollas' leaders (great men), and many other vestiges of ancient cultures that inhabited the region.

Cuzco and Machu Picchu - the archaeological capital of America was the main city of the Tahuantinsuyo Empire, and was considered as the ‘World's Navel’ by the Incas. It is now the first cultural center of Peru and has been proclaimed as ‘Humankind's Cultural Heritage’ by UNESCO. In Cuzco, all landscapes are full of beauty because it encloses all the Peru's legendary history from its foundation to the Spanish conquerors' retirement. Around the city, there are important archaeological monuments like the Sacsayhuaman's Fortress, Kenko, Tambomachay's Baths and Pisac's terraces, Ollantaytambo's Fortress and incomparable constructions of Machu Picchu in the margin of the Urubamba river which was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 known now as 'the Capital of America' or 'Eternal City'. The large amount of museums and churches have become Cuzco in the most important tourist centre of Peru. The Inca trail used by old Peruvians to get to Machu Picchu, offers the possibility of finding numerous Inca edifications which, when mixed with nature, provide an integral view of the magnificence and importance achieved by Machu Picchu.

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