Peru
South America doesn’t get much more evocative than Peru. Adventure lovers can hike to the ‘Lost City of the Incas’, Machu Picchu, or sail the world’s highest navigable body of water, Lake Titicaca.
Rich in history and culture and with a hugely diverse geography, Peru makes for a fascinating destination. On hearing mention of Peru, images of Macchu Picchu, the soaring peaks of the Andes, llamas and the bizarre Nasca lines probably spring to mind. But Peru is also home to dense Amazon rain forest and nearly 2,000 species of birds.
Machu Picchu, The Holy city of the Incas, was voted one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. Built during the 15th Century, it was a symbol of the Inca’s power and is testimony to the society’s sophistication in terms of engineering. The mystery remains as to how it ever got built.
Another complete mystery is the Nasca lines and diagrams that are etched on the desert floor. A relic of the ancient people of the Nazca culture, the lines were created over 1,000 years ago by removing sun-darkened stones from the desert floor. It is as dramatic and mysterious as Machu Picchu but in a completely different way.
Peru’s capital Lima is known as “The City of Kings” and has an old style of faded glamour about it. There are a host of things to see including The Grand Plaza, The Government Palace and The Church and Convent of San Francisco which is the best place to see art in the city. The baroque mansions and colonial churches still gleam with silver which passed through Lima on route to Spain. After all this you can sit back and have a pisco which is Peru’s national cocktail.
The cultural and religious centre of the Inca world, Cusco was once a highly impressive city and was built to reflect the might of the Empire. The Andes are the ‘piece de resistance’ of this unique area where the soaring peaks reach unbelievable heights of 7,000 metres.
Fine beaches, soaring peaks, ancient ruins, remote jungles, colonial towns and traditional cultures all feature, meaning visitors are in line for an incredible experience.
