Peru is considered by many to be the culinary and cultural heartland of South America. A carefully planned vacation will allow you to enjoy the local cuisine, shopping, and a variety of evening activities. Tailor made travel can also offer vacations geared more towards a sporting inclination, with trekking, river rafting, and paragliding, or trips focusing on culture and archaeology.
Peru travel gives you plenty of options, whether it's covering remote areas, staying in haciendas, visiting communities, or taking part in many of the festivals that occur year round. In the next few pages, you'll find useful information on a range of specific vacation interests in Peru. You will also learn how to custom tailor your own trip.
Peru Travel Destinations
The main Peru travel destinations include: Arequipa and the Colca Valley and Canyon, Rain Forests, Lake Titicaca, Huascaran National Park, Lima, Paracas National Reserve, Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Trujillo/Chiclayo, and Chachapoyas. Each locale gives you a unique sampling of the different culture and terrain of that region. In fact, Peru's terrain and climate ranges from the arid, desert conditions of the northern coast, to the lush, dense vegetation of the southern rain forests and jungles.
Whatever destination you choose in Peru, you're guaranteed a rewarding experience. Take the lost city of Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley. You can spend days exploring the ruins, along with the rich local culture. It's tucked away at the foothills of the Andes; a breathtaking setting, once considered the heart of the Inca empire. If you're up for more urban exploration, then Lima is definitely worth the trip. With seven million inhabitants, it is the commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the country.
Peru Travel: Culture
Due to Peru's abundance of geographic contrasts and long history, it's only fitting that it be rich in culture and folklore. Peru has developed societies with their own religions and administrations going back 4,000 years. Diverse ethnic groups have been the result of ancient Peruvian cultures such as the Inca. Add to that the subsequent immigration of Spanish, Africans, Far Easterners, and Europeans, and you have a melting pot.
Festivals have been the result of Peru's diversity. From February through August, there are eight major festivals celebrated in various regions of the country. For example, the Candelaria festa takes place in Lake Titicaca during February, while the Corpus Christi festival takes place in Cuzco in June. Travel packages to Peru will allow your trip to coincide with one of these exciting events.
Peru Travel: Hotels
Great Peruvian vacations start with comfortable and adequate lodging accommodations. Peru travel can offer you many options in any region you decide to visit. When you sit down with your Peru travel agency, request a list of lodgings by region, price, and recommendation.
A recommendation, or agency rating, is important when searching for an efficient hotel in Peru. They usually range from five star deluxe down to budget. A rating should appear under each hotel's name to give you a better idea of what you may, or many not, want to get into. Solid hotel accommodations throughout your Peruvian vacation will only add to the pleasure of your trip.
Read Next 5 Articles
Adventure Travel Peru
Budget Travel Galapagos
Galapagos Cruises
Galapagos Dive Trips
Galapagos Island Boat Trips