A prophet once said “Don’t tell me what a man says, don’t tell me what a man knows. Tell me where he’s traveled” I wonder about that, do we get smarter, more enlightenment as we travel? Does travel bring wisdom? I think there is probably no better place to find out than Peru.
– Anthony Bourdain
In 2001, Kerstin participated in a contest at the Spanish Embassy and won a scholar trip to South America. For 6 weeks, she and 300 other 16 year-old-teenagers around the world hiked, tripped, and trekked through jungles and mountains in Ecuador and Peru. Ever since she came back, I had wanted to visit Peru with her.
In 2018, we finally made it! We spent 3 weeks exploring Peru before heading to Bolivia. And what we experienced in Peru has definitely convinced me that: yes, we do get smarter and more enlightened as we travel. Yes, travel brings wisdom. And yes, there is definitely no better place to find out about that than in Peru.
Here are our Greatest Experiences in Peru
Table of Contents
1. Explore Cusco, the archaeological capital of South America
View this post on Instagram
Sitting in the breakfast room of our hotel, we looked out of the window into the heart of Cusco. Amidst the brown tiled roofs white steam rose to mingle with the morning clouds.
Sipping our coffee, I tried to remember everything I had learned about the capital of Tawantinsuyu – or what we call the Inca Empire. At that moment, little did I know how much we were going to learn and see in Cusco during the next 3 days.
In Qurikancha (Temple of the Sun) I finally understood how precious and strong Inca architecture really is. After all, it withstood the 1950 earthquake, whereas the Dominican Priory and Church built by the Conquistadors on top of the Inca Temple were heavily damaged or even destroyed.
2. Eat clay in a traditional Peruvian family’s home
View this post on Instagram
Somewhere between Sillustani and Puno lies a tiny village with no more than 3 houses along a dirt road. We drove past it on our way to a pre-Incan necropolis. On our way back, I told our guide that I had a terrible stomachache. Suddenly, he hit the break and said we’d stop to taste some potatoes. I meant to repeat that I felt sick, but decided to trust him.
We entered the front yard of a traditional house. A lady came out to greet us and exchanged some words in Quechua (or was it Aymara?) with our guide. She disappeared in the house for a minute and came back with several plates. Potatoes and potatoes… lots of colorful potatoes, quinoas, corn and cheese. I was told to eat one specific type of potato, and to dip it in her homemade sauce made of clay. Clay? I asked. Yes, she said! Chaco! Chaco helps treating stomach problems such as gastritis. I didn’t hesitate and plunged my potato deep in the bowl of clay. I guess that in the end, I ate more clay than potatoes…
3. Celebrate Pachamama Day in the floating Uros islands
View this post on Instagram
On August 1st, we were told that it was Pachamama Day, the Mother Earth, the highest divinity of the Aymaras and Quechuas in Latin America.
It was a nice coincidence that on that day, we visited the islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. While walking on the irregular grounds of the tiny man-made islets, we felt how unstable they really are. It might take the Uros people about a year and a half to build one islet, but these islets have to be abandoned after 30 or 35 years. They are basically just a platform made of layers and layers of totora, a kind of reed harvested on the lake’s banks. The bottom of these islets is nothing but cubes of totora attached together with ropes, which then grow together after a few months. To avoid the islet to float away, the platform is anchored on the bottom of the lake. When water soaks in, they have to add another layer of reeds on the surface of the islet.
When we sat down to watch two little boys play with a bunch of reeds, we suddenly realised that nothing in Lake Titicaca is made to last very long. Not the houses, nor the boats, not even the islets because everything is made of totora reed. This was the perfect place to celebrate Mother Earth…
4. Walk through the 500-year-old Salineras de Maras
View this post on Instagram
It was in the late afternoon when we arrived on the top of Salineras de Maras, located not far from the Urubamba Valley. The sun was shimmering, and the clouds reflected in each of the salt pans. From afar, they looked like solar panels. I had a hard time not falling into the salt pans as we walked on the narrow paths that separate the pools. Probably because of my acrophobia. Or it could be the sky’s reflection that made me dizzy…
We felt so close to heaven… and so close to the Incas, who built these salt terraces over 500 years ago. Today there are over 6000 salt pools, each one mined and harvested by a local family of the Maras community.
5. See well-preserved Inca mummies at the Chauchilla Necropolis in Nazca
View this post on Instagram
Located in the deep Peruvian desert about 30km south of Nazca, the Chauchilla Necropolis holds some of the best-preserved Inca mummies due to the dry climate in the area.
There were only two other couples on the archaeological site when we arrived. Except from a few chatters, we heard nothing but a few occasional gusts. The sun was shining, and despite the cooler temperatures I had to take off my jacket. We were in the desert… on a Nazca burial ground. Finally! The first mummies we saw – clothed in cotton and sitting inside open pit graves – put a smile on my face. Gosh, they’re so beautiful! Kerstin threw me a huge question mark… We moved from one grave to another, and I kept marveling at the remarkably well-preserved hairs on the skulls. Most of the graves have been ransacked by robbers, not just recently but for centuries already. It was only in 1997 that Peru decided to protect the site under law.
6. Visit archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley with a local archaeologist
View this post on Instagram
When visiting an archaeological site, the quality of your experience often depends on the guide you get… As an archaeologist there’s nothing better than to have a local archaeologist to show you around.
In Cusco we were very lucky to have Mrs. Odilia as a guide, who also made us discover several Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley. Before working as a travel guide in and around Cusco, Mrs. Odilia was an archaeologist and participated in many excavations in Peru. Her scientific researches made her travel in her country, but also to the USA, to Canada and several countries in Europe where she spoke at international conferences and numerous university lectures.
With Mrs. Odilia, we did not have to worry about the scientific and historical accuracy when we explored Moray, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Sacsayhuaman among other sites. And it felt really good to be able to discuss about both the basic things, but also the more detailed backgrounds of each archaeological site.
7. Sandbuggy through the deserts of Huacachina
View this post on Instagram
Huacachina is a little village located in the rolling sand dunes of Southern Peru, about 300 km south of Lima, and 80km from Pisco.
We traveled all the way to Huacachina from Lima for one thing: do a sand buggy ride in the desert. As we raced, motor struggling, up to the crest of each sand hill, the driver slammed the brakes, let gravity tip us, and blaze the engine again so our heavy bottom wouldn’t send us toppling to our death. We drifted through an amber-golden sea of sand. The sky seemed to melt into the slopes of sand-walls in the distance. As far as the eye could reach, the desert stretched and seemed to absorb us with each drop, only to spit us out again like a lion playing with its prey. Never had we screamed so loudly in our whole life.
8. Stroll through the colorful market of Pisac
View this post on Instagram
When our guide Mrs. Odillia told us that we were going to see a local market, we thought that it would be similar to the ones we saw in Arequipa or Cusco. But the Pisac Market in the Sacred Valley is the largest market and way more authentic than any market we had seen in Peru. It is open every day, but Sunday is the busiest time of the week.
When we arrived, I was immediately struck by the natural color powders sold by several Quechan communities coming from the surrounding highlands. They are usually used to dye textiles, but also as watercolor paint. I had never seen color pigments as bright as these ones. The next time is perhaps when we’ll travel the Silk Road in China…
9. Watch Andean condors at 4100 meters altitude in Colca Canyon
The Andes are majestic. So majestic that at 4000 meters altitude, I was hit by “soroche” and could do nothing else but to rest at our hotel. Fortunately, Kerstin resisted the high-altitude sickness and could therefore watch the Andean condors cruise at Cruz del Condor in the Colca Canyon. She filmed and shot many photos of these black vultures that are in danger of extinction. Look how their wingspan of 3 meters allows them to glide splendidly through the air…
10. Hike through the clouds in Machu Picchu
View this post on Instagram
It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived in Machu Picchu, the highlight of most travelers in Peru. But since the new regulations in 2017, no one is allowed to visit this famous archaeological site without a guide. Unfortunately, ours turned out to be one who wasn’t quite passionate about archaeology, and knew even less about the site than we did… Despite the rain and the bad guide, we had a blissful moment as we walked through the clouds in Machu Picchu.
11. Taste delicious tuna fruits
View this post on Instagram
Tuna fruits have nothing to do with tuna fish. It’s a kind of cactus fruit, also known as prickly pear. Once the spiny peel is removed, you discover a carmine red fruit inside. We were first sceptic when our driver stopped the car in the middle of nowhere and made us follow him into a cactus field, carrying a small machete… Of course, he used it to cut the fruits to let us taste them. Otherwise we wouldn’t still be alive. At our first bite of the tuna fruit, we were surprised of how sweet Peruvian prickly pears taste compared to the ones we get in Southern Europe… Sometimes you have to trust people. And never say no to local fruit.
12. Enjoy a snow-caped mountain view in Arequipa
View this post on Instagram
Surrounded by snow-caped mountains, Arequipa is full of baroque buildings carved with whitish-pink volcanic sillar rocks from the surrounding region.
From the roof terrace of the Palla Boutique Hotel, the views of the surrounding mountains above the White City were literally breathtaking. At 2335 m above sea level, I already started to feel altitude sickness. So, we took it slow, lied down on a couch, breathed in the fresh air, had a delicious Peruvian coffee and even napped for an hour.
13. Learn to differentiate a llama, a vicuña, and an alpaca
View this post on Instagram
It might seem silly, but one of the reasons I wanted to visit Peru was to hug a llama. I never really understood the differences between llamas, alpacas and vicuñas until we arrived in Peru, where these funny-looking camelids can be spotted everywhere.
Domesticated in South America for centuries, llamas are pack animals today, whereas alpacas have been bred specifically to produce wool. The price of alpaca wool depends on the softness and fluffiness of the wool fibres. And baby alpaca wool is the softest and can be exorbitantly expensive. Vicuñas however are wild. They are shy creatures, and we only saw them in the high alpine regions of Peru. My favourite camelid in Peru is the alpaca suri or rasta alpaca.
14. Take time to wander around the village of Ollantaytambo
View this post on Instagram
The town of Ollantaytambo looks like a grid with seven parallel streets. Dating back to the height of the Inca Empire, it has one of the oldest still inhabited houses in South America. When we strolled through the narrow streets made of huge cobble stones that pass between high Inca stonewalls, we felt like time-traveling back to the 15th century.
We came across women dressed in traditional costumes and laughing heartily, children who kept asking where we’re from, and men carrying a huge pot with a steaming content… We roamed randomly, watched the locals do their ordinary things, laughed at silly nonsense with them, and played with the kids.
Taking time to explore the village of Ollantaytambo was as pleasant as visiting the archaeological site in Ollantaytambo. Or perhaps even more.
15. Embrace absolute tranquility at the pre-Incan necropolis of Sillustani
View this post on Instagram
Visiting a “city of the death” is equally as important to me as visiting a “city of the living people” when traveling, and especially when exploring archaeological sites.
As we arrived in Sillustani, the pre-Incan tombs called “chullpas” looked less impressive than what I had expected, but located on the shores of Lake Umayo, this archaeological site was the most peaceful place we experienced in Peru. We sat down, listened to the breeze and embraced the absolute tranquility around us.
Ever since, whenever we need a moment to ponder, we close our eyes and imagine ourselves sitting at the necropolis in Sillustani…
16. Feast on Peruvian gastronomy
View this post on Instagram
Back in 2001, Kerstin got arroz con pollo almost every day during her 6-week Ruta Quetzal expedition in Ecuador and Peru. When she came back, she was traumatised by this dish and couldn’t eat rice and chicken for years. This time, before we traveled to South America, I told her that Peru has won the award for the best culinary destination in the world for the 7th consecutive year. Of course, she wasn’t ready to believe me until we arrived in Peru…
In fact, Peruvian cuisine now reflects the mix of various cultures: Incan, Spanish, but also Chinese since the 19th century, as well as Japanese in the 20th century.
Moreover, Peruvian food is quite healthy, since they cook with local ingredients such as quinoa, yuca and thousands of native potato varieties cultivated in the mountainous area of the country. When traveling along the coast, we also feasted on local fish and seafood, cooked with lemon or lime that are cultivated by the Peruvian coast.
Our favourite dish – which is also known as Peru’s national dish – is ceviche, which is fresh raw fish mixed with citrus juices and spiced with chopped onions and the Peruvian “green” sauce with cilantro, called aji. Choros a la chalaca (fresh mussels with chilli peppers) is another gastronomic dish we loved in Peru.
17. Discover the advanced level of culture of the Inca civilization in Moray
View this post on Instagram
For centuries, the circular stone structures in Moray remained a mystery. When the Spanish arrived in the Incan Empire in the 16th century, they were looking for gold. But Moray did not possess gold. The conquistadors thus spared the site.
Today, archaeologists believe that these circles were built by the Incas to serve as an agricultural laboratory. Hundreds and thousands of types of crops imported from other parts of the region were planted on these terraces, and meticulously classified. Since the difference of temperatures varies a lot between the top and the bottom rings, Moray is like a “test kitchen” which gathers various micro-climates inside a circular structure that goes as deep as 30 meters.
Different tribes in the Incan Empire would travel all the way to Moray to choose particular types of grains for their specific climates and soils, and report back about the grains’ quality.
18. Listen to the wind at La Raya Pass at 4350 m above sea level
4910 m altitude is the highest point we reached in Peru. But since I was hit by soroche in Chivay, I couldn’t quite enjoy the scenic views at such altitude. Luckily, soroche wore off and I got used to the high altitude in the Andes after a few days. As we traveled the Route of the Sun from Puno to Cusco, we stopped at La Raya, which marks the border between the region of Puno and that of Cusco.
Located at 4338 m above sea level, La Raya is actually a quite remote place that offers nothing more than a view of the peaks of the Andes mountains. But standing at the giants’ feet, listening to the howling wind and acknowledging how small we human beings are, made me think of Flaubert’s saying “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world”.
43 Responses
Varikosette
I’m dreaming about going to Peru. Your photos are great!
Mei and Kerstin
Thank you! Peru is a wonderful country with so many interesting archaeological sites, colonial architecture, delicious food and friendly people. We can only recommend you to visit soon! 🙂
Brianna Shade
Peru is so colorful! We can’t wait to explore this beautiful country next year!
Mei and Kerstin
You’ll love Peru, Brianna! It’s such a wonderful country!
Joanne
Peru is such an amazing location. I’d so love to visit myself one day. How great you got to experience it together after all these years. Being able to explore archaeological locations with an actual archaeologist must have been such an amazing experience. My husband has mentioned several tones about visiting Machu Picchu. It looks so amazing.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, Joanne, Peru is really an amazing country. You should definitely visit it someday!
Carolina Colborn
Wow, Peru has so much diversity…from deserts to salt flats to snow-capped mountains, from the Sacred valley to Machu Pichu. I wish we could go to explore Peru.
Mei and Kerstin
We also hope that you’ll get to visit Peru soon! It’s such a beautiful country!
Lola La Paz
This post takes me back to some very good times! We fell in love with Cusco and love to go back there. Machu Picchu was on our bucket list like forever and of course it was a bit crowded, I still enjoyed it a lot. When we are going back to Peru I would love to go to Choquequirao. It is estimated 3 times as big as Machu Picchu but only attracts a couple of visitors a day. (Don’t know if its still the case but sounds appealing) One of the highlights of our stay was Colca Canyon. I struggled with the altitude too and Inge had to almost carry me at some point. But we did see a lot of condors flying over and the views where just amazing! There are some very cool places on this list that we want to see so we have to go back to Peru someday! Oh, and I’m curious if the clay helped to ease your stomach ache) greets Lola!
Mei and Kerstin
Let us know about Choquequirao if you go there next time! We wanted to go but had to make a choice, since we couldn’t do everything in 3 weeks. Did you also visit Northern Peru? Kerstin went there in 2001. It’s less touristy than Southern Peru (although more now than 17 years ago of course). And the clay I tasted definitely helped to ease my stomach ache! I wish I had chaco now when I have stomach ache! It’s much healthier than pills!
Yukti
Peru is high on my wishlist due to unique culture and lovely natural wonders. I would love to go for traditional meals at Peruvian home. Inca civilization looks interesting and thanks for sharing all major highlights of Peru.
Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions
Having only been to Lima, your post is a confirmation that I absolutely need to go back and see more of this stunning country. Those salinas are so interesting, and they look like they’re off the beaten path; I’ve never heard of them before! And you are definitely right about the gastronomy. Every Peruvian meal is such an experience. Love the pics and I hope you had an amazing time there!
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, Kevin. You definitely have to return to Peru and explore at least Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Puno, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon. We visited in July and August, so it was raining all the time in Lima. It’s an interesting city, but we preferred the rest of Peru, which is very different to Lima.
Shreya Saha
Peru is in my list since forever. Your post is just pushing me to plan for South America super soon. I wish I could fit that in this year, but I guess it got to be 2020. There are so many places to visit – the Mayan ruins, Cusco, Arequipa, and more. You are lucky to have visited these places and sharing your experience with us.
Mei and Kerstin
Oh we hope you’ll get to visit Peru next year. It’s really a wonderful country. Although, if you want to see Mayan ruins, you’ll have to go to Mexico, Guatemala or Belize. The Mayans didn’t go to nowadays Peru.
Elena
I heard about chaco but never got a chance to try it myself. Apparently, it was used by pre-Colombian civilizations, who made special drinks to help digestion and alleviate intestinal pains. The use of chaco spread thanks to the domestication of Andean native potatoes, which have a very bitter taste. Clay is mixed with salt to create a paste which gives a better taste to potatoes and reduces the irritation of the digestive system caused by the high content of glycoalkaloids. Also, the consumption of chaco helps to add iron and calcium to the daily diet.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, chaco is known since ancient times, and mixed with salt it actually tasted quite good. Instead of taking extra calcium pills on a daily basis, it would be good to eat chaco instead. 🙂
Jing
Everything you listed here looks very interesting to me that I’d feel I will be missing out on something if I don’t try it all. I had never been to South America but it’s absolutely on my list. I laughed on the clay story! haha! Wonder how it tastes like.
Mei and Kerstin
Chaco actually tasted quite good! hehe… South America is simply breathtaking! At first we planned to visit several other countries such as Argentina and Chile as well, but it’s a huge continent, so we ended up exploring southern Peru and Bolivia first, mostly because of their archaeological sites. If you plan to visit South America, we definitely recommend you to start with Peru!
anneklien
Peru has been high on my list to go hiking at the Machu Picchu, but reading this theres so much to explore like the Salineras de Maras looks amazing. Hopefully one day I will visit and explore Peru.
Mei and Kerstin
Peru is such an awesome country with lots of unique landscapes, cultural sites and wonderful people. The Salinera de Maras was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. If you get a chance, do visit Peru someday! Roberto from Peru Inside Out was really helpful, so you should definitely contact him to help you plan your trip. And of course feel free to contact us if you need any tips!
Mansoureh
Such an amazing List. I like how your guide went to a local’s house and brought you plate of Potatoes. I like to eat local food whenever I go. I haven’t been to Peru, but it seems the people are so hospitable and lovely. Peru has a lot to offer. How long would you recommend for a first time visitor to spend in Peru?
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, Peruvians are absolutely friendly and welcoming! If you have time, you might want to spend 3 weeks in Peru. If not, then at least 2 weeks. Take your time and go slow to avoid getting hit by altitude sickness.
Rosemary
Love this post as Peru is one of the countries we fell in love with in South America Cusco is truly special and there is nothing like staying with a local or having a local guide to help you understand the history and background. Sad to hear about your Machu Picchu guide. Our guide was amazing and was really passionate and proud about his ancestors. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Did you spend time in Lima? The culinary capital of South America and home to some of our favorite foods and restaurants.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes Rosemary, we spent about 4 days in Lima and also had lunch in Punto Azul Restaurant in Miraflores. Apparently it’s one of the best local seafood restaurants in Lima. Have you also been?
Danik
I am hoping to do Peru in 2020 and you have given so much insight and good advice. Have bookmarked this page for future reference. I really cant wait to get out there and do some hiking and see the beautiful landscape. Three weeks – is that too long or too short in your view?
Mei and Kerstin
If you’re into slow travel, 3 weeks is perfect to explore Peru. Of course, you won’t be able to visit everything… We also spent a week in Bolivia, a truly wonderful country with breathtaking landscapes and great for hiking too. If you have a chance, make sure you also visit Bolivia after Peru. The best way is to fly to La Paz from Cusco, or to travel by bus from Puno.
Vanessa Workman
I know you had a challenge writing this post and keeping it under 10K words, can just feel your energy wanting to say more! Gorgeous descriptions and such beautiful travel experiences you had.. except for the wanker guide in Machu Pichu. There really should be a grading system for guides, so the non-enthusiastic can just find another job they might be better suited for. Great score with Mrs. Odellia though. She was probably thrilled to meet up with kindred spirits.
Mei and Kerstin
Oh yes, Vanessa, it was hard for me to keep under 10k words! At first I wanted to write about our 30 greatest experiences in Peru, then narrowed it down to 20 and finally 18! If you ever visit Cusco and its surrounding area, definitely try to ask for Mrs Odillia as a guide! Too bad I can’t even remember our guide’s name in Machu Picchu, or I’ll sure let you know so that you can avoid him. But our experience was still good enough though!
Linda de Beer
Wow, you sure did make the most of your 3 weeks in Peru. I know Macchu Pichu should be on everyone’s bucket list and walking through the clouds sounds amazing. But I think my absolute highlight would be watching the Andean Condors at 4100 metres in Colca Canyon.
Mei and Kerstin
Machu Picchu was amazing, but it wasn’t the highlight of our trip. Watching Andean condors was in fact a more unique experience, and it was certainly less crowded in Colca Canyon! 🙂
Nic Hilditch-Short
It sounds like you had the best time in Peru and saw some amazing places. We’ve not been but it’s in our plans for the next stage of our travels. This is such a useful guide to all the different things to see and do, we’re really drawn to Peru because of the mix of culture, history and beautiful landscapes.
Mei and Kerstin
I’m glad you found my post useful Nic. Peru is such a wonderful country. Don’t wait too long to visit! And feel free to contact us if you need any tips!
Marvi
Sounds like you had quite an adventure in Peru. 🙂 The landscape looks amazing as well as the food. Though its interesting to know about the ‘Chaco’ and how it can treat stomach problems. I wonder how was the taste?
Mei and Kerstin
Since it was mixed with salt, it tasted rather good! Whenever I have stomach problems now, I think of chaco and wish I could have some here in Europe! 🙂
Linda (LD Holland)
Thanks for this great review of Peru. We are booked to visit in 2020. Love that you found that locals fed you from their homes. Interesting to read that everything in Titicaca is made from totora reed and made to disintegrate. Thanks for the suggestion to visit the archeological sites with an actual archaeologist. I am sure the experience was much better. We hope we get to visit Machu Picchu. Even with the rain, you visit looked amazing. Heading high into the La Raya Pass might be a great way to catch amazing views. Thanks for the tease.
Mei and Kerstin
You’re welcome Linda. We hope you’ll have a wonderful trip in Peru next year. Machu Picchu is certainly a must-see place, despite the crowd and rain. La Raya Pass was great, but if you won’t have enought time, then we’d suggest you to go to Colca Canyon instead, and skip the bus/road trip between Puno and Cusco.
Milijana
I love how honestly you have described your guide not to be passionate about archaeology, and knowing even less about the site than you did.
Unfortunately these days I find many guides like him.
I always do a fair amount of the site research by myself and quite often find guides to be useless.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, it was quite unfortunate that our guide in Machu Picchu wasn’t passionate. We hope he’ll find another job that suits him better.
tombourlet
Ah the moment I saw a post on Peru, my brain went into overdrive as I looked for a mention of Huacachina! I had so much fun sandboarding there (albeit a little bit scary at first). I’m glad you managed to spot a condor. I saw one but it was way too far off to catch on my camera unfortunately.
Mei and Kerstin
Oh too bad you didn’t get to see a condor up close! They are truly beautiful. Hopefully next time then! And YES, Huacachina was totally awesome!!
Ryan K Biddulph
Cusco is such a gem Mei. I loved my time there. 2 weeks!
Mei and Kerstin
Did you also visit Northern Peru (less touristy)? Kerstin went there back in 2001. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to explore Northern Peru this time, even if we were there for 3 weeks…