Perfect Peru Top 5

BA has launched direct flights to Lima (not that we need much excuse to visit). Let’s see the top five things to do in Peru!

1. Machu Picchu Must-See

Named as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, this glorious Inca citadel swarms with tourists – but less so if you arrive early, on foot. High in the Andes, Machu Picchu was built in around 1450 and abandoned just a century later, as the Spanish conquistadors advanced through South America. It was only rediscovered by the outside world in 1911, by American Hiram Bingham.

The classic Inca Trail from Cusco takes four days, with extra Inca ruins along the way, and means you can arrive at Machu Picchu before the first train-load of tourists. Or check out alter­native, quieter trails, such as the Salkantay Trek, which showcases even more diverse topography and ecosystems and a rare sidelong view of the Machu Picchu complex.

2. Northern Rainforest

Many visitors spend time in the rainforest in the south of Peru, to tie it in with a pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. A much-under-looked alternative is to fly to the jungle metropolis of Iquitos, the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road, to use it as a base for exploring the Peruvian Amazon.

After a five-hour speedboat trip up the river you’ll find yourself in remote primary rainforest teeming with a rich array of flora and fauna. Expect to see a huge variety of bird life, monkeys, caiman, pink river dolphins and perhaps even a sloth. Stay at an eco-lodge such as Muyuna Lodge, which only employs guides from the local community.

3. Surf’s Up

Huanchaco in the north of Peru has gone from sleepy fishing village to a favourite with travellers, mainly because of the excellent waves that roll in across the Pacific. It still has a laidback vibe and the bars come to life when the sun goes down. There are numerous surf shops along its sandy beachfront, where you can hire a board and wetsuit. For a culture hit, nearby is the ancient Chimú city of Chan Chan, the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, and the even older Temples of the Sun and the Moon from the Moche Civilisation.

4. Poor Man’s Galapagos

Known as the poor man’s Galapagos, the Ballestas Islands are an hour and a half by boat from the town of Paracas, just south of Lima. The nickname doesn’t do justice to the rich variety of marine life you can see, including pelicans, cormorants, penguins, sea lions and dolphins.

On the boat trip out, from your ocean vantage point, you’ll also see a giant figure etched into the sandy coastal hills, the Candelabra geoglyph, which is over 150m high and 50m wide. It’s one of Peru’s great unsolved myster­ies, because nobody knows which civilisation created it and why it’s there.

5. Wild White Water

For the ultimate adrenaline hit, Peru has some of the best white water rafting rivers in the world. Options range from a half or full-day blast, to three or four-day adventures, from the spectacular Andes to the lush canyons of the Upper Amazon.

Cusco is a good base, within reach of the Urubamba and Apurimac Rivers, or for a really adventurous trip try the Tambopata River in Peru’s south eastern jungle. Splashing.