Yes, Peru is synonymous with Machu Picchu, dense jungle, and gleeful llamas. But this ancient nation has more to offer than just these three. So here, at Terra Explorer, we turned to our seasoned luxury travel counselors to query them on additional ways to explore Peru, an amazing South American destination.
Visiting Peru is a real pleasure for anyone keen on outdoor adventures. There’s a rich and mottled assortment of landscapes: from never-ending desserts to white-capped peaks and the better known Amazonia—all of them reasonably close to each other.
This mosaic of terrains is primarily due to the towering Cordillera running across the middle of the country from north to south. And so, evergreen valleys emerge from within the mountains, some of the most profound canyons on Earth sit along this geological spine, and a myriad of rivers and lakes irrigate the Pacific and the enormous Amazon Jungle.
Evidently, a five-day trek traverses this multitude of vistas. As you might have guessed, kayakers and rafters can pick and choose where to chart themselves—fishermen too. And a birdwatching aficionado does also have a galore of locales at hand. There is no other destination garnering so many iterations of the great outdoors.
We have just emoted our love for the scenic views of Peru. But one of our favored ways of immersing in the Peruvian landscapes is by hopping on a KTM and riding along foliage-filled mountains, never-ending deserts, white peaks, quaint historical towns, and archaeology jewels. We’re proud to have Dakar-veteran Carlo Vellutino on our team. He has designed two routes for a motorcycle trip where the highlight is not the destination but the getting there.
Related: Mountain biking, a different way to discover Peru
Peru was the cultural epicenter of South America up until the 1800s. To point out one unknown fact: The oldest city in the Americas is nestled along the coastal valleys of Peru. Some of the greatest empires surged on these storied lands. They left behind architectural masterpieces —the Nazca Lines and Machu Picchu, to name a couple— which bemuse historians and archaeologists to this day.
Later, during colonial times, the Spanish set Lima as the capital of the Southern Americas. Cities in Peru developed their own architectural styles and culture over a newly established mestizo and creole social fabric. This collage of religion and traditions are the reasons behind the past and current artistic expressions turning Peru into the perfect locale for a culturally infused trip down the Equator.
Slowly but surely, Peru —the Sacred Valley, to be precise— has become a hub for all things wellness. And today, the likes of Vogue list it as one of the go-to places for any voyager with mind, body, and soul healing in their agenda. What sets Peru apart is the ancient cult to Mother Earth—a cult vividly active even to this day. Ceremonies like “Pago a la Tierra” evince gratitude towards nature, a concept we westerners are just timidly starting to grasp.
Over the years, the storied valleys circling Cusco have become places where shamans and wellness experts congregate to spread their restorative knowledge and practices conjunctly. Don’t miss out on this unique amalgamation.
A not-so-well-known fact: Two out of the ten best restaurants on Earth —Central and Maido— are in Peru. What’s more, the best female chef in the world —Pia Leon— is Peruvian, too. Another personage, Manuel Choqque, a potato producer headquartered in the Sacred Valley, has been laureled as one of the fifty people “changing the future of gastronomy” by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Organization. These accolades are just testaments to the phenomenon that is Peruvian cuisine.
Lima is often cited as the culinary capital of Latin America, with chefs and restaurateurs harboring the eclectic history of immigration to their nation. Here, incoming gastronomic traditions intertwine with local ingredients to birth one of the best cuisines on the planet. Your taste buds will thank you for a visit to this scrumptious land, so don’t wait any longer and travel to Peru!
Related: Manuel Choqque: The man who saved purple potatoes
And there you have it: the best things to do in Peru to enjoy your stay in this beautiful country. We assure you that, no matter how you explore this destination, you will enjoy an unforgettable experience. So get on your calendar; maybe you’ll have to add a couple more days to soak Peru’s best!
And don’t forget to contact us for a tailor-made trip to this South American nation we proudly call home. Whatever it might be, from reckless rides through dunes in the desert to epic Andean mountain adventures, we have you covered.
To ensure the well-being and safety of our travelers and staff throughout our operational chain, Terra Explorer will comply with the health and safety measures and protocols established by the Peruvian Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism (APTAE), and implement the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for adventure tourism developed by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Our experiences are designed considering the least possible exposure, where the final destinations are usually remote places. By their very nature, our adventure activities are considered to be low risk, mainly because they are performed outdoors where ventilation is constant and making it easy to achieve social distancing.
During these times we are working together with a small staff of honorable people who have been part of the Terra Explorer family for many years. They and their families are aligned with the established health and safety measures. Employing these staff members also seeks to reactivate the local economy.
We guarantee a safe, soul-fulfilling trip to all our travelers for whom we make these adventures possible.
Terra Explorer will strictly comply with the safety, cleaning, and hygiene protocols during our internal processes, third parties, and throughout your trip. This involves:
Follow the instructions related to health and safety given by the Terra Explorer team and your guide, before and during your trip.
Stay home if:
With the intention of delivering the most flexibility at the time of confirming your trip, we will determine the amount of the initial deposit individually and according to your itinerary characteristics.
Secure your trip with a deposit and pay the rest in one or more payments, at a time that suits you best. Please make sure you adhere to our policy and pay in full at least 31 days prior to your trip date.
If you need to cancel your trip, we will apply the following flexible policies.
For more detailed information on our terms and conditions and Covid-19 policies, please contact us at [email protected]