LIMA
Lima is the capital city of Peru. During the colonial it was called the City of Kings. It was founded on January 18, 1535 by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on the banks of the Rimac River that forms a splendid and strategically located valley. It soon became the most important and powerful city of Spanish America.
Today Lima is a modern metropolis, known for its friendly and lively people, rich culture good restaurants, and many historical monuments. It is also a home to approximately a fifth of Peru's population. The city extends over the area of almost 34,000 square kilometers. At 133 meters above sea, Lima enjoys mild yet humid weather with almost little or no rain.
CUSCO
High in the Peruvian Andes (3,360 meters above sea level) and set in the midst of a crown of six cloud-topped mountain peaks, Cusco is the oldest continuously inhabited city on the American continent. Its name is derived from 'Qosqo', a Quechua word meaning 'navel of the world'. It was the capital of the Inca Empire and home to Inca nobles and captured chieftains while servants and artisans lived on the outskirts. The city contains unrivalled archaeological and architectural treasures from the time of the Incas and of the later colonization. Cusco is the departure point for visiting Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas, the mysterious and awe-inspiring site of ingenious architecture surrounded by some of the world's most spectacular scenery.
The climate is generally mild, cold and dry, with an average annual temperature of 11 C. The rain season runs from November to March, with light rains at the start of the season and heavier rains from January to March. The dry season runs from April to October. Visitors are advised to bring along warm clothing and raincoats during the rainy season.
SACRED VALLEY
Less than an hours drive from Cusco lays the valley of the Urubamba River. It is easy to understand why the Incas considered this exquisite valley of spectacular panoramas and fertile alluvial low lands as sacred. Standing guard over the winding river valley are the spectacular temple fortresses of Pisac, Urubamba, Yucay, Ollantaytambo and finally Machu Picchu.
PISAC
The small city of Pisac is best known for its Citadel, which stands guard on the side of a mountain overlooking a gorge in the Urubamba River. Pisac was once a waypoint on an ancient Inca road leading into the Amazonian jungle to the east. The ruins of the ancient fortress still guard the village below, also known for its artisan market on the main square on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
MACHU PICCHU
Machu Picchu is the most famous and one of the most beautiful and mysterious Inca ruins. The sight of Machu Picchu is world renown for its enchanted location high in the green Andes. The ruins lie on a terraced plateau between two mountain peaks, surrounded by forested slopes with the Urubamba River snaking far below. In the distance the glacial peaks of the Andes are visible in all directions.
Nowadays it is South-America's most famous Historic National Sanctuary. The story of Machu Picchu, its rule and decline are still a mystery. The city, built on a basalt rock was rediscovered in 1911.
Today, in a simple way Machu Picchu is divided in two main sectors: farming and urban. Outside the city there are broad artificial farming terraces. Machu Picchu was a very exclusive city and its population selected among the nobility, therefore, it had a very effective security and protective system. The urban part contains main squares, temples, palaces, storehouses, workshops, stairways, cabbies and water fountains which run through both sectors.
Machu Picchu is accessible only by train, helicopter or the famous Inca Trail with its breath taking vistas and high passes. Accommodations are at the foot of mountain at a village called Aguas Calientes, named after the hot spring pools at the edge of town.
NAZCA
Located on a wide, arid plain near the coastal city of Nazca, is one of the greatest mysteries of human civilization: a mosaic of gigantic stylized figures. A monkey, a fish, a spider and a hummingbird are among some 300 drawings and geometric figures visible only from the air.
The purpose of the Nazca lines has long been a subject of debate and there are several theories. Nazca lines were built by people called the Nazca, but the explanation of their purpose and way of creation has defied explanation. With no dust or sand to cover the plain, and little rain or wind to erode it, lines drawn here tend to stay drawn. These factors, combined with the existence of lighter-colored subsoil beneath the desert crust, provide a vast writing pad that is ideally suited to the artist who wants to leave his mark for eternity.
Flying over the plains in a small plane is an unforgettable experience.
LAKE TITICACA
In Inca mythology, children of the Sun emerged from the depths of Lake Titicaca to found their empire. With snow-capped peaks along its far shores, the vast blue lake at 3,800m is one of the Andes' most enchanting scenes. Covering 8100sqm in area, Lake Titicaca is traditionally regarded as the highest navigable lake in the world - although there are actually some higher ones in Peru and Chile. Titicaca lake is situated on the high plateau that extends for hundreds of kilometers between Bolivia and Peru.
Forty-one islands, some of them densely populated, rise from Titicaca's waters. The largest is Titicaca Island, also called Isla del Sol or Sun Island. The lake has crystal clear, sapphire-blue water and is revered by the Indians who live on its shores. This indigenous community continues to live within the traditions of the 14th century.
The Aymara people live in the Titicaca Basin and still practice their ancient methods of agriculture on stepped terraces that predate Inca times. They grow barley, quinoa, and the potato, which originated on the Altiplano.
The remnants of an ancient people, the Uru, still live on floating mats of dried reed that grows in the lake.
Towns near the lake possess treasures of colonial architecture.
AMAZON
Near the city of Iquitos, the waters of the great Ucayali River join those of the Maranon, to form the powerful Amazon, which flows more than 3,500km, through the jungle to the Atlantic Ocean. The world's largest river, the Amazon is so wide that the opposite shore is sometimes difficult to see. Iquitos is the ideal point of departure for exploring this imposing force of nature.
From the city, there are different ways to see the river and jungle, you can travel by river to typical lodges deep in the jungle or visit the Yagna or Bora Indian villages that proudly preserve their native customs. You can also explore the fascinating tributaries and islands of the Amazon or fish in the rivers and lakes.
The city of Iquitos flourished during the 19th century rubber boom, which left its mark in the architecture of the manor houses designed by Eiffel, which still possess the charm of past ages. |
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Name: Peru |
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Area: 1.285.216 sq.Km (496,225 sq. miles) |
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Capital City: Lima |
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Population: 23,531,701 |
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Language: Spanish, Quechua |
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Currency: nuevo sol |
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Time Zone: GMT - 6 hours |
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Religion: 90% Roman Catholic |
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