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Let’s talk about Peru! Peru is such an incredible country and there is a reason why Peru is a popular tourist destination. But we find that most people only travel to Peru for one thing and one thing only: Machu Picchu. Don’t get us wrong, Machu Picchu is incredible and should be on your Peruvian itinerary but we think you should see Peru beyond Machu Picchu.
In this episode of the Passports and Coffee Podcast, we are so excited to relive our time in Peru with you. We want to share some of our most cherished memories. We guarantee that after you listen to this episode, you will be looking up flights to Peru. So grab a cup of coffee and let us share our memories from our time in Peru!
Peru was the first country we traveled to together after we met in Vietnam. We spent almost a month exploring Peru in 2019 and it quickly became one of our favorite adventures to date.
We started off in Lima and made our way to Cusco to visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu. As you can imagine this was a dream trip for the both of us but in true Kayla and Cheraya fashion, this trip was so much more than just Machu Picchu.
We decided to take almost a month to make our way to Machu Picchu. By doing this we were able to visit the parts of Peru that are less traveled and visited by tourists. And honestly, if you are going to visit Peru, this is the only way we suggest that you do it. So how exactly did we make our way through Peru?
Attempting to navigate through a different country can be difficult. Depending on public transit can cause a headache. And sometimes there are not flight options to choose. So how did we travel through Peru and visit some of the lesser visited cities? This answer is simple: PeruHop. PeruHop has become one of the best ways to travel through Peru and see the real Peru. PeruHop is essentially a hop on hop off bus. You purchase your ticket, hop on the bus and get off at whatever stop you would like. This bus gives you the flexibility to stay as long as you would like in any given city.
Now that we have touched base on how we traveled around Peru, let’s talk about all of the stops we made along the way.
Lima
No trip to Peru is complete with a stop in the capital city of Lima. Most people who are visiting Peru will be flying in and out of Lima. But unfortunately many do not spend time in the city. In fact most people immediately make their way to Cusco but we encourage you to spend at least a day walking around Lima.
Lima is situated right on the coast and there are so many beautiful areas to explore. We recommend to just walk around, eat some local Peruvian dishes and maybe paraglide to take in the views. Paragliding is the one thing we didn’t have time for and if we were to return, that is one thing that we would do.
Paracas
Did you know there is a poor man’s version of the Galapagos in Peru? If you said no, you do now! Welcome to the city of Paracas, also known as the poor man’s Galapagos.
Paracas is located 4 hours south of Lima on the coast and is the town that is the launch point for the uninhabited Ballestas Islands. These islands give Paracas the name of the poor man’s Galapagos. These islands are the home to sea lions, penguins and some birds native to the area.
Paracas is home to more than just the must see Ballestas Islands. It is also where you can visit the Paracas National Reserve. The Paracas National Reserve is about 30 minutes from Paracas and is a protected area of desert and marine ecosystems. The striking contrast of desert and ocean is a must see.
Huacachina
Huacachina has to be one of the funnest stops we made during our time in Peru. It is a stop that allows you to tap into your inner child with dune buggy rides and sand boarding.
Huacachina is located 4 hour south of Lima and is the ONLY natural desert oasis in South America. This little village is built around a small oasis and large sand dunes. And honestly, if you are visiting Paracas, this is a stop that you NEED to add to your Peruvian itinerary.
So what is there to do in Huacachina if you decide to visit? We highly suggest booking a dune buggy and sand boarding excursion. There are many different tour operators that you can book with so no need to book in advance. But this is definitely a MUST! We suggest booking an excursion in the late afternoon to end your dune buggy experience with a sunset over the dunes. This will definitely be an experience of a lifetime.
Huacachina is a little bit of a party town, so choose you accommodation wisely. You have been warned.
Nazca
Nazca is home to one of the most bizarre tourist attraction and that is the Nazca lines. The Nazca lines are groups of geoglyphs or large line drawings that appear to be etched into the ground. These lines are said to have been constructed over 2,000 years ago but the origin is not completely known. There are many conspiracy theories as to how and why these lines exist, with one of those theories being made my aliens.
There are two ways to see these lines. One is by a viewing platform, but let’s be honest you don’t get the best view this way and since these lines are so large, you don’t fully get to see the lines. So with that being said, the best way to see these lines is by air. You can book a flight over the Nazca lines which is what we did. And to see the lines from above is crazy.
Arequipa
Oh Arequipa, we adore you! This city in Peru is so underrated and it’s one that we tell people that they need to visit. Arequipa, known as the legendary White City is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, which provides a beautiful backdrop. But this city will leave you wanting more thanks to it’s unique cuisine and history.
What is there to do in Arequipa? Since the city is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, this area provides a lot of trekking. Whether you are looking for a day hike or a 2-day trekking adventure, the Colca Canyon has lots to explore. If you listened to the podcast episode, you would know we originally planned to stay longer in Arequipa but decided to stay a day in Nazca instead which cut our time short. So we were unable to explore the Colca Canyon like we had originally planned.
If you are not hikers, don’t worry there is lots to see, do and experience in Arequipa that is not so strenuous. One thing that we suggest is learning about the Incan culture at one of the museums and if possible see Juanita. Juanita is one of the most well preserved mummy’s. We also suggest feeding the llamas and alpacas at Mundo Alpaca.
Cusco
We have made it to our last and final stop on our Peruvian adventure and we bring you to Cusco. Most of you will probably have Cusco on your list of places to visit because it will be the stopping point for those visiting Machu Picchu. But before heading to Machu Picchu we encourage you to explore this city that is in the heart of the Peruvian Andes.
Cusco is located in the heart of the Peruvian Andes and sits over 11,000 feet above sea level. So for all of our besties who are not used to this altitude, we suggest spending a few days in Cusco to acclimate to the altitude before embarking on any multi-day trek to Machu Picchu. So what do we suggest that you do to acclimate?
First things first, explore the city of Cusco! There is so much to see and do within the city that includes hanging out in the Plaza de Armas, exploring the local market and buying traditional ponchos for that epic instagram photo at Machu Picchu. We also suggest taking a day trip to Maras and Moray. We booked this day tour through our hostel and we truly enjoyed it. Maras is a town in the Sacred Valley located about 40 km outside of Cusco and is known for their salt mines. Moray is also located in the Sacred Valley and is about 50 km outside of Cusco. Moray is an archeological site that contains Incan ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions.
Another really popular day trek that we planned on doing but planned poorly for is trekking to Rainbow Mountain. Rainbow Mountain, known locally as Vinicunca, is a spectacular multi-colored mountain in the Andes near Cusco. It can be trekked in a day and is a great way to prepare you for a much longer multi-day trek. If you are lucky, there will be no snow and you can see the colors in all it’s glory. When we return we will skip a multi-day trek and trek to Rainbow Mountain instead.
We truly love Peru. We have created the most amazing memories that we still talk about today. It’s one of the reasons why we decided to dedicate a full podcast episode on this destination. Now you may be wondering why we didn’t talk about Machu Picchu in this episode.
Yes, we did visit Machu Picchu but our journey to this world wonder deserves its own full episode. Tune in to the next episode of the Passports and Coffee Podcast to hear all about our journey to Machu Picchu and how we almost died on the Salkantay Trek.
Thank you for listening!
Don’t forget to subscribe and review the podcast. We would love to know what you think.
Hi travel besties! It's Kayla and Cheraya, your co-hosts of the Passports and Coffee Podcast. We are fellow corporate world millennials looking to escape the 9-5 and are encouraging you to do the same.
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