7 Awesome & Overlooked Wonders of Peru

Peru has such an overwhelming wealth of natural, cultural, and historical richness that merely working out your itinerary must-sees can be a challenge. Some, such as the Nazca Lines and Machu Picchu, have become so iconic that they require no mention. Others you may not have heard about yet. In no particular order, this is a list of some of our favorite awesome & overlooked Peruvian wonders:

#7 An ancient city older than the Egyptian pyramids…

The first civilizations arose thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, China, Central America…. and Peru. You’ll find one of the world’s oldest cities two hours north of Lima: the Sacred City of Caral, whose discovery was one of the 20th century’s most stunning archeological finds. Its structures of stone and clay predate the Egyptian pyramids and mark the birth of civilization in the New World. (Although there are possibly more ancient settlements in its vicinity, Caral was region’s the cultural center.) Although still under excavation, Caral has been open to tourism since 2006.

#6 Playful Penguins…

Many travelers are surprised to learn that they can watch boisterous sea lion and penguin colonies off of southern Peru’s desert coast. Once can find Paracas Reserve (whose name means raining sand in Quechua) and the Ballestas Islands along Paracas Bay, located south of Lima. Despite the bay’s location in the middle of one of the driest deserts in the world, it boasts a great diversity of sea birds and marine life, thanks to the cold Humboldt current (which gives the penguins which live there their name.

#5 A Fortress of Giant Stones

Sacsayhuaman Fortress, on the outskirts of Cusco, is the number one must-see sight in the former Imperial City of the Incas. Its stones astound for their size- some equal to that of a small truck- and the precise placement that allows them to fit perfectly together and survive the passage of time and seismic activity without any mortar. It is often said that the stone’s jutting corners and sides fit together so perfectly that no blade of grass or sheet of paper could pass between them. Among the zig-zagging walls of the fortress, decisive battles played out between the Incas and the Spaniards.

#4 A Bio-Diversity Icon

Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Peru’s Amazon basin is perhaps the most bio-diverse region in the world (the only serious challenger for the title is Bolivia’s Madidi National Park). The park protects 15% of the world’s bird species, thousands of plant species and hundreds of animal species- some of whichare quite endangered and some of which can be found nowhere else- and indigenous communities. Manu’s rainforest of giant trees, dense canopy, and rushing rivers boast a great variety of tropical birds, monkeys and tapirs, caiman, and the incredible and very rare jaguar sighting.

#3 Lord of Sipan

The Lord of Sipan was an important leader of the Moche civilization, which ruled along the Peruvian coast several centuries ago. Luckily, his pyramid tomb located near Chiclayo was never raided, remaining undiscovered for 1600 years, until the 1980s. Fully intact, it contained various mummies which researchers believe to include the Lord’s wife, concubines, a military commander, banner holder, watchman and child. Also found were 400 elaborate carved necklaces, earrings, and masks of gold, silver, and precious stones, as well as ceremonial items and other relics. From his gigantic half-golden, half-silver necklace representing the sun and moon to a spider necklace with human head in the middle, the pieces provide priceless insight into the Moche. A special museum was constructed to house the treasures of the Lord of Sipan (including 2000 gold pieces), and in 2012 received more visitors than any other museum in Peru.

# 2 The Canyon of Wonders

The world’s deepest canyon, Cotahuasi Canyon outside of Arequipa, Peru, is often referred to as “The Canyon of Wonders”. Over centuries, the force of the mighty Cotahuasi River carved out this canyon between the enormous Coropuna and Solimana Massifs. From the cold desert summits to the subtropical river floor, the eponymous reserve spans 12 distinct ecosystems boasting stunning landscapes which nurture traditional Andean communities and native plants such as coca and kiwicha. Aside from appreciating the striking views and pre-Incan and Incan terracing, visiters can enjoy some of the most challenging and exciting white-water rafting in Peru, hike, mountaineer, or paraglide.

#1 Quelap

Along the banks of the Utcubamba River in the Amazonas province sits a fortress dating back more than a millennia, to the most advanced civilization of the Peruvian jungle, the Chachapoyas (also known as the Cloud Forest People). Quelap Fortress took around 200 years to build, covers 14 acres, and (thanks to walls raising 20 meters high protecting 400 buildings and a castle) contains more material than the Egyptian pyramid of Keops. It was an important center from 800 AD until its abandonment after the Spanish conquest in the 1500s (it had retained its status after the 1452 Inca conquest). Despite its astounding engineering, wall friezes unlike any other in South America (evoking eyes and birds), and lush surroundings, Quelap is overlooked by many travelers following the main tourist routes.

For more information about any of the sights mentioned on the blog, or other travel aspects for your trip through Peru or Bolivia, contact the specialists of Pirwa Travel Service at pirwatravel@gmail.com and they’ll be pleased to help you with your questions or requests.