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:
It’s been announced that this year’s Qosqo Mijuy (Cusco Eats) Food Fair will take place April 2nd and 3rd. The fair will be divided into two sections, one for prepared dishes and one for a farmer’s market called ‘Leading the Change’ offering reduced-price, locally-grown produce from the Sacred Valley as well as seafood. The aim of the fair is to bolster fading Holy Week culinary traditions in Cusco, which involve preparing 12 types of dishes. This, in part, is why they offer cheaper options during a time when seafood prices skyrocket. Even though it typically takes place during the very busy Holy Week, the fair is overwhelmingly popular- in previous years, it’s attracted more than 7,000 people each day. These aren’t Mistura numbers, but for a mid-size event in a provincial city, it’s pretty great!
Fall into the magic of the former imperial city of the Incas. This year, the central day of Carnaval in the towns of Cusco District will be Sunday, February 15th. It’s a time of colorful dances, parades, and competitions. Celebrations take place not just in Cusco city proper, but also in the surrounding Sacred Valley of the Incas and the Southern Valley, especially in the towns of Pisac, Calca, Coya, and Urubamba. (Last year, more than 5 thousand visited Coya on the main day of its carnaval. Dancers and musicians gathered from the country communities surrounding Cusco, Arequipa, Tacna, Puno and Apurímac.)
Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away, and if you’re traveling to Peru during this time you might be wondering what options you have for a memorable Valentine’s Day in Lima. We’ve compiled our top four romantic sites to visit in Lima, all of which are scenic and easy on a backpacker’s wallet!
The die-hard extreme sports enthusiast might think that Bolivia’s options are limited to mountain climbing icy peaks and biking down the World’s Most Dangerous Road, but there are other, even more uncommon options for the most intrepid of travelers….