Machu Picchu And Cusco

The terrain in Cusco is steep, combining fertile inter-Andean valleys with impressive mountains that descend to the rim of the jungle where the temperature rises and the landscape is transformed through a variety of vegetation.

The city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire, was placed on the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983, and is without a doubt one of the most important destinations in Peru. There are Incan buildings waiting for you to discover them among its cobble-stoned streets, ones like the Koricancha and the palace of Inca Roca.

In addition, you can visit the picturesque neighbourhood of San Blas where the best artisans in the department have set up their workshops. This magical city also has an exciting nightlife with cafes, restaurants, and bars for all tastes. Just ten minutes away from the city, there are the massive walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, and a few kilometres from there, you find the archaeological sites of Qenko, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay, Incan buildings constructed completely with stone.

There are also the towns of Písac, Maras, Chinchero, and Ollantaytambo, which are spread throughout the Sacred Valley of the Incas, one hour from Cusco. From there, it is possible to catch the train to Machu Picchu. Another way of getting to the citadel is by following one of the Inca Trails, a spectacular network of pathways that snake their way among the snow covered mountains, rivers, and overwhelming countryside. This is one of the best trekking routes in the world, since scattered throughout it, you find remarkable archaeological sites and areas rich in unique plant and animal species.

The enigmatic complex of Machu Picchu, the most important and beautiful legacy of the ancient Peruvian, is part of the Historic Sanctuary of the same name, which is also one of the few places in the Americas placed on both the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Lists by UNESCO. It is located high on top of a mountain and complements the exuberant nature that surrounds it, creating a one of a kind place in the world.

The city of Machu Picchu is the department of Cusco’s most important tourist attraction. Discovered in 1911 by the American explorer, Hiram Bingham, this city is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of scenic architecture in the world.

The city of Machu Picchu itself was built at the top of a granite mountain. The Incas, using ingenious engineering techniques, were able to transport heavy stone blocks up the mountain side, and once there, they used their excellent masonry skills to produce amazingly polished stones that fit together perfectly.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September of 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. Currently, there are concerns about the impact of tourism on the site as it reached 400,000 visitors in 2003.

Most of the construction in Machu Picchu uses the classic Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. The Incas were among the best stone masons the world has seen, and many junctions in the central city are so perfect that not even a knife fits between the stones.

Other Inca buildings have been built using mortar, but by Inca standards that was quick, shoddy construction. Peru is a highly seismic land, and mortar-free construction was more earthquake-resistant than using mortar. Inca walls show numerous subtle design details that would prevent them from collapsing in an earthquake. Doors and windows are trapezoidal and tilt inward from bottom to top, corners are usually rounded, inside corners often incline slightly into the rooms, and "L" shaped blocks are often used to tie outside corners together. Walls do not rise straight from top to bottom but are offset slightly from row to row. As a result, Machu Picchu is a city that has stood up well to earthquakes over the years.

The Incas never used the wheel in any practical manner. How they moved and placed enormous blocks of stones is a mystery, although the general belief is that they used hundreds of men to push the stones up inclined planes. A few of the stones still have knobs on them that could have been used to lever them into position. After they were placed, the Incas would have sanded the knobs away.

Archeological Journey in the coast: Chincha - Paracas -Ica -Nazca

This circuit along the south coast provides a combination of sun, sea, beaches, history and traditions, but above all, the area features marvelous landscapes, making it a major attraction for a different kind of adventure.

The area is reached, by road down the South Pan-American Highway; First stop is the city of Chincha 202 km (125 miles), two and-a-half hours from Lima, the cradle of Afro-Peruvian culture.

The Bay of Paracas 50 km (31 miles), 30 minutes from Chincha, home to the Paracas Reserve, harbors a large variety of bird species, sea lion colonies, penguins and many other species, making the area one of the country’s richest in terms of biodiversity. The area is ideal for adventure sports, eco-turism and sailing. We recommend the early morning boat rides around the Ballestas Islands.

Ica, 50 km (31 miles), 40 minutes from Paracas, a festive region steeped in religious traditions, is the next stop on the tour. Here, visitors can take in the Ica Cathedral and the shrine of the Señor de Luren, the patron image of the city. Lake Huacachina, an oasis surrounded by vast, wind-sculpted sand dunes, lays further inland in the desert.

Visitors can board light planes and fly over the Nazca Lines from Ica or continue along the road down to the city of Nazca, 140 km (87 miles), and two hours from Ica. One can see part of the lines from a lookout tower by the road in the Pampas de San Jose plains. Before returning, Visitors should not miss a tour of the traditional local vineyards, or taste some of Peru’s finest wines and pisco, the country’s national beverage, particularly in the month of March, when the area celebrates the Ica wine Festival

Adventure in Arequipa - Colca - Puno - Cuzco

This is one of the most heavily-visited circuits in South America, not just because of the connections between the cities, but also for the many attractions in the region.

The route starts out at Arequipa, a 50-minute flight from Lima or 14 hours by road 1,003 km (622 miles), a road. The stopover in Arequipa, at 2,335 meters (7,659 miles), will enable visitors to get used to the altitude, but above all take in sights such as the Cathedral and the Santa Catalina Convent , while the city outskirts features some beautiful countryside. The road heads on, from Arequipa to the town of Chivay (five hours), the gateway to the Colca Valley, which is littered with soaring volcanoes and breath-taking landscapes. Chivay offers a wide range of possibilities to tour the valley and reach the lookout point of Cruz del Condor, which grants visitors spectacular views of condors wheeling across, one of the world’s deepest canyons, the Colca Canyon. The nearby picturesque villages, which feature fine Baroque churches and main squares, authentic traces of their colonial past, are also worth a look-in. Adventure sports lovers will also discover endless opportunities for hiking, climbing and rafting.

The next stop on the tour, whether by train, car or plane, is Puno, 281 km (174 miles) southeast of Arequipa. Visitors can take boat trips across Lake Titicaca and visit the islands, which feature marvelous natural scenery, white sandy beaches, the unique fauna and flora of the highland plains and above all, the people and their traditions.

From Puno, the train winds its way north to Cuzco, dubbed the archaeological capital of the Americas. The trip takes five hours by road. The city of Cuzco, offers visitors endless possibilities for tourism. One interesting alternative is to tour the city’s many churches and colonial buildings and take in the exquisite art forms which were the result of the encounter between native and Western cultures. Particularly striking are the oil paintings dating from the seventeenth-century Cuzco School. Above all Cuzco is an archaeological treasure, featuring temples, fortresses, palaces and other Inca buildings, including the citadel of Machu Pichu, held to be one of the wonders of the world. The area around Cuzco is also ideal for adventure sports of all kinds.

Archeological tourism in Trujillo -Chiclayo -Cajamarca

Visitors can get to Trujillo from Lima overland 561 km (348 miles) up the North Pan-American Highway, an eight-hour trip, or a 45-minute flight. Trujillo, capital of the department of La Libertad, is home to dozens of superb examples of colonial and republican mansions. as well as pre-Inca constructions, such as the Temples of the Sun and Moon and Chan Chan, the world's largest mud-brick citadel. For those fond of water sports, the beaches near the city are superb.

From Trujillo the road heads north to Chiclayo. capital of the department of Lambayeque, a two-hour trip by road. In addition to the area's sun-drenched beaches, the city of Lambayeque also features the Brüning Museum, which houses a spectacular collection of gold pieces crafted by the Moche and Chimu, two of the ancient civilizations that dominated the area.

From Chiclayo the road climbs up into the northern highlands, a six-hour journey to the bucolic city of Cajamarca. Visitors are advised to rest upon arrival and take precautions against high-altitude sickness. Cajamarca is filled with reminders of Its ancient past: the Ransom Chamber of Atahualpa (the Inca emperor captured by the Spaniards), the Inca Baths and the Ventanillas de Otuzco tombs. in addition to colonial churches and convents. Cajamarca nestles amidst fertile countryside where visitors can take part in farming chores alongside the local community.

Ecotourism in the Manu

Manú National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO recognised it as a Reserve of Biosphere and in 1987, it was pronounced a World Heritage Site. It is the largest National Park in Peru, covering an area of 15,328 km². The Biosphere Reserve includes an additional 2,570 km², and a further 914 km² are included in a "Cultural Zone" (which also is afforded a level of protection), bringing the total area up to 18,811 km.

The park protects several ecological zones ranging from as low as 150 meters above sea level in parts of the Amazon Basin to Puna grassland at altitudes of 4200 meters. Because of this topographical range, it has one of highest levels of biodiversity of any park in the world. Overall, more than 15,000 species of plants are found in Manú, and up to 250 varieties of trees have been found in a single hectare. The reserve is a destination for birdwatchers from all over the world, as it is home to over 800 species of birds, nearly the total for all of North America

This circuit combines the archaeological and cultural legacy of Cuzco with Peru's greatest natural treasure: the Manu National Park.

Due to the high altitude, visitors are advised to take the one-hour flight to and rest upon arrival. Cuzco is a unique of blend native and Colonial architecture, where visitors will find colonial constructions built on top of Inca foundations. The surrounding region also features many attractions: The town and church of Andahuaylillas. the Ollantaytambo fortress and the town of Pisac are just a few found in Cuzco, which are crowned by a visit to the citadel of Machu Picchu.

From Cuzco, the road heads down to the Manu National Park, a journey that can take from 9-12 hours to the villages of Atalaya and Shintuya, where one continues by boat for another 5-6 hours. There are also 30-minute flights from Cuzco to Boca Manu, where the boat ride takes 4-6 hours. The Manu teems with record numbers of species of plants, birds. insects. butterflies, mammals and reptiles and is doted with an extraordinary diversity of eco-systems. The area is best visited from May to August. Visitors should bring insect repellent and sunblock.

Ecotourism in the Amazon

Because of the particular geographical location of Iquitos in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon basin and because this city is the point of departure to the main attractions of the region, the proposed circuit is not a sequence for the developing of an itinerary but a nonconsecutive list of the most important places, as well as suggestions for the best enjoying of the trip.

The city of Iquitos, capital of Loreto, is located on the north-eastern Amazon plain. Loreto is the largest region of Peru and covers 30% of the national land area.

Iquitos, almost 4 degrees to the south of the Equator is located at about 1009 km (625 miles) northeast from Lima and at 100 meters (328 feet) It was founded in 1864 although it had already been settled some decades before. The city has 250,000 inhabitants. Located between the Nanay river and the left bank of the Amazon. It is the most important river port of the country.

The weather in Iquitos is warm and humid. The temperature ranges from 17 to 20 degrees C (62 to 68 degrees F) in June and July, to 36 degrees C (97 degrees F) between December and March. These months are considered as winter time in spite of the high temperature. The city lies on the banks of an Amazon river branch in front of a large and woody permanent shoal called Padre Isla, almost 20 km (12 miles) long. It is surrounded by rivers and small channels. The Napo and Amazonas rivers converge close to Iquitos.

The Amazon basin is the most extensive and varied natural reserve of the world. It is home to 25,000 classified species of plants and believed to have many others which still remain unknown.

The Peruvian jungle holds more than 4000 butterflies species and in the basin of this great river (literally millions of square miles of water courses) live some 2000 different fish species, more than in the Atlantic Ocean. There are also plants such as the aquatic lilies known as "Victoria Regia", with leaves that reach a diameter of 2 meters (6.5 feet);exotic birds like the hoatzin, that dives to escape from its pursuers and whose chicks have claws on their wings. There are also pink dolphins more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length, jaguars and the tapir, the biggest native mammal of the Amazon jungle, all of them living harmoniously in this wonderful ecosystem.

The camp, over the Sassari river, affluent of the Napoli’s considered one of the most important attractions of ecotourism throughout the world, because it has the first canopy walkway for the observation of fauna and flora. Nature lovers may enjoy a walk "on the high side" along this 200 meter (656 feet)-long walkway,30 meters (98 feet) above the ground, which links the 6 tallest treetops of the area. This is the first and largest canopy walkway in the Americas.

The Biosphere Reserve of the Amazon and the ACEER (Amazonian Center for Environmental Education and Research) laboratory are also in this area. The Reserve protects 2'023,500 hectares (818,910 acres) of pristine vegetation. This camp is accessible by river from Iquitos. The trip takes 3 hours by motor boat and 7 hours by rowboat. An airplane service is also available.

The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve

Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve is one of the widest protected areas in Peru containing a rich eco diversity and being the largest reserve in the country and the second largest in the Amazon region. The reserve is triangular shaped by Marañon and Ucayaly River in the South, just before their junction originating the Amazon River.

Pacaya-Samiria is the largest reserve in Peru, covering 21,000 km2 (8.106 sq miles) .Its areas is larger than the one of the Manu, and is similar as the country of El Salvador.

The Reserve was created to preserve the wonderful flora and fauna of the lower part of the jungle, between the Huallaga low stream and the Pulbah channel (an alternative course of the Ucayali ).
The basin of the Pacaya and Samiria rivers also includes 8 big lakes and several lagoons.