Peru – World Travel

Amazon-Basin Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

When you step out of an air-conditioned plane and a blast of hot, muggy tropical air hits your face, you will know immediately that you have arrived in the Peruvian Amazon Basin. This at least is what most travelers experience when they come to the Amazonas – as it is known in Spanish – for few roads and just a few rivers connect this vast tract of jungle territory with the rest of Peru.

The Amazonas comprises approximately 50% of the nation yet only 5% of Peruvians live here. It is nonetheless a fast-growing tourist destination. Judicious protection of the Peruvian jungle has meant that the biosphere of the eastern flank of the Andes preserves some of the most diverse fauna and flora reserves in the whole world. Unlike neighboring Brazil, where ecotourism is almost a dirty word, Peru has managed to look after its natural heritage for future generations.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’amazon basin Peru travel’]

Huaraz-And-The-Cordilleras Huaraz Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Huaraz is the restless capital of this Andean adventure kingdom and its rooftops command exhaustive panoramas of the city’s dominion: one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the world. Nearly wiped out by the earthquake of 1970, Huaraz isn’t going to win any Andean-village beauty contests anytime soon, but it does have personality – and personality goes a long way.

This is first and foremost a trekking metropolis. During the high season the streets buzz with hundreds of backpackers and adventurers freshly returned from arduous hikes, or planning their next expedition as they huddle in one of the town’s many fine watering holes. Dozens of outfits help plan trips, rent equipment and organize a list of adventure sports as long as your arm. An endless lineup of quality restaurants and hopping bars keep the belly full and the place lively till long after the tents have been put away to dry. Mountain adventures in the off-season can be equally rewarding, but the vibe is more subdued and some places go into hibernation over the rainy season.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’huaraz and the cordilleras Peru travel’]

North-Coast Piura Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

After several hours of crossing the vast emptiness of the Sechura Desert, Piura materializes like a mirage on the horizon, enveloped in quivering waves of heat. It’s hard to ignore the sense of physical isolation forced on you by this unforgiving environment; the self-sufficiency imposed upon early settlers may explain why they identify as Piuran rather than Peruvian. Being so far inland, the scorching summer months will have you honing your radar for air-conditioning as you seek out chilled venues in which to soothe your sweltering skin. But the lovely narrow, cobbled streets and charismatic colonial houses of central Piura make up for the fact that there’s little else for tourists to do here. Its role as a hub for the spokes of the northern towns means that you’ll probably end up spending some time here sighing in the relief of the occasional afternoon breeze.

Francisco Pizarro settled the first city in this district in 1532 as he whirred past on his way to trounce the Incas. It was originally located in Sullana, which was not the smartest move given that the oppressive heat and disease-ridden river there meant that settlers had a rather unpleasant time of it all. Fed up, they moved the city around a few times before resettling in Paita on the coast. The run of bad luck continued as Paita was sacked by English pirates in 1577. The very miffed settlers finally moved their city for the last time to its current spot.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’north coast Peru travel’]

Arequipa-And-Canyon-Country Arequipa Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Rocked by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes nearly every century since the Spanish arrived in 1540, Peru’s second-largest city doesn’t lack for drama. Locals sometimes say ‘When the moon separated from the earth, it forgot to take Arequipa,’ waxing lyrical about the city’s grand colonial buildings, built from an off-white volcanic rock called sillar that dazzles in the sun. As a result, Arequipa has been baptized the White City. Its distinctive stonework graces the stately Plaza de Armas, along with countless beautiful colonial churches, monasteries and mansions scattered throughout the city.

What makes Peru’s second-biggest city so irresistible is the obvious relish with which its citizens enjoy all the good things in life, especially the region’s spicy food, stylish shopping and nightlife. The pulse of city life is upbeat. The streets are full of jostling vendors, bankers, artists, students and nuns – in short, a microcosm of modern Peru. There’s no better place in the south to rejuvenate your weary bones, especially while waiting a few days to acclimatize before scaling the higher elevations of Lake Titicaca and Cuzco.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’arequipa and canyon country Peru travel’]

Huaraz-And-The-Cordilleras Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

The mountainous region of the Cordillera Blanca is where superlatives crash and burn in a brave attempt to capture the beauty of the place. A South American mecca for worshippers of outdoor adventure, this is one of the preeminent hiking, trekking and backpacking spots on the continent. Every which way you throw your gaze, perennially glaciered white peaks razor their way through expansive mantles of lime-green valleys. In the recesses of these prodigious giants huddle scores of pristine jade lakes, ice caves and torrid springs. This is the highest mountain range in the world outside of the Himalayas, and its 22 ostentatious summits of over 6000m will not let you forget it for a second.

Huaraz is a fast-beating heart linking the trekking trails and roads that serve as the mountains’ arteries. It’s here that plans of daring ice climbs, mountain-biking exploits and rock-climbing safaris are hatched over ice-cold beers in fireplace-warmed bars. Meanwhile in the eastern valley, the enigmatic 3000-year-old ruins of Chavín de Huántar await daily rediscovery, while further north picture-perfect villages, steeped in pre-Inca traditions, dispense affectionate smiles like they’re going out of style.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’huaraz and the cordilleras Peru travel’]

Amazon-Basin Pucallpa Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

For the uninitiated it is quite a revelation to arrive at Pucallpa (pu-kal-pa), the capital of the department of Ucayali, after miles of lush jungle travel from the raw and rocky Andes. The sight of the sweeping Río Ucayali pushing its way through Amazonian hinterland is impressive. You feel as if you have reached the coast. In fact you can reach the coast – eventually – in Brazil via the Río Ucayali and its major partner the Río Amazonas.

Pucallpa is the Amazon region’s only town to be linked to Lima by a paved road. For that reason it is an important river port for the distribution of goods along the broad Río Ucayali. It’s a fast-growing place and a busy and lively river port. Bedeviled by dust and hovered over by flocks of ominous-looking vultures, the town nonetheless comes to life at night when people flock to meander around the Plaza de Armas.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’amazon basin Peru travel’]

Arequipa-And-Canyon-Country Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

The irresistibly sexy city of Arequipa, known as the White City, is surrounded by some of the wildest terrain in Peru. This is a land of active snowy volcanoes, high-altitude deserts, thermal hot springs, salt lakes and, last but not least, the world’s deepest canyons.

Whether your heart desires to go trekking, mountain biking, river running (white-water rafing) or clambering up Andean peaks, Arequipa makes the perfect base camp. No other place in southern Peru delivers the best of both urban and outdoor life – you can slalom down from a sandy volcanic summit and still be back in your colonial mansion guesthouse in time for a dinner of spicy arequipeño food and all-night dancing in a sizzling-hot nightclub.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’arequipa and canyon country Peru travel’]

Central-Highlands Huanuco Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

After the oxygen deprivation of the altiplano, coming down to the busy little town of Huánuco is a pleasant relief. It makes for a convenient and decidedly more tempting stopover on the Lima–Pucallpa jungle route. Huánuco is the capital of its department, and is the site of one of Peru’s oldest Andean archaeological sites, the Temple of Kotosh (aka the Temple of the Crossed Hands). The town has a museum and a pleasant, shady Plaza de Armas. Although Huánuco was founded in 1541, little is left of its colonial buildings. The town’s inhabitants boast that the perfect elevation and location gives Huánuco the best climate in Peru.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’central highlands Peru travel’]

Amazon-Basin Puerto-Maldonado Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

The ramshackle jungle town of Puerto Maldonado is the capital of the Madre de Dios department – and an unlikely traveler destination. Hard to get to by land, rarely served by river passenger ferries and sequestered away in the far southeastern sector of Peru’s vast jungle territory, this bustling boomtown nonetheless receives a constant stream of visitors who flock here on the daily flight from Lima via Cuzco. The reason? Some of the most unspoilt yet accessible jungle locales in the country, served by some excellent accommodation options for travelers who want just a touch of luxury. Puerto Maldonado gives the traveler the chance to see, feel and hear the Amazonian jungle like nowhere else in Peru.

The town itself has been important over the years for rubber, logging and even for gold and oil prospecting, and its role as a crossroads is about to take on even greater dimensions as the interoceanic highway linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean via Brazil and Peru slowly takes shape. Few travelers stay long in Puerto Maldonado, though its languid, relaxing ambience certainly invites you to linger and there are enough distractions to keep you occupied for a day or two.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’amazon basin Peru travel’]

Central-Highlands Ayacucho Peru

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Arguably Peru’s most enticing Andean city after Cuzco, Ayacucho is well worth a visit. It has retained its colonial atmosphere more than most Peruvian cities, and colonial buildings and churches dominate the town’s skyline. The city overflows during the Semana Santa celebrations, which are easily the most colorful yet most devout in Peru. As yet Ayacucho does not have a large traveler presence and this is due largely to its fairly tenuous links with other Andean towns to the north and south. But it is nonetheless a popular destination for Peruvians who, apart from Semana Santa, come for the town’s bracing mountain air, its numerous archaeological attractions and its excursions in the surrounding mountains.

The central Andes is one of Peru’s least-visited areas. Ayacucho is no exception to this. Its first road link with the Peruvian coast was not finished until 1924 and in 1960 there were only two buses and a few dozen vehicles in the city. The paving of the road to Lima, completed in 1999, has turned Ayacucho to face the 21st century, but without forgetting its storied past.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’central highlands Peru travel’]