Category: Peru

Only 30km from the Ecuadorian border, Tumbes is in a uniquely green part of coastal Peru, where dry deserts magically turn into mangroves and an expanse of ecological reserves stretches in all directions. It’s also the springboard for trips to the excellent and popular beaches of Máncora, two hours further south.

Given that it can be a challenge to get to Huancavelica, travelers justifiably expect to find something worthwhile. What they will find is a small, cozy town nestled among craggy peaks, more reminiscent of Switzerland than the Andes. Its location means that the town can experience some bone-chilling winds, and the weather can be unpredictable in the wet season. Huancavelica is 147km south of Huancayo and is the capital of its own department. It’s a relaxed kind of town that grows on you and, like other towns in the country, activity centers on its main square, where there are reasonable hotels and a few quality eating options.

Arriving in Huancayo you get the impression of arriving in some Wild West frontier town. Tumbledown outer suburbs, dusty, chaotic streets, people wandering seemingly at random and all around the mountains rise and surround. Yet the altiplano (Andean plateau) on which Huancayo is built gives the whole scene an air of welcome space often missing in the Andes. Huancayo is an arresting town. Once you’ve dusted your spurs and settled in, the real town reveals itself. It’s modern yet traditional. There’s good accommodation and top-class wine-and-dineries in which to wash off the dust of the mountains and taste hearty local fare, all to the accompaniment of crisp Peruvian wines or local boutique beer.

Also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, this town lies in the deep valley below the ancient Inca ruins and enclosed by towering walls of stone and cloud forest. Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? Trust us, it’s not: unplanned tourist development and perpetual construction makes this one of the ugliest, most exploitative towns you’ll run across anywhere in Peru. However, all travelers to and from Machu Picchu must pass through here. There’s only one good reason to stay overnight, though: to avoid being engulfed by the hordes of day-trippers arriving from Cuzco by train each morning. Only those who sleep here get to catch the first morning bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu and stay at the ruins until late afternoon, when the tour crowds magically vanish.