Destinations
Peru
Published on October 20, 2022
Off The Beaten Trail In Peru
By Veronika Macas
The Amazon
When was the last time you fished for piranhas and swam with pink dolphins? That's what I thought.
The Peruvian Amazon is a treasure that's somehow remained hidden from the vast majority of the travel industry. The lush natural rainforest plays host to a slew of incredible creatures, from alligators and anacondas to jaguars and spider monkeys, and even its human inhabitants have embraced the idea of being off the grid—the region's main urban hub is Iquitos, the biggest city in the world that you can’t actually drive to. The best way to experience it is to quite literally go with the flow by floating down the Amazon River. Using a luxe cruise ship like the Aria Amazon as your home base, you can take skiffs that venture deeper into the heart of the jungle for wildlife viewing, and dock in remote villages to meet the locals and explore on foot.
Opportunities for water-based adventure abound, including kayaking, canoeing and swimming in the Amazon River by day. By night, you can break out a telescope and awe as constellations come to life in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.
The Sacred Valley
Arequipa & Colca Canyon
Your Instagram feed will love Arequipa.
A colonial-era gem awash in white buildings made from hand-cut silar stone, Arequipa is a gorgeous city in an even more stunning setting. Three volcanoes frame the city, towering (safely) in the distance and providing the city with some stunning views, which few visitors to Peru ever get to drink in.
But there's much more to take in than the views—the food scene in Arequipa is incredible. A historical trade hub that connected Cusco and Lake Titicaca with countries such as Bolivia and Chile, today Arequipa is a melting pot where a mix of cultures, flavours, ingredients and spices come together in the local picanterias (lunch spots), creating a unique culinary experience.
You've got to try some rocoto relleno, Peru's version of stuffed pepper, and chupe de camarones, a shrimp chowder. Then wash it all down with chicha morada, a delicious drink made from purple Peruvian corn.
Culture and history abound in Arequipa too, including the Santa Catalina Monastery, an architectural stunner that recounts the scandalous tenure of the nuns who once lived there, and Juanita, a mummy only discovered when a glacier melted and revealed her tomb.
Arequipa
The Colca Canyon