Peru’s popularity as a tourist destination is based on its wonders and mysteries left behind by the ancient civilizations that inhabited these lands. Even the most seasoned travelers are mesmerized by the perfectly crafted, multi-ton monoliths in the temples of Machu Picchu, marvel at the sophisticated astronomical instruments of Peru’s ancient observatories, and are baffled by the geometrically precise, multi-kilometer-long drawings of the Nazca plateau.

Peru Attractions
Pisac is a city and ancient Inca fortress located 33 km from Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas along the Urubamba River. Here, you can visit the ruins of the fortification that protected the entrance to the river valley. The Sacred Valley also contains interesting sites, such as the pyramid-city of Ollantaytambo and the village of Chinchero. The Nazca Desert, one of Peru’s main tourist attractions, is located in the south of the country between the Ingenio and Nazca rivers. It is a roughly square stone plateau covered in mysterious drawings visible only from the air. The drawings depict human figures, birds, and animals, many of which are not native to the Nazca region. These “mega-drawings” are believed to have been created between 350 and 700 BCE.

Arequipa is the country’s most beautiful city, located in southern Peru at an altitude of 2,335 meters above sea level. Key attractions include the Convento de Santa Catalina, the cathedral, the Jesuit church of La Campaña, the central square of Plaza de Armas, the former mint of Casa de la Moneda, and the Casa Moral mansion.

Costa is the Pacific coast of Peru. Here you can visit the Paracas National Marine Reserve, the Huacachina sand dunes, the oases around the “wine capital” of Ica, the Huascarán National Park and the Huaylas Valley, the ancient clay city of Chan Chan and the pre-Incan cities of Sipan and Tucume.