Peru Things to Do

With sweltering temperatures and not a snowflake in sight, Christmastime is a little different in Peru. That doesn’t stop the natives from getting in the festive spirit, though – Christmas light displays take over the city streets, American-style Christmas trees are erected in plazas and Santa Claus pops up at parties all over the country.

The colorful culture of the Quechua-speaking peoples seems mysterious to many travelers, an exotic element of Peru’s Andean population, always visible in bright woolen textiles, yet separate, inscrutable. Some enterprising folks will furnish photo ops at top tourist destinations, whole families in traditional dress—including a stylish bowler hat for the ladies—and perhaps an adorable llama for flavor. That will be $1, senora, and would you like to buy a souvenir.

Though Peru’s awesome Andean topography and vast deserts might seem an impossible biking challenge to those of us boasting only average athleticism, there are all sorts of options for two-wheeled exploration. Of course, serious cyclists trek the trackless deserts and mountains as they traverse South America, most recently the World Cycle Racing Grand Tour’s second-place competitor (at press time) Sean Conway, who had just completed some 3900km (2418mi) just south of Lima.

Not exactly your speed? Fear not, casual cyclist, there are dozens of less intense treks on offer. Some tour operators, for example, can take you to the top of the Andes, starting at Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, and other high-altitude spots. Then, they’ll stay close behind in a motor vehicle as you wend your way down some of the world’s most magnificent mountains.

On the Bolivian border, not far from Puno and famed Lake Titicaca, the “highest navigable body of water in the world,” is a unique conservation zone clinging with lush abandon to the Andes, as they plunge toward the thickly jungled Amazon Basin.

The star attraction is Peru’s Bahuaja Sonene National Park, connected by a network of public and private lands to Tambopata Natural Reserve, Peru’s most visited wildlife preserve. Madidi National Park and Pilon-Lajas Biosphere Reserve are both on the Bolivian side of the border. Together, they protect one of the most biodiverse hotspots on Earth, home to more than 1000 bird species, including the rare military macaw, blue-headed macaw, and Amazonian parakeet.

Peru’s year-long celebration spectacular marking the 100th anniversary of archaeologist Hiram Bingham’s “rediscovery” of Machu Picchu is finally over. Laser light shows, live music, and other events have drawn unprecedented attention to the Incas’ amazing lost city, forcing national park administrators to consider increasing the number of visitors from 2500 to 4400 per day. That’s great news for folks worried about being turned away at the park entrance, not so much for those who prefer to commune with history well away from the crowds.

Peru, blessed with its epic landscape and awesome Spanish, Inca, and earlier civilizations, has been given that nod several times already, for such wonders as Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, and other outstanding destinations.