Peru - Top 10

Top Tens

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

The variety of trails to trek is staggering. Most gear can be hired, but your own broken-in boots will save you from horrific blisters inflicted by poorly fitting rental boots. But why stop with trekking? There's plenty more to do!

• Trekking in the Cordillera Blanca - Prime trekking past 50 glaciated peaks exceeding 5700m
• Trekking in the Cordillera Huayhuash - Similar to the Blanca, but less visited and more remote
• Trekking the Ausangate Circuit - Six days of high-altitude trekking alongside alpacas
• Wandering in the Canyon del Colca - Get down into one of the world's deepest canyons
• Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - Deservedly world-famous guided trek
• Reaching remote archaeological sites in the Northern Highlands - Hire a guide, machete and pack mule to thrash through cloud forest
• River running in the Manu Area and near Arequipa - Multi-day Andes-to-Amazon descents or through deep canyons
• Mountaineering around Huaraz - Huascaran (6768m) is for experts but easier peaks abound
• Mountain biking around the Cordillera Blanca - Rent and ride! Easy trails and demanding single-track await
• Sand-boarding at Huacachina - Slide down humungous dunes in the desert
• Surfing on the north coast - Adventurers don't stop at 10! - there are radical waves up north

FLORA & FAUNA

Peru has over 1700 bird species (more than any country except Colombia). No wonder ornithologists flock to Peru. Wildlife enthusiasts also come to see sea-lion colonies, pink freshwater dolphins, creepy crocodiles, adorable anteaters and, with luck, jaguars. With coastal, mountain and rainforest habitats, there is so much to spot. Bring your binoculars.

• Parque Nacional Manu - Remote and remarkable - your best chance of seeing a jaguar
• Reserva Nacional de Paracas - Coastal reserve with penguins, Inca terns, flamingos, seals and sea lions
• Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria - Little-known rainforest awaiting exploration
• Parque Nacional Huascaran -Andean condors, giant Puya raimondii, vicunas and viscachas
• Tambopata Research Center - Capybara sightings are highly likely while cruising to a macaw lick
• Cruz del Condor - The single best place to see Andean condors daily
• Reserva Nacional Pampas Galeras - A vicuna sanctuary with a round-up and shearing in May
• Iquitos Area - A 500m-long canopy walkway, jungle lodges and river cruises
• Yarinacocha - Pink dolphins, huge iguanas, fabulous birdlife and camping expeditions
• Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca - Llamas, alpacas, vicunas and flamingos

ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY & MUSEUMS

Check out the legacy of the Incas - definitely! But don't forget the string of civilizations going back many hundreds of years earlier. Here are our picks.

• Machu Picchu - The world-famous mountaintop 'Lost City of the Inca'
• Nazca Lines - Ancient designs covering vast areas of the southern pampa
• Huaca de la Luna - Watch archaeology in action at this 1400-year-old Moche pyramid
• Museo Santuarios Andinos - Home to the frozen Inca sun-bride Juanita
• Monasterio Santa Catalina - Fascinating colonial convent and 'city within a city'
• Museo de la Nacion - Best overview of Peru's mind-bogglingly long list of bygone cultures
• Sacsayhuaman - Awesome fortress and site of the festival of Inti Raymi
• Kuelap - Massive Chachapoyan site in the cloud forest with no crowds
• Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan - Fabulous world-class museum showcasing 'The Lord of Sipan'
• Trujillo - Colonial architecture and colorful parades