{"id":22005,"date":"2017-09-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-17T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=22005&preview=true&preview_id=22005"},"modified":"2024-09-18T16:14:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T06:14:53","slug":"reasons-to-visit-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren’t Machu Picchu)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I say ‘Peru’, you say ‘Machu Picchu’ \u2013 and for good reason. The jaw-dropping mountaintop Incan ruins are the most visited site in the country, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But with news that Machu Picchu is getting so crowded that it needs to control its visitor numbers<\/a>, it’s probably time to branch out. Luckily, there are so many other reasons to visit this South American gem<\/a> besides its most famous landmark.<\/p>\n

Here are seven, to start you off:<\/p>\n

1. The food (glorious food)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Ceviche<\/a>You\u2019ll hear it everywhere: Peru\u2019s undergoing a culinary renaissance. But the food\u2019s always been good \u2013 the rest of the world is just finally paying attention. With influences from its large migrant Chinese and Japanese communities, and a diverse range of fresh, native fruits and vegetables, Peruvian food deserves its current #trending status.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a paradise for eating enthusiasts: carb-lovers will be in heaven with over 4,000 varieties of native potatoes to try; you can down a delicious lucuma milkshake, made with a native fruit that tastes like maple; and be sure to order a \u2018lomo saltado\u2019 \u2013 a smoky, stir-fried Chinese-Peruvian beef dish, served with rice and potato chips \u2013 from any menu (it\u2019s on all of them).<\/p>\n

For something fancy, the best of the best food can be sampled in its restless capital Lima, which is home to three of the world\u2019s top 50 restaurants \u2013 Central<\/a> (#5), Maido<\/a> (#8) and Astrid y Gaston<\/a> (#33).<\/p>\n

HERE’S THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EATING (AND DRINKING) IN LIMA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Hike to the one of the world\u2019s highest waterfalls<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Gocta<\/a><\/p>\n

In Peru\u2019s lesser-visited north, you\u2019ll find the Chachapoyas region. This wild part of the country is called the High Amazon, where the jungle and mountains intersect, and oh boy, is she a beauty. The natural centrepiece of this isolated cloud forest is Gocta<\/a> Fa<\/a>lls<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s tallest free-falling cascades, known to locals for centuries but only \u2018discovered\u2019 by a German explorer in 2005.<\/p>\n

The waterfall can be seen from almost anywhere in the valley, but to appreciate its scale, you need to get a little closer. It\u2019s a steep hike down to the waterfall\u2019s base (and back up) from the nearby town of Cocachimba, so do as we did and hire a horse to take you past the half-way mark before completing the rest of the trek on foot. The scene at the bottom is nothing short of majestic, the decisive slice of the falls dropping over 700 metres into a cool, mossy valley. The most surprising part was how few tourists there were \u2013 for now, at least.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: 10 FACTS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT PERU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Get your history nerd on in Ku\u00e9lap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Exploring<\/a>A visit to Chachapoyas isn\u2019t complete without visiting Peru\u2019s other<\/em> magnificent mountaintop ruin, the abandoned city of Ku\u00e9lap. The site, which archaeologists believe was an important religious and political centre, was built and occupied by the Chachapoya people from 800AD, making it centuries older than Machu Picchu<\/a>. There\u2019s evidence that the Incas invaded, before the Spanish Conquest led to its abandonment.<\/p>\n

The fascinating history is best explained by a local guide. Ours, Jose Rijoberto, showed us ancient calendars, temples, and skeletons hidden in holes in the wall. Ku\u00e9lap rests on a dizzyingly high ridge, and is serviced by Peru\u2019s first cable car, which opened earlier this year. This feat of engineering turns what was once a two-hour-plus hour drive into a 25 minute glide across a picturesque valley and up a (very) steep mountainside. If, like me, heights aren\u2019t your thing, just close your eyes and remember that the pearl-clutching, mouth-drying ride is worth the reward, and the views.<\/p>\n

READ MORE ABOUT KUELAP AND THE ‘NEW MACHU PICCHU’\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. An Instagrammable sanctuary<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Santa<\/a>In Peru\u2019s southern region, its second largest city, Arequipa, is ripe for exploration. Flanked by three soaring volcanoes, and with most of the city centre built from white volcanic rock, Arequipa inches out Cusco to claim the title of Peru\u2019s most attractive city.<\/p>\n

The whole place is a feast for the eyes, but if you\u2019re after something particularly photogenic, carve out a few hours for the Santa Catalina Monastery. This \u2018city-within-a-city\u2019 is a destination in its own right. The sizeable 16th<\/sup>-century structure, once home to 450 nuns and still home to about 20, is known for its vividly painted walls in contrasting shades of burnt orange and cobalt blue. Be sure to employ a local guide so you can fully grasp the monastery\u2019s storied history.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: A GUIDE TO AREQUIPA, PERU’S MOST UNDERRATED CITY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

5. Llamas, alpacas and vicu\u00f1as, oh my<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Alpacas<\/a>Spying your first camelid in Peru evokes the emotions of New Year\u2019s Eve. Whether it\u2019s a large and heavy llama, its smaller cousin the alpaca, or the even smaller, wild vicu\u00f1a, the sweet-looking and social animals are a vital part of life in the Andes, providing wool, meat, hauling strength, and spirituality for their guardians. Peruvian camelids are common, but one of the best places for spotting them is on the otherworldly, high-altitude stretch of road between Arequipa and the Colca Canyon…<\/p>\n

READ MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TREKKING COLCA CANYON<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

6. An even grander canyon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Hot<\/a>… Speaking of the Colca Canyon, did you know this fissure in the earth is twice as deep as Arizona\u2019s Grand Canyon? With nearby active volcanoes, massive condors soaring overhead, traditional villages, epic treks, and rows of neat Incan terraces, it\u2019s just as worthy of a spot on your bucket list. After a day of adventuring, you can soothe your aches in one of the many hot springs dotted around the canyon, a result of the area\u2019s seismic activity. The lush Colca Lodge, in a sheltered pocket beside the Colca River, has picture-perfect thermal baths on-site.<\/p>\n

CHECK OUT INTREPID’S RANGE OF SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES IN PERU<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

7. The textiles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Colourful<\/a>Make sure you leave a significant amount of space in your suitcase. Peru\u2019s craft and textile industries make it near impossible to go home empty handed. From colourful, hand-dyed cushion covers to carefully woven quilts, Peruvian artists draw on thousands of years of traditional fibrework to create intricate, irresistible goods.<\/p>\n

Along with the textiles, pick up some Peruvian chocolate, a bottle of the national drink, Pisco, and some alpaca-wool scarves, and you\u2019ll be your friends\u2019 favourite person when you return home \u2013 no matter how incessantly you speak about your dreamy holiday.<\/p>\n

Explore Peru’s lesser-known gems on an Intrepid adventure in Northern Peru<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

All images C\/O Taryn Stenvei.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Food, waterfalls, epic hikes and camelids, to name a few. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15812,"featured_media":22095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455,1313],"tags":[37],"class_list":["post-22005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-guides","tag-peru","ipf_region-peru"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu) | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Machu Picchu is incredible, but there are so many other great reasons to visit Peru besides its most famous landmark. Here are seven to start you off.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I say 'Peru', you say 'Machu Picchu' \u2013 and for good reason. The jaw-dropping mountaintop Incan ruins are the most visited site in the country, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-17T23:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-18T06:14:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Taryn Stenvei\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Taryn Stenvei\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/\",\"name\":\"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu) | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-09-17T23:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-18T06:14:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/a1d5cc34177d2be4c5faf2585cbfb443\"},\"description\":\"Machu Picchu is incredible, but there are so many other great reasons to visit Peru besides its most famous landmark. Here are seven to start you off.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"A Peruvian woman stands next to a small alpaca\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren’t Machu Picchu)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/a1d5cc34177d2be4c5faf2585cbfb443\",\"name\":\"Taryn Stenvei\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b597f41ab5f1bb3981f83470f47496fb2135d4dbb3ccba2e7f83c689e222ee?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b597f41ab5f1bb3981f83470f47496fb2135d4dbb3ccba2e7f83c689e222ee?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Taryn Stenvei\"},\"description\":\"Taryn is a Melbourne-based writer, editor, basketball enthusiast and cryptic crossword nerd.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/taryn-stenvei\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu) | Intrepid Travel Blog","description":"Machu Picchu is incredible, but there are so many other great reasons to visit Peru besides its most famous landmark. Here are seven to start you off.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu)","og_description":"I say 'Peru', you say 'Machu Picchu' \u2013 and for good reason. The jaw-dropping mountaintop Incan ruins are the most visited site in the country, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2017-09-17T23:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-18T06:14:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Taryn Stenvei","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Taryn Stenvei","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/","name":"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren't Machu Picchu) | Intrepid Travel Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg","datePublished":"2017-09-17T23:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-18T06:14:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/a1d5cc34177d2be4c5faf2585cbfb443"},"description":"Machu Picchu is incredible, but there are so many other great reasons to visit Peru besides its most famous landmark. Here are seven to start you off.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"A Peruvian woman stands next to a small alpaca"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/reasons-to-visit-peru\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"7 reasons to visit Peru (that aren’t Machu Picchu)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/a1d5cc34177d2be4c5faf2585cbfb443","name":"Taryn Stenvei","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b597f41ab5f1bb3981f83470f47496fb2135d4dbb3ccba2e7f83c689e222ee?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b597f41ab5f1bb3981f83470f47496fb2135d4dbb3ccba2e7f83c689e222ee?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Taryn Stenvei"},"description":"Taryn is a Melbourne-based writer, editor, basketball enthusiast and cryptic crossword nerd.","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/taryn-stenvei\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/camelids2-e1505434058796.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-5IV","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22005"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76104,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22005\/revisions\/76104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}