Lima serves as chaotic and dismal entrance way to the rest of Peru’s fascinating history and spectacular natural beauty. From Lima, travelers can unwind and explore the myriad ancient enchantments that lie in the surrounding jungles. However, as dismal and chaotic as it may be, it is a city full of history and charm. The main square, founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro is also home to City Hall, The Cathedral dating to 1605 and Palace of Government. A few blocks away, the Catacoombs of the Church of San Francisco and the house of the inquisition present a perfect example of spanish architectur and culture of its time.Fantastic museums and collections can be visited, such as The Pre-columbian Museum with over 70,000 pieces in stock, the Larco Museum with its 45,000 pre columbian pieces in exhibition and the only two ceramic eroctic exhibition rooms in the country and the eclectic Ciurlizza Art Collection among others.
Lake Titicaca is more than 12,000 feet above sea level and immense (in fact it is South America’s largest lake!) Its immensity is impressive and its waters have flown for a millions of years. In Peruvian ancient history, it is believed that Manco Capac and Mama 0cllo, the children of the Sun, emerged from the depths of Lake Titicaca to found their empire in the 7 th century. It also displays one of Peru’s strong and thrilling indigenous populations. For instance, the Aymara people live at the Titicaca Basin and still practice their ancient methods of agriculture on stepped terraces that predate Inca times. The Uros live around on pads of reeds on the lake, which are called “floating Islands.” The women of this tribe wear colorful, layered skirts while the men wear intricately designed caps made of wool with large drooping earpieces. The lake is rich with both natural beauty and rich cultural history.
Cuzco is a must-see, named a UNESCO World Heritage sight and filled with rich cultural history from its Inca and Spanish settlers. This is part of the empire that the Peruvian Sun God’s daughter and son founded after climbing out of Lake Titicaca. Travelers can climb and ogle at the immense ruins of Sacsayhuaman and Koricancha.
Of course, a trip to Peru is not complete without a visit to Machu Picchu, the “Lost city of the Incas,” which is 43 miles from Cuzco. Travelers come from all over the world and can tour these ruins in a day or a month, depending on how much each traveler wishes to see. Machu Picchu is located 8,000 feet high in the Andes Mountains . Machu Picchu was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, an Incan ruler.
