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Isla Taquile
Inhabited for thousands of years, Taquile, 35km east of Puno, is a tiny 7-sq-km island with a population of about 2000 people. The Quechua-speaking islanders are distinct from most of the surrounding Aymara-speaking island communities and maintain a strong sense of group identity.
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Pimentel
The poshest of the beach towns here, Pimentel has a long pier, a broad malecón fronted by high-end glassed-in houses, and the nicest beach for miles. Unfortunately, the waves here are rarely surfable, but an afternoon stroll along the boardwalk and through some of the stick-frame R
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Laguna de Paca
This small lakeside resort, 4km outside Jauja, offers restaurants, rowboats and fishing. A boat ride around the lake will cost S5 to S10 per passenger (depending on how many passengers there are). There are ducks and gulls, and you can stop at Isla del Amor – a tiny artificial isla
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La Mansión del Fundador
This 17th-century mansion was once owned by Arequipa’s founder Garcí Manuel de Carbajal, has been restored with original furnishings and paintings, and even has its own chapel. The mansion is in the village of Huasacache, 9km from Arequipa’s city center, most easily reached by taxi
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Museo Pedro de Osma
Housed in a lovely beaux-arts mansion surrounded by gardens, this undervisited museum has an exquisite collection of colonial furniture, silverwork and art, some of which dates back to the 1500s. Among the many fine pieces, standouts include a 2m-wide canvas that depicts a Corpus C
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Mariposario Tambopata Butterfly Farm
Peru boasts the greatest number of butterfly species in the world (some 3700) and you can see many of them here at this well-run butterfly conservation project, initiated in 1996. There are also displays on rainforest conservation. Butterflies are nice, but at this price remember y
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Reserva Nor Yauyos
The huge Reserva Nor Yauyos-Cochas is an iconic Andean smorgasbord of glimmering blue-green mountain lakes nestled within towering peaks and home to the Pariacaca Glacier. You’ll need your own 4WD vehicle (rent one in Lima or Huancayo) to get there. The entrance, half an hour west
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La Mina Beach
This beach is a short drive or walk south of Lagunillas on a dirt road. Sunbathers come here in summer (January to March) when you may find the odd mobile drinks concession set up. Camping is also allowed. Plan to bring all the water you will need, and never camp alone as robberies
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La Reyna de Lunahuaná
A rustic bodega producing both wines and piscos, venerable La Reyna de Lunahuaná presides over the main plaza in Catapalla, about 6km east of Lunahuaná. The owners here can teach you the ABCs of pisco (Peruvian grape brandy) and wine production. A one-way taxi ride costs from S6, b
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Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán
Opened in November 2002, the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán is the pride of northern Peru – as well it should be. With its burgundy pyramid construction rising gently out of the earth, it’s a world-class facility specifically designed to showcase the marvelous finds from Sipán.
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Fundación Museo Amano
The well-designed Fundación Museo Amano features a fine private collection of ceramics, with a strong representation of wares from the Chimú and Nazca cultures. It also has a remarkable assortment of lace and other textiles produced by the coastal Chancay culture. Museum visits are
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Casa de Moral
Built in 1730, this stylized baroque house is named after the 200-year-old mulberry tree in its central courtyard. Owned by BCP (a bank) since 2003 it is now a museum notable for its antique maps, heavy furniture, religious art, and extensive Peruvian coin and banknote collection (
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Catedral de Cajamarca
The Catedral de Cajamarca is a squat building that was begun in the late 17th century and only recently finished. Like most of Cajamarca’s churches, this cathedral has no belfry. This is because the Spanish Crown levied a tax on finished churches and so the belfries were not built,
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Palacio Torre Tagle
The most immaculate of Lima’s historic casonas was completed in 1735, with its ornate baroque portico (the best one in Lima) and striking Moorish-style balconies. Unfortunately, it is now home to Peru’s Foreign Ministry, so entry is restricted. Groups and educational organizations,
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Tambomachay
In a sheltered spot about 300m from the main road, this site consists of a beautifully wrought ceremonial stone bath channeling crystalline spring water through fountains that still function today. It is thus popularly known as El Baño del Inca (The Bath of the Inca), and theories
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Museo Yanque
Opposite the church on the plaza sits this university-run museum, unexpectedly comprehensive for a small village, which explains the culture of the Cañón del Colca in conscientious detail. Exhibits include information on Inca fabrics, cranial deformation, local agriculture, ecclesi
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Las Termas
Weary trekkers soak away their aches and pains in the town’s hot springs, 10 minutes’ walk up Pachacutec from the train tracks. These tiny, natural thermal springs, from which Aguas Calientes derives its name, are nice enough but far from the best in the area, and get scummy by lat
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Casa del Artesano
San Pedro is the production center for the country’s finest tapices (tapestries). Most of the village is involved in making these high-quality woven wall hangings, depicting moving scenes from rural Peruvian life. You can watch locals weaving in workshops round the Plaza de Armas.
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Mirador Tahuishco
Head to this viewpoint seven blocks northeast of the plaza for supreme panoramas of the river valley below. There are a number of noisy bars in the street behind, disturbing what would be an otherwise peaceful spot. Stairs head down the mountainside to the river port below. Another
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Mercado de Chinchero
The Chinchero market, held on Tuesday, Thursday and especially Sunday, is less touristy than its counterpart in Pisac and well worth a special trip. On Sunday, traditionally dressed locals descend from the hills for the produce market, where the ancient practice of trueco (barterin
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