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Islas Ballestas
Grandiosely nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Galapagos,’ the Islas Ballestas make for a memorable excursion. The only way to get there is on a boat tour, offered by many tour agencies, touts and hotels. Tours leave at 8am, 10am and noon from the Marina Turística de Paracas. The 8am tour u
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Reserva Nacional Pacaya
At 20,800 sq km, this is the largest of Peru’s parks and reserves. Pacaya-Samiria provides local people with food and a home, and protects ecologically important habitats. An estimated 42,000 people live on and around the reserve; juggling the needs of human inhabitants while prote
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Ollantaytambo Ruins
Both fortress and temple, these spectacular Inca ruins rise above Ollantaytambo, making a splendid half-day trip. (Admission is via the boleto turístico tourist card, valid for 10 days and for 16 other sites across the region.) The huge, steep terraces that guard Ollantaytambo’s sp
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Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
The Temples of the Sun and the Moon are more than 700 years older than Chan Chan and are attributed to the Moche period. They are on the south bank of the Río Moche, about 10km southeast of Trujillo. The entrance price includes a guide. The Huaca del Sol is not currently open to vi
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Sillustani
Sitting on rolling hills on the Lake Umayo peninsula, the funerary towers of Sillustani stand out for miles against a desolate altiplano landscape.The ancient Colla people who once dominated the Lake Titicaca area were a warlike, Aymara-speaking tribe, who later became the southeas
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Reserva Nacional de Paracas
The vast Reserva Nacional de Paracas is a desert reserve that occupies most of the Península de Paracas. Tour operators offer excursions; alternatively, hire a taxi in Pisco or take a combi into the village of Paracas and then walk - make sure to allow lots of time, and bring food
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Caral
Caral culture arose in the Supe Valley some 4500 to 5000 years ago, making it one of the world’s earliest large cities, alongside those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China. This ancient culture was a conglomeration of 18 city-states and controlled the three valleys of Supe, Pati
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Pachacamac
Situated about 31km southeast of the city center, the archaeological complex of Pachacamac is a pre-Columbian citadel made up of adobe and stone palaces and temple pyramids. If you’ve been to Machu Picchu, it may not look like much, but this was an important Inca site and a major c
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Sacsaywamán
This immense ruin of both religious and military significance is 2km from Cuzco. The long Quechua name means ‘Satisfied Falcon,’ though tourists will inevitably remember it by the mnemonic ‘sexy woman.’ Sacsaywamán feels huge, but only about 20% of the original structure remains. S
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Sipán
The story of Sipán reads like an Indiana Jones movie script: buried treasure, huaqueros, police, archaeologists and at least one killing. The archaeological site was discovered by huaqueros from the nearby hamlet of Sipán. The Moche site is located about 30km southwest of Chiclayo.
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Chavín de Huántar
The quintessential site of the Mid–Late Formative Period (c 1200–500 BC), Chavín de Huántar is the most intriguing of the many relatively independent, competitive ceremonial centers constructed throughout the central Andes. It is a phenomenal achievement of ancient construction, wi
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Nazca Lines
Spread over 500 sq km (310 sq mi) of arid, rock-strewn plain in the Pampa Colorada (Red Plain), the Nazca Lines are one of the worlds great archaeological mysteries. Comprising over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures (geoglyphs) and 70 animal and plant drawings (biomorphs),
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La Catedral
A squatter on the site of Viracocha Inca’s palace, the cathedral was built using blocks pilfered from the nearby Inca site of Sacsaywamán. Its construction started in 1559 and took almost a century. It is joined by Iglesia del Triunfo (1536) to its right and Iglesia de Jesús María
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Qorikancha
If you visit only one site in Cuzco, make it these Inca ruins, which form the base of the colonial church and convent of Santo Domingo. Qorikancha was once the richest temple in the Inca empire; all that remains today is the masterful stonework. In Inca times, Qorikancha (Quechua f
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Monasterio de Santa Catalina
Even if you’re overdosed on colonial edifices, this convent shouldn’t be missed. Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, it is one of the most fascinating religious buildings in Peru. Nor is it just a religious building – the 20,000-sq-meter complex is almost a
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Huancabamba
For the daring adventurer, Huancabamba, deep in the eastern mountains, is well worth the rough 10-hour journey from Piura. This region is famed in Peru for the powerful brujos and curanderos (healers) who live and work at the nearby lakes of Huaringas. Peruvians from all over the c
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Chan Chan
Built around AD 1300 and covering 20 sq km, Chan Chan is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, and the largest adobe city in the world. Although it must have been a dazzling sight at one time, devastating El Niño floods and heavy rainfall have severely eroded much of the
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Museo de Arte de Lima
Known locally as MALI, Lima’s principal fine-art museum is housed in a striking beaux-arts building that was recently renovated. Subjects span from pre-Columbian to contemporary art, and there’s also guided visits to special exhibits. On Sunday, entry is just S1. A satellite museum
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Cathedral
Carazs cathedral dominates the Plaza de Armas.
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Historical Ships Museum
Moored below Plaza Castilla is the diverting new Historical Ships Museum, on a 1906 Amazon riverboat, the gorgeously restored three-deck Ayapua . The exhibitions reflect the Amazon Rivers hodgepodge past: explorers, tribes, rubber barons and the filming of the 1982 Herzog movie Fit
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