5 unforgettable ways to see a different side of Peru  

Peru has more than its share of headline destinations, but travellers who take a little time to dig deeper can find lesser known spots of the sort that could transform a simple trip into a true adventure. You could set out to tackle mountain trails or Andean peaks, or simply to experience the gastronomic riches of Arequipa. You might spend time tracking near-mythical wildlife or tune into nature’s rhythm among remote rainforest communities. Whatever your tastes, a deep dive into Peruvian culture, nature and history can reveal the rich and ancient mosaic that is at the heart of one of the world’s most beguiling countries. 

The hiking trails of Ancash are among the world’s best-kept hiking secrets, yet those who know the region consider it to be among the planet’s most spectacular long-distance trekking areas. Set under snowcapped peaks, the city of Huaraz is an ideal basecamp for hikers keen to summit Cordillera Blanca peaks such as Huandoy, Alpamayo or the majestic Huascaran (at 6,768m, this is Peru’s highest mountain). Get there on a flight from Lima to Anta in Carhuaz, which is a 40-minute drive from Huaraz.  

You might prefer to experience multi-day adventures on foot or on horseback (often with mules or llamas as pack animals) or simply head out on day trips to impressive archaeological sites such as Chavin de Huántar, which dates from around 1500 BCE.  

It’s a region of surprising geographical diversity too. Huascaran National Park is listed by UNESCO as the world’s highest tropical mountain range and is notable for being a habitat to the Andean condor and the little-seen spectacled bear. 

Kuelap, the fortress in the clouds, is an incredible relic of a world long since passed. While Machupicchu sees thousands of visitors a day, the 7th-century archaeological site of Kuelap remains a place of solitude, spiritualism and mystery in the department of Amazonas. 

 At 3,000m above sea level, it still guards the verdant Utcubamba Valley today. Known as one of South America’s largest stone sites, its mighty wall (in places rising to 20m) encircles hundreds of circular dwellings that were built by the Chachapoyas people (known as the Warriors of the Clouds) about seven centuries before work even began on Machupicchu. Kuelap is accessed via a 1.5-hour flight from Lima to Jaén, followed by a five-hour road trip. The fortress can then be reached via a series of enchanting trails, as well as via a scenic cable car. 

Arequipa is famous for its picanterías. These restaurants take social dining to new levels, where families and friends sit around the table and pick from a single big plate. While you’ll find first-class examples of every great Peruvian dish in Arequipa, this city also offers unique feasts that you won’t find elsewhere.  

Ocopa is a potato dish served with a uniquely herby huacatay (black mint) sauce, while the iconic adobo de cerdo is a slow-cooked pork stew, sometimes served with rocoto relleno (delicious stuffed peppers).  

The variety is endless, and the only problem is that you’re unlikely to have time to try everything. In that case, make a beeline for one of the many restaurants that offer Americanos (Americans), which is the local way to refer to a sampling plate that often features a wide range of the city’s most emblematic and flavoursome gastronomic offerings. 

Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru’s biggest protected area, is more than simply a wildlife reserve. While it’s a habitat for countless iconic Río Amazonas species – especially aquatic species such as pink river dolphins, manatees, caiman and giant otters – this reserve in the immense department of Loreto is also home to around 42,000 people. Lagunas, on the reserve’s western boundary, is the usual launching point for trips by dugout canoe to visit rural communities.  

Here, you can learn jungle survival skills and get an insight into how traditional healers forage for medicine from a rainforest that has been recognised as one of the planet’s most important centres of biodiversity. Allow enough time for a serious camping trip and you stand a good chance of seeing capybaras (a giant of the rodent family), white-lipped peccaries (a pig-like ungulate) and even the elusive jaguars that hunt them through the rainforest. 

Cusco has become world-famous as a gateway for unforgettable adventures such as trekking, horse riding, kayaking and paragliding in the Sacred Valley. Many people take time to slow down while they acclimatise to the altitude (3,399m). By the time they’ve done so, they’ve invariably fallen in love with what is one of the world’s most vibrant and colourful cities. 

Even today, Cusco is a city where the stones themselves recount the stories of a time when this was a city of unimaginable wealth. Just two blocks from where the plundering conquistadores established the Plaza de Armas (now the heart of the old city), you’ll find one of the most important temples in the Inca Empire, the Coricancha, whose name translates as the Golden Courtyard. 

Historians believe that the Inca capital was originally laid out in the shape of a puma and that the 15th-century Sacsayhuaman citadel (in the northern outskirts of Cusco) was the puma’s head. More than just a historic archaeological site, it remains very much alive as a sacred site, and each year in June, Inti Raymi (the Festival of the Sun) is celebrated among its ancient stones.