Southern Peru Cultural Loop

Today we arrive in Lima, the cosmopolitan capital of Peru. After a transfer to your hotel you have the opportunity to rest, or for earlier arriving flights, to stretch your legs and get to know your neighborhood.

Today you will have an early start as you travel from Lima to Paracas Bay, for about 3.5 hours. You will then transferred to the harbour of Paracas to take a speedboat for our tour to the Ballestas Islands located some 30 km away at the sea. During our tour to the Islands you will see many attractions, among them, a huge design etched into the slope of a hill, known by the local people as The Candelabra stands out. This is an enormous figure that can be seen clearly from the sea.
Afterwards, we will continue our excursion around the Ballestas Islands, where you will see hundreds of birds flying (Peruvian Boobies, Inca terns, Pelicans, Cormorants and others) above the Islands, as well as dozens of sea lions on the shore of the beaches. If you are lucky you may be able to see the famous Humboldt Penguins and dolphins swimming nearby. It is not permitted to land on the Islands, which means you will spend the whole tour seated on the boat.

We recommend bringing a hat or a cap as sometimes some birds flying over can have very good aim with their droppings. It can also get quite sunny and warm and your hat will help to protect you from the sun.

After this tour, we will visit the Paracas Peninsula, driving along its beaches and stopping for photos. We will take you to the little village of Lagunillas for lunch. Here there are various restaurants overlooking the ocean that serve mainly fresh fish and seafood on their menus. Later on, you will travel to Nazca, arriving in the early evening.

This morning you will be picked up by our local guide in Nazca and then will be transferred to the Nazca aerodrome for your flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. We will fly over an enigmatic zone, where hundreds of years ago ancient Peruvians drew huge designs that can be seen only from above.

Aperu tourist attractions, nazca linesmong the figures we will see an enormous representation of a monkey, a hummingbird, a condor, and a strange creature known as the Spaceman. The Nazca Lines flight lasts 35 minutes.

You can spend the afternoon relaxing, or perhaps do another visit such as the Chauchilla cemetery or the Cantayo aqueducts.

Travel to Arequipa is lengthy, and there are several options available, depending on your budget, and how you like to travel.

Option A. Overnight bus to Arequipa.

Option B. Travel by private car, stopping in simple accommodation in Puerto Inka or Camana

Option C. Taking a full extra day to travel the whole distance by private vehicle.

Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city and has grown substantially both in population and economy over the last 2 decades due to the mining industry in the region. It is known as the “White City” due to the many buildings constructed using the white sillar (volcanic) stone making it one of the most beautiful as well. This morning you will do a walking tour of the centre of the city including the Plaza de Armas or main square, the cloisters of Jesuit monastery, the Cathedral and the renowned Santa Catalina Monastery, very aptly described as a city within the city. Your guide will explain about the local history of the area as well as some of the modern day traditions.

In the afternoon, you are free to see more of the city. We recommend a visit to the San Camilo market, designed by the French designer Gustave Eiffel, which offers you a look into the day to day life about the city. Another site of interest is the Museo de Santuario home to the “Juanita” mummy. Visits are an hour long and consist of a video showing the expedition and discovery of the child mummies, a small exhibition room with pieces that were found with the mummies and lastly at least one of the mummies as the mummy known as Juanita oftens travels to museums around the world. It is also possible to take a taxi to the Yanahuara lookout point which gives you a view over the city and of the 3 surrounding volcanos.

For dinner we recommend trying some of the local cuisine. From the stuffed hot pepper or Rocoto Relleno to the delicious pork stew known as Adobo and the use of crayfish in a chowder known as Chupe de Camarones there are many delicacies to choose from.

From Arequipa we will drive for about 2 hours to visit the Vicuna National Reservation (Salinas y Aguada Blanca). The high point on this day is 4,900 metres from where we can have views of volcanoes in the area like Misti, Chachani and Ampato (the mountain were they found the Inca mummy), also we can see mountains like Sabancaya, Walka Walka and Mismi (the source of the Amazon river is located within this mountain). We will arrive in Chivay the capital of Colca / the Caylloma region on time to have lunch.

After lunch we will have a quick visit of the village of Chivay, giving us a chance to see some of the local produce and to learn a little about the embroidery typical of and exclusive to the Colca region. We will then check into our hotel and arrange a time with the guide for our visit to the local hot springs (entry not included). Although the smell of sulfur is strong as you walk into the compound, the water is crystal clear and flows constantly ensuring their cleanliness. This is a highly recommended visit.

After a very early breakfast we will travel 2 hours from Chivay to the Cruz del Condor where we can appreciate the canyon and if lucky, the impressive condors soaring overhead. These majestic birds are actually vultures but with a wingspan of up to 3m and the ability to ride the thermal currents high into the sky as they effortlessly drift over the canyon, they are a site to be seen. After viewing the condors we will return to Chivay and visit traditional villages and stop at some of the lookout points along the way to be able to take in not only the impressive geography of the area but also the incredibly human geography of terracing that covers the area. There are vizcacha, an Andean chinchilla that leave in the area so keep your eyes peeled amongst the rocks to see if you are able to spot them. From here, we will travel to Puno, a trip of about 5 hours in private vehicle.

After an early morning transfer from your hotel, we will travel by motor boat to the Uros floating Islands. Stepping on them feels very much like a water bed (but it is quite safe!). We see the houses, the islands and meet its friendly inhabitants. Uros people are descendants of one of the oldest South American groups.In the mornings these islands can be crowded. We visit two of the 60 islands before continuing on to Taquile Island.

After a relaxed navigation of 2 1/2 more hours when we can to enjoy the spectacular views and wide expanses offered by Lake Titicaca, we get to Taquile island. There a unique community can be observed. We hike upwards to the village (reasonable fitness required) where the views are simply stunning. We also recommend a hike to visit the communal cooperative where you will find some handowoven textiles of high quality. We enjoy lunch with a local family, all the while enjoying magnificent views of the highest navigable lake in the world. Then we descend 500 steps down to the main port of the island before climbing aboard our motor boat for a 3 hour trip back to Puno City.

Today we will travel across the high altiplano to Cusco.

On the Monday, Wednesday and Friday the Andean Explorer train runs and if you are interested in classic train journeys this is a worthwhile expedition.

Alternatively, we offer antourist bus (for groups less than 4) or a private vehicle to travel the 8 hours to Cusco. This bus stops at a number of interesting sites including the church at Andahuaylillas, Ratchi and La Raya.

Today we say goodbye to Cusco after our visit to some of the best Peru tourist attractions in Southern Peru – and return to Lima for our flight home. We recommend a mid afternoon flight depending on your travel plans. Alternatively, we can connect with one of our highly recommended Peru Short Trips & Extensions.