CAPITAL LIMA - POPULATION 30 MILLION - AREA 1,285,220 SQ KM -OFFICIAL LANGUAGES SPANISH, QUECHUA
Though these days it seems even your parents are off in their finest North Face boots to hike the trail to Machu Picchu or do the rounds from Cuzco to Puno, the lure of the immense and magnificent Andes means there's plenty of airspace for hikers who prefer desolate mountain tracks to tourist comforts. Peru has long been one of South America's top attractions, and is well set up for the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors keen to experience its cultural and natural highlights. Tips for getting away from it all include trekking Canon del Cotahuasi, the world's deepest canyon (which makes the Grand Canyon look positively shallow) and observing the ornithological splendour of the Reserva Ecologica Chaparri.
IQUITOS, PERU
Booking a five-day Amazon cruise from abroad can run to US$3500 per person, not including flights. That can be cut at least in half by dealing directly with folks in Iquitos - the world's biggest city not reachable by road. Local outfits can tailor trips to venture into piranha fishing spots, look for pink dolphins in the wildlife-rich Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve (stopping at native villages to mingle with Amazonians) or reach the rustic Otorongo Lodge on the Colombian border. Meanwhile, Iquitos is interesting in itself: Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower) fame came to build rubber baron's mansions. The best time to visit is October or November, when it's still dry but before summer crowds. |
