The Amazon Jungle: Tambopata National Reserve. www.nomadperu.com

Perú is a country with a big biodiversity, our jungle is 60 % of the territory and its part of the amazon the amazon basin. The Amazonas River starts in Perú and goes until the Atlantic Ocean. 

There are protected areas in our jungle and some National Reserves are use fo tourism as an alternative for the economy of the native communities and to protect the rainforest.

One of the most important National Reserve is Tambopata, located in Madre de Dios Region, close to the border with Brazil and Bolivia. It was created in 1990 and has an  area of 274690 hectares with a huge variaty of vegetation, animals, rivers, lakes and native cammunities.

Tambopata National Reserve has a big biodiversity, more than 700 species of birds, 174 species of mammals, more than 100 species of reptiles.

In Tambopata National Reserve you an see many species of birds like macaws, harpy eagle, hoatzings, tinamous, tucans and parakeets. Mammals like jaguars, capibaras, giant river otter, tapirs, giant ant eater and many species of monkeys. There are about 1000 species of butterflies and a big variety of reptiles like caymans, snakes and anacondas. Tambopata National reserve also has about 20000 species of plants.

There are some indigenous comminities communities like the Ese'Ejas who live in small villages close to the rivers, their main activities are to collect Brasilian nuts, agriculture and extraction of wood, the tourism companies like Jungle Lodges give them jobs in the tourism industry as a new alternative of development.

You can get to Tambopata National Reserve by plane from Cusco or Lima or by road from Cusco. There are many jungle lodges, most of them respect and protect the enviroment. 

Trek to Palakala Falls, Lima highlands. www.nomadperu.com

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Palakala falls are located on Lima Highlands, a few hours from this city, in Huarochiri province. It’s a 01 day hike and is not hard. You need to take a taxi to Ovalo Santa Anita and then a 01 hour bus journey  to Chosica district, here you can have some breakfast and then take the bus to San Jeronimo town, this bus journey takes 01 more. You can also drive your own car to this town taking the Central Highway. The town is little and has a few restaurants and shops, the entrance fee is only 2 soles. This hike has 5 Km and has a medium level of difficulty, the landscape is beautiful, with mountains, green areas and farms. All the road has signs so you don’t get lost.

It took us 2 hours to get to the falls, located at 2800 meters above sea level, the landscape is nice and is a good place to spent the day. There were not many tourists, just some locals who go for a hike or camping, the road is clean and not very rocky. Take water, sunblock and sunglasses. To go down takes about 1 ½ hours and then you can have some lunch and take the bus back to Chosica and then to Lima. It’s a nice easy hike for people that have some free time in Lima.

Cusco and Machu Picchu.

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Cusco.

 Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire and is the most beautiful city in Perú, is one of the main destinations in South America and there are loads of things to do here like trekking, rafting, visit Inca ruins, enjoy the city and visit Machu Picchu. Cusco is located at 3400 masl. and has a population of 360000 people, to visit it you will have to take a flight from Lima or Arequipa. If you are coming from Bolivia or Puno you can take a bus from Puno to Cusco, this takes about 7 hours and the landscape is amazing. There is also a train that goes from Puno to Cusco and viceversa, this takes 10 hours and is more expensive but is an amazing journey.
Cusco was teh capital of the Inca Empire, that starts on the year 1438 until 1532 when the spaniards arrive to Perú and in 1533 to Cusco. The Inca Empire covered almost all South America including Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, the south of Colombia  and the North of Chile and Argentina. The Incas (based in Cusco), at the end of the XII century, conquered the main civilizations in this countries and built the empire.  

Sacsayhuaman ruins, Cusco

 

Streets in Cusco

There are many options to do in Cusco, like visit Sacsayhuaman ruins (close to the city center), you have to pay an entrance fee and you can go walking (45 min.) or by taxi. The Sacred Valley, here you can find Inca ruins like Pisac and Ollantaytambo and the traditional Pisac Market, you need to hire a tour company for this excursion or drive there, you need also to pay an entrance fee, rafting and horse riding are good options as well. There are many tour campanies around the main square that offer city tours and Sacred Valley tours. The city is very beautiful to explore on your own, the architecture, Inca walls everywhere, museums like the Inca Museum, the Inca temple of Coricancha and the Cathedral, on the main square. There are very good restaurants here to try the local food.

Cusco Cathedral

Machu Picchu.            

 Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing destinations in the world, is magic and beautiful, is an important part of the history of this country and one of the most visited places in South America. You can get to Machu Picchu by train from Cusco, is a 4 hour train journey that leaves early in the morning, you can buy the ticket with Peru Rail and buy your ticket to the ruins online. The train goes from Cusco to Aguas Calientes town, upon arrival you can take the bus to the ruins (25 min.) and hire a guide at the gate, you can also stay one night in Aguas Calientes and next day go to the ruins.

Machu Picchu at the end of Inca Trek

Machu Picchu

 There are many trekkings to Machu Picchu, the most popular is the Inca Trek, it takes 4 days and 3 nights to get to the Machu Picchu and is a great experience, on the way you can see different kind of landscapes and wildlife, it´s  a hard trek and you need to book it in advance with tour company. There are another treks like Lares trek (2 nights camping and 1 night in a Aguas Calientes) and Salkantay Trek (5 days / 4 nights). 

Salcantay Trek

  

Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.

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Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.

Arequipa City.

Also called the white city, its located at 2400 mts. over sea level and 17 Km from Misti Volcanoe (5800 mts high), it has a nice architecture and a beautiful city center, the best places to visit here are the Frozen Mummy Juanita (Santuarios Andinos Museum) and the Santa Catalina Convent, both on the center. Another option is to make a trip to Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world (3500mts deep) , and try to spot a Condor, the biggest bird of the andes.

Condor at Colca Canyon

The buildings of the city center are made is the volcanoe ashes, this material is called Sillar, so the color of the old buildings is white. You can walk around the city center as its safe and a good place to spend the afternoon. Another good option is to visit the tipical restaurants and try the local food. 
Arequipa is famous for its volcanoes, the most famous is Misti, with 5822 mts. its  still active.
Other famous volcanoes are Chanchani with 60575 mts, Pichu Picchu with 5664 mts. and Ambato with 6318 mts. high.

Arequipa has some nice traditional restaurants called ¨Picanterias¨, I recommend two of them, Nueva Palomino and La Lucila, you need to take a taxi to this places. About security, Arequipa is a safe place to walk around but be always careful at night and with taxis.



Colca Canyon.

Is the deepest canyon in the world with about 3500 mts. deep, its located next to the Colca Valley, 4 hours far from Arequipa city.
In Colca Canyon you will have the chance to see the Condor, the biggest bird on the Andes, there are also deers, alpacas, llamas, Vicuñas, fox and vizcachas. You need to hire a tour company to visit it.

On the way to Colca Valley you will see some volcanoes and white capped mountians like Ambato where Juanita, the forzen Inca Mommy, was founded in 1995. You can also see Mismi mountain with 5597 mts. this is  where the Amazonas river starts.





The Andean Condor.
The world´s biggest flying bird and a sacred bird for the Inca civilization, its a huge animal with 3 mts. long wing to wing, can weight 12 to 14 Kg and has about 1.3 mts from head to tail. This big bird can fly up to 10000 mts high and lives on the highlands of South America. The Condor only eat death animals that find on the mountains. You can see them on the Colca Canyon and in some other places of the Andes, lives in high dry areas, close to rocks, mountains and cliffs. This is a endangered animal and local people are trying to preserve it. 

Colca Canyon, Arequipa

Puerto Inca.

A few hours from Arequipa is Puerto Inca, a nice beach next to the Inca ruins that were used by the Inca to rest, there is a little hotel with bungaloes here and you can also camp and have a bbq after a swim. You can drive from Ica to Puerto Inca as well.