Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, the 'City of Kings' has retained much of its colonial architecture, a reminder of its heyday as the administrative centre of Spanish South America.
The oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent and once capital of the great Inca Empire, Cuzco has preserved many of its original features despite Spanish colonisation. Its churches and colonial houses built on Inca stonework foundations and impressive ruins such as Sacsayhuamán and Tambo Machay are all reminders of a glorious past.
Ollantaytambo, in the Valley of the Incas, is the only town in Peru to retain its original layout and its impressive temple-fortress is the site of one of the Incas' few victories against the Spanish.
Near Cuzco, the legendary lost city of the Incas, which remained hidden until its discovery by the American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, is a must for visitors to Peru. Shrouded in mystery, the ruins lie in an amazing setting amid mountains and lush vegetation making this unique site one of the most spectacular places in the world.
In an area steeped in the history of pre-Inca civilisations, Nazca's huge geometric designes in the desert remain one of the great mysteries of mankind. The famous Nazca Lines cover an astounding 200 sq miles and can only be fully appreciated from the air.
On the upper reaches of the mighty Amazon River, Peru's most isolated city, Iquitos, is the base for Amazon cruises and for stays in lodges set deep in the jungle.
In the South, the Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve is the world's largest tract of protected tropical rainforest and contains the greatest recorded variety of flora and fauna on earth.
Puerto Maldonado, located at the confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers, provides access to remote jungle lodges where one can enjoy excellent butterfly and bird-watching.
Land of the Incas
Ancient Cultures of the Andes
Inca
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