Peru, Ancient Land of Mysteries

Peru is known for many great things, including the ruins of ancient civilizations, stunning nature and an unparalleled level of cuisine. During our time in the country, we were hosted by two friends, Martin and Alex. We toured Lima where they live and explored the Peruvian coast visiting numerous towns by bus including Pisco, Paracas, Ica and Huacachina. During the five day round trip excursion, we were able to have an authentic and local experience through the eyes of two amazing friends.

Lima, The Capital of Peru

Lima is an expansive coastal city with stunning ocean views, colonial architecture, important cultural sights and irresistible cuisine, especially the seafood. In fact, we credit this trip with converting us from vegetarians into pescatarians.

Our Favorite Neighborhoods & Sights

Miraflores. Which translates to “Look at the Flowers” is a neighborhood in the heart of the city. It’s the best spot to watch a Pacific sunset, cuddle with kittens in the Cat Park and overlook the coast by paragliding on an improvised fan powered parachute.

Barranco. A coastal neighborhood with beautiful street art, plenty of bars, restaurants and coffee shops. It has an old world character, with narrow streets and historic buildings. The neighborhood is walkable making it easy to spend time exploring by foot.

Huaca Pucllana. An expansive adobe and clay brick ruin that pre-dates the Incas. The grounds include the remains of a pyramid and many smaller structures. The pyramid, used for ceremonial purposes, is thought to be so well preserved due to the fact that it rains very little in Lima. The ruins of other structures are thought to have been used for agricultural storage and administrative purposes for overseeing the civilization’s irrigation practices.

The Catacombs. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, located beneath the Basílica y Convento de San Francisco. The catacombs are lined with the skulls and bones of tens of thousands of humans, all uniquely organized and arranged in an array of terrifying yet beautiful patterns.

The Magic Water Circuit. It sounds extra touristy and it kind of it but it doesn’t make it any less grand. You’ll be treated to a light and water show within the park’s fountains, depicting holograms, images and music telling the story or Peru.

National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History. This museum houses tens of thousands of artifacts from the ancient civilizations that occupied modern day Peru.

Plaza de Armas. The city’s historic center and main plaza. It is surrounded by stunning government buildings, palaces and cathedrals.

Pisco

Home of Peru’s national drink, the Pisco Sour. Pisco is a spirt fermented from grapes grapes and distilled in large copper basins. While staying in town with our friends’ relatives, we drank homemade Pisco and watched Peruvian late night television.

Here is a great recipe for a Pisco Sour

2 oz Pisco
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients vigorously for about 30 seconds, then add ice and shake for at least another 15 seconds.

Strain into a chilled glass and garnish the frothy top with a few dashes of the bitters.

Paracas, The Ballestas Islands

Paracas is a small desert town about 4 hours south of Lima. It’s known for its proximity to The Ballestas Islands, Peru’s only coastal nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The islands, consisting of large rock formations, are home to an incredible diversity of life, including sea lions, penguins, all types of birds and marine wildlife.

The Candelabra

On the way out to the Ballestas Islands, we passed an ancient geoglyph called the Candelabra carved into the hillside of the Paracas peninsula. Similar to the Nazca lines, Its exact origins are unknown but believed to date back thousands of years.

Getting Here

The best way to visit the Ballestas Islands is to arrive in Paracas by mid morning. You can travel from Pisco to Paracas by taxi for about $10 in under 30 minutes.There are many speedboat companies along the harbor that offer 2 to 3 hour tours for less than $20 per person.

The Paracas Desert

Prior to arriving in Peru, we had no idea the country was home to such a massive desert. Between the coastal waters and the foothills of the Andes Mountains is a seemingly endless horizon of sand dunes. Back in town, there are a number of guides offering tours into the desert. We booked with one that took us on a wild dune ride that traversed the massive valleys of sand. Half way through the tour, we stopped to try sand boarding for the first time. After a several attempts, mostly involving tumbling down the dune and crawling back to the top, we eventually gave up. Afterwards, we stuck around late enough to watch the sunset.

Ica

Vineyards

Ica, one of Peru’s grape growing regions is known for its wine and Pisco. We toured, Bodegas Vista Alegre, one of the counties largest and oldest vineyards and Pisco distilleries. Rows of grape vines line the fields extending towards the edge of the Andes mountains range. We learned about how the grapes are harvested, toured the facilities where they are fermented, distilled and bottled before getting to enjoy some for ourselves.

The Witches Village

Outside of Ica is the town of Cachiche, or witches village. It has a history and mythology linked to the witches that settled there fleeing persecution. Most notable of the mythology is the palm tree with 7 heads (only 6 living.) It’s said that the tree is cursed and if the 7th head grows back, Ica will be destroyed.

Getting Around

The best way to tour Ica is to hire a taxi driver for the day or afternoon. Many of them will bring you to various sights, recommend places to eat and wait for you while you explore. The cost will depend on how long you hire them for and what you negotiate. In our instance, we hired a taxi for 4 hours and it cost $30.

Huacachina

The Desert Oasis

Located nearby Ica is a picturesque desert oasis hidden between massive sand dunes. The town, built around a tiny palm lined lake is home to a range of restaurants, shops, hostels/hotels and tour guides. It’s a calm, relaxing and almost surreal place to visit. Within the oasis, you can swim, rent a paddle boat or nap under the shade of a palm tree. Outside of the oasis we went on an another exhilarating dune ride and tried our chances with sand boarding again. This time, however, we opted to lay down on the board and ride down the dunes like a sled.

Nazca

Two hours south of Ica and Huacachina are the Nazca lines. The series of 300+ large geoglyphs created by the ancient Nazca civilization. We didn’t have enough time to make it to Nazca but heard that the best way to see the figures is from the surrounding hilltops or by air.

Food and Drink

Ceviche. A Peruvian staple typically made from raw fish, lime juice, onions and peppers.

Jalea. Fried mixed seafood topped with pickled red onions, cilantro and tomato.

Fried Yucca Root. An incredibly savory potato like dish often served as a side.

Breakfast Sandwich. Bread, white cheese and avocado sandwiches. This was a very common breakfast.

Pisco Sour. Peru’s national drink. Check out the recipe above.

Inca Kola. A popular soda with a taste similar to bubble gum.

Cusquena. Peru’s most popular brand of beer. We were taught to mix the dark lager with Coca Cola.

Papaya Agua Fresca. A common morning or afternoon juice consisting of fresh papaya, water and lime juice.

Getting Around

The Lima Airport. The best and safest way to leave the airport is by hiring a taxi from a certified booth inside the airport. We used Taxi Green. Hold onto your own luggage closely while outside of the airport terminal. It should cost about $20 and due to traffic can take up to 2 hours to reach the city’s center.

Taxis. The easiest way to get anywhere around Lima, despite the city’s constant traffic. They are often plentiful on the streets and easy to hail. A few tips to keep in mind. Only ride in certified taxis, they are yellow or white cars with a taxi sign on top. Make sure the meter is on or negotiate your rate before getting into the car. Some taxis try to charge per person or by piece of luggage. It should only cost the equivalent of $3-$5 between neighborhoods. Have exact change or be prepared to round up. Lock the car doors while in the taxi. Other passengers may try to hop in and ride with you. This happened to us. It wasn’t scary but made us fell slightly uneasy.

Public Transit

Combi Mini Bus. You’ll see these mini buses throughout the city with papers taped to the windshield noting their destinations. They typically cost $0.50 per trip per person and can take you across the city.

Metropolitano Bus. This is modern bus system that runs a singular route throughout the city, passing through almost every neighborhood. It requires you purchase a Tarjeta Inteligente from the bus station for $4.50 and costs $2.50 per trip.

Regional Travel

Perubus. This was the bus company we used to travel between Lima, Pisco and Ica. For the price, it’s a comfortable, affordable and reliable method of traveling between cities. It cost less than $10 per person to travel between Lima and Pisco and took about 4 hours. From Pisco to Ica, it cost about $3 per person and took less than two hours. From Ica to Lima, it cost $10 and took a little more than 5 hours. There are multiple terminals in Lima and central terminals in both Pisco and Ica to depart from/arrive at and purchase tickets.

Peruvian Coast