Extending from the arid Pacific coastal deserts to the steaming Amazon, and from the Equator to a few degrees shy of the Tropic of Capricorn, Peru is huge.
The Peruvian Andes are the country’s backbone, containing the largest concentration of snow peaks in the Americas with more than a thousand peaks over 16,000 feet, crowned by the giant 22,000-foot Huascaran. The variety of terrains and climates makes Peru one of the planet’s mega-diverse countries—a paradise for naturalists, hikers and foodies alike.
Peru’s biodiversity is matched only by the wealth of its indigenous cultures. Humankind has occupied Peru since the last Ice Age, and major archaeological remains date back to before the Egyptian pyramids. Indeed, it is said that 90% of Peru’s significant archaeology is yet to be discovered. Today, while peoples such as the Aymara and Quechua have integrated to a greater or lesser extent with modern life, cultures like the highland Q’ero and the Amazonian Matses still live more or less as they have done for centuries. Peru’s colonial legacy provides a fascinating and sometimes problematic overlay to traditional ways.
"If the heart of an explorer beats strong within you, yet you demand creature comforts, then an adventure to deepest, darkest Peru with Explorations will not disappoint."
Travel in Peru has traditionally followed a well-trodden circuit. The so-called ‘gringo trail’ leading to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu—with deviations on occasion to Lake Titicaca, the Nasca Lines and/or Arequipa and the Colca Canyon—is still magnificent if you can escape the crowds. Here you’ll find superb accommodation options that make the most of their immediate surroundings, from superbly appointed Andean mountain lodges to lavish boutique hotels occupying former Inca palaces.
However, this represents a mere fraction of what this marvellous country has to offer, and the rewards of straying beyond the beaten track are considerable. Central and Northern Peru, as well as much of the Peruvian Amazon, remain virtually unexplored by the modern traveller. Uncovering the stupendous archaeology of Chachapoyas, hiking or climbing among the heavenly peaks of the Cordillera Blanca and exploring remote Amazonian waterways offer untold riches to our more intrepid guests.
Until recently, leaving the gringo trail meant sacrificing creature comforts. Today though that has changed. On a trek through the Andes, we can create superb private camps, complete with proper beds, hot water, a gourmet chef and a therapist to massage away the aches and pains of the trail. By using top-drawer expedition guides and a combination of chartered boats, floatplanes and helicopters, we can take you to parts of Peru others shrink at. If the heart of an explorer beats strong within you, yet you demand creature comforts, then an adventure to deepest, darkest Peru with Explorations will not disappoint.
