Puno is a port city on the shores of Lake Titicaca on the Altiplano of Peru. Despite its picturesque hillside setting, the city itself is a ramshackle collection of mostly unfinished modern buildings. Its biggest attraction is as a departure point for the famous floating islands on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca.

Where to Stay in Puno | Puno Guide

Once just an attractive roadside fishing port, Mancora is now the most trendy beach in Peru, attracting a surf crowd from around the globe. It’s a highly welcome and very enjoyable stopover when traveling along the north coast.

Where to Stay in Mancora

Trujillo is a moderately large city in Northwestern Peru, near the Pacific Coast. The city was founded in 1534 among 4 Chimu settlements to enable the Spanish to ally with them against the Incas. Trujillo is close to the pre-Columbian site of Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the ancient world and the beach resort of Huanchaco.

Where to Stay in Trujillo | Trujillo Guide

The Nazca Desert occupies a strip along the northern Pacific coast on a high arid plateau. The famous Nazca Lines are located between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. Created between 200 BC and 700 AD the figures range from simple lines to stylized spiders, monkeys, lizards and human figures. The dry, windless, stable climate of the Nazca Desert has helped keep the lines uncovered to the present day.

Nazca Desert Guide

Iquitos is a unique city in that it is the largest city in the world inaccessible by roads, leaving planes and boats as the primary ways of entrance. However, that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most popular places to visit in Peru. Because of its location on the banks of the Amazon River in northeastern Peru, Iquitos is the gateway to exploring the Amazon.

Where to Stay in Iquitos | Iquitos Guide

As Peru’s capital and largest city, Lima is a sprawling metropolis constituting an architectural blend of pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern infrastructure. The city was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and offers a rich history as well as exceptional food, a vibrant culture and lively nightlife.

Where to Stay in Lima | Lima Guide

Once the heartland of the Inca Empire, The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a valley in the Andes, close to Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu. The region contains numerous archaeological remains and villages including the Inca cities of Písac and Ollantaytambo.

Sacred Valley Guide

One of Peru’s most visited cities, Arequipa is surrounded by three picturesque volcanoes in the country’s Southern Coastal region. Arequipa embodies a rich mix of the indigenous and Spanish colonial cultures. Examples of Spanish colonial architecture can be found throughout the center of the city. Arequipa is also the gateway to Peru’s most visited natural attraction, the Colca Canyon.

Where to Stay in Arequipa | Arequipa Guide

Often serving as a popular base to explore nearby famous ruins like Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco was the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Located in southeastern Peru, Cusco one of Peru’s most important tourist destinations.

Where to Stay in Cusco | Cusco Guide

As Peru’s most popular tourist attraction and one of the world’s most famous archaeological wonders, Machu Picchuis located 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) above sea level in the Andes Mountains. Although this magnificent Inca site provokes more mysteries than facts, it is believed that Machu Picchu was first built around the middle of the 15th century as a military fortress then later used as an estate for Inca royalty.

Where to Stay in Machu Picchu | Machu Picchu Guide

More great destinations can be found in the Explore Peru page.