Why Go to Peru?: 12 Reasons to Put Peru on Your Bucket List

It has been 2 full months here in Peru.  As I look back on my time, there are certain things that stand out in my memory.  While this country is full of amazing things to see and do, these rank as my favorites.  I highly recommend all these activities being on any Peruvian itinerary:

12) Weaving
There are a few communities still left in Peru who practice traditional weaving techniques using raw sheep or alpaca wool.  We visited a few of them, where they explained the materials used to create the all-natural dyes and the technique used to weave everything by hand.  It was really fascinating and made me want to learn more!  By far the coolest was a small beetle extracted from rotting cactus that was boiled to get a deep red color, changing the tones by adding salt or lime!

Each color yarn with the product used to obtain that color

The weavers explaining their process

Beetle used for shades of red

Different shades of red are obtained by adding lime or salt

I was thankful to see other types of weaving later in my trip.  Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca is famous for its weaving.  They weave intricate, tight and colorful designs.  Women weave stiff ceremonial belts used to symbolize matrimony, and the men knit everything from gloves, to hats and scarves!  The men could be seen walking everywhere knitting!  Truly impressive.

They use this simple loom and a series of sticks, strings and great amounts of dexterity!

11)  Pastoruri
This feels like so long ago now...  This was my first taste of high altitude here in Peru.  Though a short hike, the altitude kicked my butt, and I slogged the path all the way up.  The view of the glacier was well worth the heavy breathing during the trek and lightheadedness for a few hours after.  Read more about it here.

10)  Huanchaco Beach Town
After a few weeks of cramped hostels, and to help recover from altitude sickness, I treated myself to a couple nights of decadence in the lovely seaside town of Huanchaco.  The town itself was very mellow and relaxing.  My hotel room was huge, quiet and comfortable, and I spoiled myself to a bubble bath while I watch the sun set over the beach outside my window.  Delightful!

9) Moray Salt Mine
Thousands of years ago, the Inca discovered a mountain with a natural source of salt.  They crafted a series of pools to collect water from a stream coming down the mountain and evaporate down to rock salt.  Now, I'm not a huge user of salt, but good golly was this operation impressive!  There must have been hundreds of pools stretching across the mountainside, each a varying shade as it passed through the different stages of evaporation.  It was truly awe-inspiring, and pictures don't even begin to capture it's magnitude or how impressive it is.

8)  Amantani Island Homestay
Though I am sure there are differing opinions of whether homestays are a good idea or not, my very recent stay on Amantani island in Lake Titicaca was definitely a highlight of my trip.  We stayed only one night with a very sweet couple.  The food was vegetarian and delicious, meaning little economic impact on the community, and the location was just so lovely!

This is the port for the community we lived in.  They receive all those boats full of guests every day!  The best part, is that the hosting is shared between the different communities on the island, so the wealth is shared.

Here I am with my host brothers (left) and my host "parents" (though they are my age) right.
Lovely people and gracious hosts!

Here's my adopted traveler family here in Puno!  We're a mix from Ecuador, Peru, UK and the US.
Here we're in traditional dress for the parting ceremony

I finally tried a very special potato grown in Peru that is dried, stored and then rehydrated!  Delicious!

One evening, we hiked up to the Pachatata temple, watching a beautiful sunset!

Some of us on the tour enjoyed our time together so much that we kept hanging out for some time after!
Here we all are in front of the Puno Cathedral: Ecuador, Peru, UK, USA and Thailand unite!

7)  Huacachina Sand Dunes
Even though I have seen dunes before, every time it's like the first time.  They are just so incredible, and it makes you feel so small to think the entire thing is just a pile of tiny grains of sand each carried individually on the wind.  This place was a truly special treat.  Read here if you want to know more about what there is to do there.

6)  Fresh Juices
So this may not be the most awe-inspiring or photo-worthy of activities, but I wake up thinking about it!  The markets here have rows and rows of ladies offering fresh juice.  Literally freshly made while you wait.  They have both blenders and juicers, depending on your ingredients.  They have everything from your standard: apple, orange, banana, strawberry, mango, pineapple, to the more exotic cactus fruits, bee pollen, aloe, and local tropical fruits like lucuma, chirimoya or pepino dulce.  For 5-6 soles (about $2) you get 2-3 glasses of the stuff, with optional addition of water, milk or sugar.  I get one about every day.  I've tried cucumber, ginger, kiwi, pineapple and aloe; orange, chirimoya, banana and bee pollen, but my favorite is pineapple, beet, carrot and ginger.

5)  Macchu Picchu
By far one of the most unique and important ruins we have left today, and has been on my bucket list for years.  The trek was a lot harder than I expected, and I ended the day completely beat, but it was well worth the trip.

4)  Llanganuco
Some may not agree with my ordering here, but I have to say that the crisp turquoise lagoon of Llanganuco makes it into my top 4 of Peru.  It was just so unique, and truly spectacular.  I won't rehash what I've already said about it, but you can read more from that post here.

3)  Colca Canyon
Although I personally only did the one day bus dour from Arequipa, this canyon can be seen in a multi-day hike as well.  It is most famous for sightings of the rare Andean Condor, which has one of the largest wingspans.  We had an hour-long stop at the Cruz del Condor, where we were lucky enough to see about 7 different condors soaring on the breeze rising up through the canyon.  Seeing this amazing creature was another item on my bucket list.  Breathtaking.

2)  Islas Ballestas
As posted in an earlier post, the Ballestas Islands Reserve is definitely among the best that Peru has to offer.  The variety of bird species and the sea lions are all thriving, and it's quite awe-inspiring.  It is definitely on my list of "must see."

1) Manú Wildlife Preserve
I didn't even penetrate the deep rainforest of this reserve, but I left incredibly satisfied.  Though facing the same pressures of space, logging and hunting of other preserves, Manú has faired well, being that it's quite a trek to even get there.  My 2 weeks there were incredibly restorative and awe-inspiring in terms of the creatures that have evolved for that habitat.  I highly suggest a visit as part of any Peru itinerary.

So that's it!  Peru and I are parting ways.  I have enjoyed my time here, but I am ready for what Bolivia has to offer!