wanderadventures

🇵🇪 TIPS & INFOS for Peru

Here's our little overview and all you need to know before traveling to Peru 😊

⏩️ Swipe right to read them.

Sources:
Lonely Planet guidebook 2023, Personal experiences,

Homestay at Lake Titicaca ☀️

Although we were still in Peru, the region around Lake Titicaca gave us the feeling that we had landet in a different country.

We never understood how a lake can be so famous. After all, it is sung in countless songs, books have been written about it, and everyone who sees it seems to be enchanted by it.
Believe it or not, as soon as we catched a glimpse on it, we understood. It's beautiful, blue, huge, calm, there's definitely a special energy.

We had the chance to stay with .de.luisyantonia and their family, while they let us participate in their daily lives for 3 days.

Between knitting bracelets, having a dress up in their traditional clothes, looking after the sheep, the house, helping preparing their land, cooking and playing with the kids & pets, we felt fully immersed in the simple and slow paced Titicaca-life 😌🙏

We also visited the Uros Titinos islands, one of the few inhabited floating islands on the lake.
The island is small, and we get an amazing introduction to the construction, history, income, and their way of living. The islands are made out of Tatora, the plant that grows in the Titicaca lake (which we also tasted, called the Titicaca banana🍌), and has to be partially renewed every month. 🤯
Some other floating islands are now made out of plastic bottles, as it requires a bit less maintenance and... well, there is so much of it..🚮

Don't hesitate to write to us if you'd like more information for a homestay at Lake titicaca.

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax" - Mark Black 🧘

After the mountains, we took some time to regather our strength in this little surfer town in the north of Peru 🏄‍♀️

We had a lot of planning to do, catched up with our families, focused on healthy food, yoga, walks along the beach and we couldn't have found a better place to do this than at . Heartfelt recommendation if you are in the area, especially if you like to surf. 🫶

🛕 The reason we came here, were the ruins of Trujillo, which were home to the pre-incan Moche and Chimu civilization, known for their advanced irrigation systems and impressive architectural achievements.
We only visited the archaeological site of ChanChan. Entirely made out of Adobe, Chanchan was once the largest city in pre-Columbian South America and served as the capital of the Chimu Kingdom.

ℹ️🛕 Entrance: 10S + 60S for a guide that we shared with another couple.

Huayhuash 8D-trek • Trek data and price 🏁💰 (2/3)

There are different treks in the national park which range from 4 days (~35km) to 12 days (~120km). In addition to the distances, there are daily elevation gains of ~800 metres. 🏔

Head to instagram to find the data of our trek 👇 https://www.instagram.com/p/C7qmWgnipiL/?igsh=MmRoZWk4czhxMWlz

The Cordillera Huayhuash 🏔 🥾 🇵🇪 (1/3)

Considered as one of the 10 best hiking circuits in the world, the Huayhuash trek has often been compared to the Mount Everest base camp trek and is regarded as one of the world's greatest alpine trekking circuits. 🌎🌟

It is also known as one of the most physically and emotionally challenging treks in Peru (ask Sarah 🙈), but also one of the most rewarding. 🏔😍

The trek offers breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, and picturesque valleys and is unique because it takes you through remote and untouched landscapes, allowing you to immerse yourself in the pristine beauty and rough nature of the Peruvian Andes.

While this trek was definitely the hardest trek we've ever done in our life, we take with us a whole bunch of wonderful memories full of unreal alpine landscapes 🏔, friends we will never forget 🫶, dogs & mules that carved their way into our hearts 🐶, first time experiences that pushed us over our limits 🥲 and a deep deep sense of connection. 💫

All in all, this trek is a truly remarkable journey for those seeking an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

We'll give you some more information & pictures about the Huayhuash trek in the next posts 🤗

Fairytale moments in the peruvian Cordillera Blanca 💙

Have you ever seen such a blue glacier lake? 😍

Fairytale moments 💙 Sometimes, it can be hard to immerse ourselves in the present moment and truly appreciate what we are currently experiencing. Travelling, discovering, planning, adapting, ... is our life now. It's our day to day, and sometimes it sucks. Things seem much harder and less enjoyable than we anticipated. And that is ok, nothing is perfect. But then, amidst those moments, there are also these magical moments. Those, where we wonder how lucky we are to be part of this planet, how fortunate we are to be able to witness and experience places that leave us speechless and bring us this profound joy. ✨️ Life is a constant balancing game, no matter what you are currently doing ☯️ We like to take some time to savour these moments. We try to capture them, fearing we might forget them some day. When we arrive at a place that leaves us in awe, we are already aware of the limited time we have there, which can be stressful. So we try our best, very intentionally, to be fully present in that moment. Besides capturing it with our camera, we try to capture it with every cell of our body. We engage all our senses to their maximum sensitivity, allowing us to breathe in the air, taste it, fill our lungs, feel the texture of the stones and plants, admire the views, and listen to the music of nature. We try to take it all in, with gratefulness 💙 . #laguna69 #hikelaguna69 #cordillerablanca #parknacionalhuarascan #wanderadventures #hiketheandes #peru #perou #southamerica #glacierlake #glacierlagoons #fairytalemoments #mountainsreel #mountains #traveling #beinthemoment #savourthemoment #bepresent #breath #senses

Peruvian cooking class in Arequipa 👨‍🍳🔥🥘

Exploring the vibrant flavours of Peruvian cuisine in Arequipa! 🌶️🍤 Join us on a culinary adventure with Arthur and Peruvian Flavour, as we dive into our first cooking class ever, discovering the secrets of Peruvian cuisine. From ceviche to lomo saltado, the Peruvian cuisine never fails to amaze, on the menu today: • Pisco sour 🍸 • Causa de pollo 🥑🥔 • Chicha morada 🍍🌽 • Lomo salteado 🥩🌶 Any cooking classes you can recommend around the world ? We might be addicted now 🥘🤤 . #peruviancuisine #arequipa #cookingclass #foodieadventures #flavorfuljourney #peruvianfood #peruvianflavors #perucookingclass #peruvianculinary #arequipacuisine #arequipafood #cookingexperience #foodexploration #foodlover #foodadventures #wanderadventures #lomosalteado #causa #causadepollo #chichamorada #piscosour #saute #fire #cookingwithfire #cooking #arequipacookingclass

Silencio 🤫 🏰 ✨

Arequipa is a photographers paradise. So many beautiful buildings, so much life in the streets, imposing volcanoes all around, and a pleasant sunny light 📸😍

After a lot of wildlife shootings, which honestly can be quite frustrating (moving animals, moving base, short zoom, too much backlight, not enough light,...😆), we had some creative moments with the camera again, and it felt great 😍

One of the most picturesque attractions in Arequipa is the Monastery of Santa Catalina. A city inside the city, a stunning complex of buildings that dates back to the 16th century and is still active today. 🏰

With its distinctive architecture, historical significance and colourful streets, the convent was off-limits to the public for centuries, now some parts have been opened to the public but it continues to be a place of religious worship, contemplation, and community for the Dominican nuns who still reside there. 🏠

ℹ️ You need a ticket to enter (45PEN for +21 aged foreigners). After entering, you have the option to hire a guide directly on site.

💡 If you don't want to pay the entrance but still want a picture with the Santa Catalina colours, head to the restaurant right in front of the Monastery (📷 10)

Arequipa "The White City" 🌋

Located in the southern region of Peru, Arequipa is a city known for its architectural beauty, rich history, and spectacular natural surroundings. ❣️

With its pleasant climate, impressive surroundings, and beautiful architecture, Arequipa knocked Cuenca off our top spot. 🥇

⛪️ Founded in 1540, the city's well-preserved and charmful historical center, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is named the 'White City', because of its colonial buildings made of the white volcanic sillar stone.

📍🌋 Guarded by 3 imposing volcanoes (Misti, Chachani & Pichu Pichu), the city lies at an altitude of 2335 masl, which makes it a perfect acclimatisation stopover from Lima to Cusco or Puno. It's also the gateway to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world.

We loved the decontracted vibe of the city, the people were very friendly, the climate perfect and the food delicious (we finally tried the 🐹 🙊).

Manu National Park, a gem in the Amazon 🌿✨

This was our first time in the Amazon and we had an incredible time at Manu National Park.
It is renowned for its majestic jaguars, in fact they say that there is a 15% chance of spotting them, making it one of the best places to witness their beauty and we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures.🐆

While we were amazed by the park's natural wonders, we must admit that first we were a bit disappointed as we were expecting to see more abundance of mammals (especially compared to other places we've visited). However, those animals are not used to humans (which is rare in ecotourism) and have to fight for their life every day (which means they are shy and will run aways when they see or hear a threat), you start to get an idea of how gigantic the forest is, how little we are in comparison and how lucky you need to be, to be at that right spot at the right moment to observe an animal. Which in our opinion is a beautiful thought and we are happy we could support the protection of this area with our visit.🫶

ℹ️ Before planning your visit, we recommend doing thorough research to find the area that aligns best with your preferences. Keep in mind that for example the region where Manu National Park is located, doesn't inhabit pink dolphins and the chances of spotting an anaconda are lower compared to Iquitos, as an example.

Pro tip: If you're considering a visit, make sure to learn about the cultural and reserved zones in advance. Also, keep in mind that transportation to and from the reserved zone takes at least 3 full days.

Don't hesitate to write us your questions and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in the heart of the biggest and most important forest on earth! 🌎💫

King of the Jungle 🐆🌿

The King of the Jungle 🐆🌿 We can count ourselves extremely lucky to have had the chance to see the King of the Jungle with our own eyes, it's an incredible beautiful, fierce and majestic creature. 👑 A powerful energy that tells you "don't mess with me" and at the same time so cute you want to pet it 😅 Here are some interesting facts about the Jaguar [Panthera onca]: • 3rd largest cat species in the world after tigers & lions, the biggest in south america • They are extremely strong & agile. They are excellent climbers, swimmers and hunters. • One of the strongest bite forces among all big cats. Their jaws are adapted to deliver a powerful bite, allowing them to pierce the skulls of their prey, including turtles, caimans, and other large animals. • Highly adaptable to various habitats, including rainforests, swamps, grasslands, and even arid regions. They have been found from the southern United States to northern Argentina. • Conservation status: Jaguars are listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat loss, fragmentation, and conflicts with humans pose significant threats to their populations. Conservation efforts aim to protect their habitats and ensure their long-term survival. • As apex predators, they have a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems they inhabit. Where there is little to no human interference, wilderness can spring.😍 Go to our Polarsteps to read about the whole adventure before we got to see this beauty 🙏✨️🐆 . #luckyday #peruvianamazon #jaguar #amazonadventure #wildlifewonders #majesticmoments #jungleencounter #wildcat #amazingspots #purrfection #hiddenbeauty #junglegems #happyday #whiskerwisdom #amazonmagic #jungle #amazonrainforest #amazonas #kingofthejungle #apexpredator #amazonbasin #wildlife #wildlifeencounters #luckymoments #wildcats #catsofinstagram #catsoftheamazon #southamerica