Peru Attractions

Cuzco

South America's archaeological capital and oldest continuously inhabited city, Cuzco is now an important link in the region's travel network. Its legacy as the hub of the Incan empire is readily apparent: Quechua-speaking Incan descendants crowd the centuries-old stone-walled city streets.

Cuzco also boasts magnificent repositories of colonial art - fine examples can be found in La Catedral and Museo de Arqueológia. West of the city is Machu Picchu, the most spectacular site on the continent. Despite the relentless stampede of tourists, it still retains an air of grandeur and mystery.

Lima

A vast, polluted metropolis in the middle of Peru's desert coastline, Lima is an economic magnet for struggling highland and Amazonian villagers. A vibrant city with friendly people, it quickly snares the curious traveler with fine museums, striking architecture and richly historical neighborhoods.

Lima also boasts some of the best dining on the continent, from fresh seafood in suave seaside restaurants to hole-in-the-wall eateries; as well as a plethora of extreme sports: try paragliding off the cliffs of Miraflores or surfing off the cliff-backed beaches of Barranco and Costa Verde.

Arequipa

The irresistibly sexy Arequipa, aka 'White City' for its dazzling colonial sillar (off-white volcanic rock) stonework, is surrounded by some of the wildest terrain in Peru. It's a land of active snowy volcanoes, high-altitude deserts, thermal hot springs, salt lakes and the world's deepest canyons.

No other place in southern Peru delivers the best of both urban and outdoor - clamber up an Andean peak, slalom down from a sandy volcanic summit and be back in your colonial mansion guesthouse in time for a dinner of spicy arequipeño food and all-night dancing in a sizzling-hot nightclub.