Peru was probably the most exciting place we’ve been to in South America. Beautiful landscapes, great people, and tasty food – we also ventured out by car this time.
Cusco Roadtrip
Our first stop was Cusco – it was our central hub for venturing out by car to visit different ruins, landscapes, and other sights.
Driving a car in Peru is not for the faint-hearted.
People are driving fast, streets are narrow in urban areas, and navigating the mountains with dusty roads is a challenge in itself, but we survived and even thrived after our first few trips.
Before I realized it, I had adapted and even put some locals under a bit of pressure! 😅
The landscapes are really astonishing, and we barely met other tourists on our way.
When your timing is right (go in the late afternoon instead of the early morning), you can have a fantastic time here and explore the ruins at your own pace without dealing with those pesky tourist buses.
Machu Picchu & Aguas Calientes
No trip to Peru without visiting Machu Picchu, right? Right.
It’s by far the most touristic place in the whole country, and the coordination is an absolute mess.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely worth a visit, but we’ve seen some way more impressive things over our trip around the world.
I was much more impressed by Aguas Calientes – the small town you have to pass (or stay) to visit Machu Picchu.
We stayed here for a few days and took two trips up to Machu Picchu – it’s small, it’s mystical (especially when it’s raining and the mountains are covered in fog).
And yes, naturally, I took a bunch of photos at Machu Picchu, here you go:
Arequipa
Our next stop was Arequipa. The idea was to have a less entertaining place to visit after spending a lot of energy exploring Cusco, its surroundings, and Machu Picchu.
It solved its purpose, but we probably should have stayed here for a shorter period of time – there is really not a lot to do here!
I think the most impressive fact is that Arequipa is surrounded by seven volcanoes – the Misti (5,822m) is the most iconic one and also the symbol of the city.
It’s also known as the “White City”, but I’m honestly not sure I can confirm that. More like the grey city?
Lima
Our last stop was the capital, Lima, and honestly, we completely underestimated it.
We only had a few days here (the shortest connection to Mexico City), and that turned out to be the wrong decision.
In retrospect, we should have cut down our time in Arequipa and doubled our time in Lima – it’s a great city!
That wraps up our time in Peru, and we had a great one! Definitely the highlight of our time in South America, and it’s not unlikely we’re back one day.
Next up, we are heading to Mexico – stay tuned!