Peru

Spanning just 4 days, but featuring 7 summits over 15,000 feet (and topping out at nearly 17,000'), this trail is not for the faint of heart.  Since the trail is extremely remote, permission must be attained from the locals. This is most easily done through a local guide company (I went with Kill...

The trekking starts in San Pedro de Casta at 3,000 meters from sea level and is a route of 4.9 km and up to 4,000 meters above sea level. The path has a viewpoints where you can take many photos of the valley and some farms.After 5 hrs of walking we got to The Anfiteatro, a concourse surrounded b...

 The Temple of the Sun of the Incas (Coricancha) is believed to be the most important temple of the Incan empire, and the most revered temple in Cusco. Originally named Intikancha or Intiwasi, it was dedicated to Inti, the Sun God. However, when the Spanish arrived, they razed most Inca temples a...

The journey begins at about 3am on the streets of Cusco, where we pile into a minivan and drive a few hours to arrive at the foot of Vinicuna (Rainbow Mountain) as day breaks.  It’s a crisp, sunny morning at the foot of the climb (14,189ft) and the local compañeras line the path with dozens of ho...

Sacsayhuaman is located  about 10 minutes from the Plaza de Armas (by car) or 45 minutes walking. Another option is to take a ‘City Tour’, which includes transportation to this archaeological site. The entrance fee is included with the "Boleto Turistico" which is a ticket that gets you into the m...

The pool, known as la piscina locally, and as piscinas to surfers, lies just north of Lobitos, Peru. You can get to Lobitos by bus or shared car from Talara, Piura, or Mancora. You can fly or bus to Talara and Piura from Lima. There isn't much to do in Lobitos other than surf and eat but if you f...

The Urubamba River is 450 miles long, but don't worry - you only need a small section of the Lower Urubamba River to experience Class III and IV rapids. Take an excursion with any reputable rafting company like OARS (or others) which will bring you to the small town of Maranura known for its worl...

Located at an altitude of 2,792 m (9,160 ft) above sea level, Ollantaytambo was once the home of Emperor Pachacuti.  Built in the late 15th century, it has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America. The beautiful cobbled streets, irrigation channels, and stone foundation...

This is a steep but short hike to see some beautiful terraces and granaries across from the main Ollantaytambo fortress. Depending on your level of fitness, the climb can take between 30 minutes to an hour. It'swell worth it for the spectacular views of Ollantaytambo town and views of the ruins o...

To get to the trailhead from Huaraz, walk to the main street PE-3N that goes through town and hop in a southbound collectivo, just confirm with the driver that he is going to Puente Santa Cruz. It will take 15min and cost you 1 sol (30 cents). Let the driver drop you off at the Puente Santa Cruz ...

The route starts in San Salvador de Pampas in Huaral. It is 4 hours from Lima. San Salvador de Pampas is known as the phantom village because people went down to La Florida in order to get access to better ground for farming.We started the walk at 12:00 pm after having a very good lunch in Pampas...

You can have the best view over the entire spot when you walk direction north, just outside of the small village and onto the cliff.  The best point to drop in with your surfboard is a couple of hundred meters up the beach. If you hit a great swell, you can have the waves carry you back all the w...

Right from the entrance to the site, the ruins of Ollantaytambo climb up into the terraced heights of a temple district. It is often called a fortress, but only part of the site was dedicated to military purposes, while the very top is an unfinished temple. It was likely a Temple of the Sun, and ...

If you ever find yourself in Peru, I highly suggest taking the time to check out El Misti. You'll see this monstrous beast, long before you get anywhere near it. Even while you're resting in your hostel in Arequipa, days before the trek itself.  Standing at 19,101 feet, to summiting El Misti is a...

Huanchaco beach is a very consistent surf spot with a great left hand break next to the pier. It can get crowded, especially on weekends when the locals are coming from the neighboring towns, but the vibe is very nice and chilled. If you're looking for slightly smaller waves, stay right of the pi...