1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Until roads were built in the surrounding valley in the 1970s, the Colca Canyon was largely unexplored.

  WHERE: 102–133 miles/165–215 km north of Arequipa. LAS CASITAS DEL COLCA: Tel 51/1-610-8300; www.lascasitasdelcolca.com. Cost: from $1,000, all-inclusive. COLCA LODGE: Tel 51/54-531-191; www.colca-lodge.com. Cost: from $155. CASA ANDINA: Tel 51/1-213-9739; in the U.S., 866-447-3270; www.casa-andina.com. Cost: from $90. HOW: Lima Tours offers customized itineraries to the area. Tel 51/1-619-6900; in the U.S., 305-792-0085; www.limatours.com.pe. BEST TIMES: Apr–Nov for dry season, with Apr–Jun the lushest; Jun–Aug for spotting condors.

  An Island of Serenity in Peru’s White City

  MONASTERIO DE SANTA CATALINA

  Arequipa, Peru

  Known as La Ciudad Blanca (the White City) for the pearly volcanic stone called sillar used to build its elaborate 16th- and 17th-century Spanish homes and churches, Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city. It was founded in 1540 and retains a small-town charm that is set against a backdrop of three majestic snow-covered volcanoes: El Misti, Pichu Pichu, and Chachani, each nearly 20,000 feet high.

  Little prepares the wanderer who stumbles upon this lovely city’s greatest secret, the cloistered world of the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. In this miniature city within a city, which opened to the public only in 1970, visitors meander along narrow, twisting streets, admiring the pastel-painted buildings and stopping in the tiny fruit tree–shaded plazas. The few elderly Dominican nuns still in residence have moved to the northern corner of the convent; the rest of the grounds offer a glimpse of an earlier age. The original convent was built in 1580 by a rich widow, María de Guzmán, and soon gained a reputation as a sort of exclusive club where aristocratic families sent their daughters for an education, safe haven, or a spiritual vocation. Many brought large dowries and lived in pure luxury, with servants or slaves in tow. Of the nearly 500 women living there, only one-third were nuns—until the Vatican sent Sister Josefa Cadena to put a halt to the hedonistic lifestyle in 1871.

  The restaurant La Trattoria del Monasterio is housed within the monastery’s outer walls. Peru’s star chef based in Lima, Gastón Acurio (see p. 1044), oversees the menu, a mix of Italian specialties and Peruvian comfort food served in three elegant whitewashed dining rooms. Stay nearby in the Vallecito residential district at the Casa Arequipa, a Neocolonial mid-20th-century mansion reinterpreted as a boutique hotel. Rooms offer old-world charm with deluxe touches, and a sumptuous breakfast is served on the rooftop with a view of snow-tipped Andean peaks. Walk it off when you head into the center of town—the Plaza de Armas is 15 minutes away.

  WHERE: 632 miles/1,020 km southeast of Lima. MONASTERIO DE SANTA CATALINA: Tel 51/54-608-282; www.santacatalina.org.pe. LA TRATTORIA DEL MONASTERIO: Tel 51/54-204-062. Cost: dinner $30. CASA AREQUIPA: Tel 51/54-284-219; www.arequipacasa.com. Cost: $75. BEST TIMES: Weather is springlike year-round; Aug 15 is the city’s founding day, with parades, celebrations, and concerts.

  At the Center of the Inca Universe

  CUZCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY

  Peru

  An obligatory stop for those setting out for Machu Picchu (see p. 1042) and other sites in the Sacred Valley, Cuzco—steeped in ancient culture and surrounded by the beauty and mysticism of the Andes—is sometimes overlooked as a unique destination unto itself.

  Founded in the 12th century (it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas), Cuzco sits 11,000 feet above sea level. It was the birthplace and center of the Inca empire; in the Quechua language, qosqo means “the Earth’s navel.” Today, the Old City, which spreads in a 10-block radius around the central Plaza de Armas, is a historical repository of the years following Pizarro’s arrival in 1532—an event that led to the eventual destruction of what was once the Western Hemisphere’s greatest empire.

  The plaza’s centerpiece is the ornate Baroque cathedral—one of the most splendid examples of religious Colonial architecture in the Americas. It is surrounded by other churches, mansions, and colonnades, all built upon the stone foundations of Inca palaces and temples. Vestiges of these sloping foundations, their impeccable masonry fitted without mortar, are still visible; some extend as high as two stories.

  The Hotel Monasterio, mere steps from the plaza, is housed in the 16th-century San Antonio de Abad seminary and built on the remains of the palace of the ancient Inca Emperor Amaru Qhala. One of Latin America’s most important seminaries from the 1700s to the late 1970s, the site retains its Colonial patios, vaulted arches, stone water fountains, and religious artwork. The former monks’ cells have been enlarged into comfortable rooms outfitted with antique furniture and marble baths. In the nearby Plaza Nazerenas stands one of the city’s earliest Spanish houses, Inkaterra La Casona. Now Cuzco’s first luxury boutique hotel, this beautifully restored manor home features 11 suites with stone fireplaces that surround a quiet courtyard. A budget alternative is the Niños Hotel, a 10-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas, where 19 basic but spacious rooms occupy two renovated historical buildings a block apart. Established in 1996, the inn uses a portion of its proceeds to provide schooling and medical care to hundreds of children throughout the city.

  Just outside town lie the towering ruins of Sacsayhuamán, a fortress complex of enormous interlocking stones—one alone can weigh up to 360 tons—and the site of one of the Incas’ last attempts to reclaim their empire from the Spanish in 1556. Inti Raymi (the Inca Sun Festival), greatest of all Inca celebrations, is held among these ruins every June 24 around the time of the Winter Solstice, with parades and special ceremonies.

  The Urubamba (aka Sacred) Valley, was the heart of the Inca Empire. Stretching from the town of Pisac to Ollantaytambo, it is full of terraced farms and ancient ruins, as well as atmospheric colonial towns and incomparable vistas of the surrounding Andes. Wending through it is the Urubamba River, famous for its whitewater rafting, and the Inca Trail (see p. 1043), which leads hikers on an awe-inspiring journey to Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo, with its well-preserved, formidable fortress, is one of the most popular starting points for the Inca Trail hike and is the valley’s other most-visited spot. An authentic Inca town and important stronghold during the empire, “Ollanta” has retained its original street names, layout, irrigation system, and houses—among the oldest occupied buildings in South America. The Sunday market and the Quechua mass held in the Colonial church San Pedro Apostál in Pisac draw vendors, worshippers, and tourists from all parts. Just as memorable is a trek up to Pisac’s ruins and the network of linked hilltop Inca strongholds above the town. And be sure to visit the shimmering, terraced salt pans of Maras; the enigmatic Inca crop circles of Moray; and the Sunday market at hilltop Chinchero and its Inca ruin–cum–Catholic church. Among the growing number of inns in the valley, one of the most delightful is the secluded Sol y Luna Lodge, in Urubamba. The collection of 28 circular stone-and-adobe bungalows, surrounded by gardens and mountain scenery, has a first-rate dining room and a small spa.

  Special hand-woven hats, shoulder scarves, and skirts distinguish traditional Quechua women.

  WHERE: Cuzco is 715 miles/1,153 km southeast of Lima. HOTEL MONASTERIO: Tel 51/84-604-000; in the U.S., 800-237-1236; www.monasteriohotel.com. Cost: from $520. INKATERRA LA CASONA: Tel 51/84-245-314; in the U.S., 800-442-5042. Cost: from $490. NIÑOS HOTEL: Tel 51/84-231-424; www.ninoshotel.com. Cost: $95. SOL Y LUNA LODGE: Tel 51/84-201-620; www.hotelsolyluna.com. Cost: $250. BEST TIMES: Apr–Oct for dry season; Semana Santa (week before Easter); Jun 24 for Inti Raymi; early Sun for Pisac Market.

  The Lost City of the Incas

  MACHU PICCHU

  Urubamba Valley, Cuzco Region, Peru

  On a continent endowed with magnificent pre-Columbian archaeological sites, this “lost city of the Incas” is the supreme showpiece. Machu Picchu’s strategic and isolated setting more than 7,800 feet above sea level, coupled with its mysterious significance in the ancient Inca universe, make this remote site one of the world’s most beautiful and ha
unting destinations. Abandoned by the Inca and reclaimed by the jungle, the 100-acre complex of temples, warehouses, homes, irrigation terraces, and stairs cascades down the mountain. It remained hidden from outsiders until a 10-year-old local boy led American explorer Hiram Bingham to it in 1911. Inexplicably, it had been unaccounted for in the Spanish conquistadors’ otherwise meticulous records, and speculation about the age and significance of Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) continues. Current thinking suggests the site was a retreat for Inca nobility most likely built in the 15th century, during the Inca Empire’s golden age. What is certain is that the vistas from Machu Picchu are dumbfounding, especially at sunrise or sunset.

  On a clear day, the very fit should consider climbing Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain), where the near-vertical one-hour scramble to the summit is breathtaking in more ways than one. The truly ambitious can arrive at sunset at Machu Picchu’s 500-year-old Gate of the Sun after a 4- or 5-day trek along the Inca Trail (see next page).

  There is no direct road from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, though PeruRail runs several train options (approximately 3½ hours each way) geared to tourists leaving from Cuzco. The Hiram Bingham Orient Express train is the fastest and smoothest ride, with elegant, 1920s Pullman-style décor. Passengers are pampered with brunch en route, private guides at the ruins, and cocktails and a four-course dinner on the return. All runs end at Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo) and connect with shuttle buses that zigzag up to Machu Picchu.

  The high-end Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge will get you as close as possible to the ruins’ entrance. Its rustic simplicity is as welcome as its location, and it allows guests the unique privilege of wandering about the moonlit ruins after the crowds leave. Down in Aguas Calientes and farther from the ruins the less pricey Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel lets you bed down in whitewashed casitas scattered along lushly landscaped, riverside grounds. The resort’s 12-acre reserve is laced with paved paths and hiking trails and blessed with inspiring views that can best be enjoyed from the glass-walled restaurant at sunset.

  At Machu Picchu, the Incas made architectural use of the naturally mountainous landscape.

  WHERE: 69 miles/112 km northwest of Cuzco. HOW: U.S.-based Andean Treks offers a variety of trips to Machu Picchu. Tel 800-683-8148 or 617-924-1974; www.andeantreks.com. PERURAIL: www.perurail.com. Cost: from $96 round-trip; Vistadome $175 round-trip; Hiram Bingham $588 round-trip, all-inclusive. MACHU PICCHU SANCTUARY LODGE: Tel 51/84-211-039; in the U.S., 800-237-1236; www.sanctuarylodgehotel.com. Cost: from $825, all-inclusive. INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO HOTEL: Tel 51/84-245-314; in the U.S., 800-442-5042; www.inkaterra.com. Cost: from $490, all-inclusive. BEST TIME: Jun–Sep for dry weather, but expect crowds.

  The Andes’ Sacred Highways

  THE INCA TRAILS

  Peru

  The Inca built a complex and extensive network of mountain trails through their empire, which centered on the Andean mountain range from Colombia to Chile. Though many of them have been reclaimed by the jungle, a number of ancient paths still offer a journey through the unparalleled splendor of the fertile valleys and mountain passes outside the former capital of Cuzco to the trails’ end, where the sacred city of Machu Picchu awaits (see previous page).

  Each of the local trail options varies in length, scenery, and required stamina, while accommodations range from basic tents to newly built lodges offering every comfort. The so-called Inca Trail—the old “Royal Highway”—is the best known and most popular, offering a number of segments. The full 26-mile hike is the trophy approach and requires trekkers to tolerate thin air in order to appreciate the drama of the scenery, with its wealth of Inca outposts, fortresses, and mysterious, terraced ruins. Centuries-old, hand-hewn staircases scale the mountains, many covered with exotic orchids that hummingbirds feed on while condors soar overhead. Of the trail’s many highlights is the stretch up and over the 13,800-foot-high “Dead Woman’s Pass,” the highest point. Four-day hikes end by descending the Inca staircase from the Sun Gate as the day’s first light reveals Machu Picchu. However long your tour, spend a few enjoyable days in Cuzco (see p. 1040) first, adjusting to the high altitude, before picking up the trail outside town. (No more than 500 people can hike the trail per day and tickets can sell out months in advance.)

  For an alternative to the Inca Trail that also leads to Machu Picchu, Salcantay is the way to go: Though there are slight variations, this 5-day, approximately 35-mile journey begins in Mollepata, a few hours northwest of Cuzco. Salcantay is more physically demanding than the classic Inca Trail, but there are no permits needed, and no limits on the number of hikers (save for availability at the lodges). You have the option of overnighting at the Mountain Lodges of Peru, a relatively new and supremely comfortable lodge-to-lodge option, though camping remains popular as well.

  A third trekking option takes you not to Machu Picchu but to the much less visited—and much less excavated—sister site of Choquequirao, “cradle of gold” in Quechua. The trek, typically 5 days, begins and ends in the town of Cachora, four hours from Cuzco by road. Between the arresting beauty and blessed isolation from the masses, these ruins are undoubtedly worth the arduous trek. Likely dating from the 1400s, this was one of the sites visited by Hiram Bingham and forgotten after he found Machu Picchu. You’ll practically have them to yourself.

  WHERE: Cuzco is 715 miles/1,153 km southeast of Lima. HOW: U.S.-based Mountain Travel Sobek offers various trekking options. Tel 888-831-7526 or 510-594-6000; www.mtsobek.com. Cost: 10-day trips from $4,395. MOUNTAIN LODGES OF PERU: Tel 51/1-421-6952; in U.S., 510-525-8846; www.mountainlodgesofperu.com. Cost: 7-day trips via Salcantay from $2,560. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for dry weather; May sees fewer trekkers.

  Gastronomic Revolution

  LIMA’S FOOD SCENE

  Lima, Peru

  American chef Todd English has hailed Lima as the culinary capital of Latin America—recognition that its distinctive, inventive cuisine is leaving an imprint around the world. It’s a cuisine as cosmopolitan as its population: founded on centuries-old indigenous cooking, enriched with Spanish and European traditions, emboldened with Asian flavors courtesy of 20th-century Chinese and Japanese immigrants, then set to simmer with Creole spices brought by Caribbean workers.

  Countless chifas (slang for Chinese-Peruvian restaurants) line the streets, where you’ll find spicy dim sum. Line up for a table at a cebichería, where the Peruvian national dish ceviche (raw fish chunks marinated in citrus and tossed with fresh herbs and seasonings) is served at lunchtime. At tiny, unpretentious Sankuay (everyone calls it Chez Wong), chef Javier Wong doesn’t bother with a menu (or a sign outside)—you get the day’s ceviche as a first course, plus whatever Chef Wong thinks you might like, based on the freshest of fish and vegetables and created in front of your eyes.

  At Rafael, chef Rafael Osterling brings together the flavors and ingredients of Peru using sophisticated techniques gained from long apprenticeships in top French and British restaurants. Located in a historic mansion, Rafael offers eclectic, innovative fare that’s firmly grounded in local tradition.

  Commander in chief of Peru’s culinary revolution is Gastón Acurio, who was trained in some of Europe’s finest restaurants. His flagship restaurant Astrid y Gastón is widely considered Peru’s top dining spot; Peruvian ingredients are flecked with French, Asian, and Creole flavors. Acurio has a fleet of other eateries in Lima, including Cebichería La Mar, which offers both traditional and Asian-influenced ceviche. With additional restaurants in Peru, across Central and South America, as well as in Madrid and San Francisco, Acurio is doing his share to expand the reach of Peruvian cuisine.

  SANKUAY: Tel 51/1-470-6217. Cost: lunch $15. RAFAEL: Tel 51/1-242-4149; www.rafaelosterling.com. Cost: dinner $50. ASTRID Y GASTÓN: Tel 51/1-242-5387; www.astridygaston.com. Cost: dinner $55. CEBICHERÍA LA MAR: Tel 51/1-421-3365; www.lamarcebicheria.com. Cost: dinner $35.

  A Bird- and Wildlife-Watcher’s Utopia

  MANU NATIONAL PARK
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  In the southeastern corner of Peru, at nearly 4.5 million acres, Manu National Park is the largest tropical rain forest reserve in South America, unrivaled for its biodiversity. Manu encompasses radically different ecological zones, ranging from Andean peaks of more than 13,000 feet down through the cloud forest and into the vast lowland Amazon rain forests that rest below 1,000 feet. No other reserve on earth compares for sheer biodiversity: Here you’ll find an estimated 15,000 plant species, 1,000-plus species of birds (more than in the United States and Canada combined and one-tenth of all the world’s), and 13 species of monkeys, from capuchin and spider to the mustachioed emperor tamarin. Its 200 mammal species include the elusive jaguar; Manu offers one of your best chances to spot one in all of South America.

  The trade-off is that Manu is difficult to get to, occasionally almost impossible. Trips are time-consuming and tours typically involve camping or other rustic accommodations. Manu Expeditions, the region’s first tour operator, is still the best choice. The owners, ornithologist Sir Barry Walker, who doubles as the British Consul in Cuzco, and his wife, Cuzco native Rosario Velarde, have been leading rain forest and mountain tours since 1983. Among the places they take travelers is the Manu Wildlife Center Lodge, which requires a plane trip followed by a two-hour boat ride. The remote riverside retreat features 22 cabins enveloped by rain forest, 30 miles of nature walks, and canopy-viewing platforms.