I’ve been excited to document this adventure since I was on it (May 2024)! Peru truly blew me away with its diverse landscapes, super kind people, and an abundnce of colors!!
But first, some fun facts about Peru:
Lima is the capital of Peru and is home to a third of Peru’s population. Many opt to skip Lima completely but it does have some gems, and is best known for its food.
Over 70% of the world’s alpaca population lives in Peru. And they are soooo cuteeee!! Don’t be surprised if a baby alpaca gets handed over to you by a local stranger for the best photo op you never knew you needed. And yes, they will ask for money afterwards, and it's totally worth it!
Peru is the origin of the potato. Peruvians first discovered wild potatoes on the shores of Lake Titicaca over 10,000 years ago. Today, you can find over 4,000 varieties of potatoes growing in the highlands.
There are 43 native languages spoken in Peru. While Spanish is the official language of Peru, there are actually as many as 43 native languages spoken in Peru, including Quechua, Aymara, Shipibo, Ashaninka and Agurauna.
Peru hosts a wide range of climates from desert to rainforest. And is home to many diverse wildlife species including the Andean Condor (largest bird in the world), pink dolphins (found in the Amazon River), and also monkeys, jaguars, armadillos, and giant river otters that average 6-feet in length.
Per usual, I traveled to Peru to lead a yoga retreat but this time instead of jetting off to another country, I decided to explore Peru a bit more. This whole adventure started while I was researching altitude sickness and read a blog with a recommendation to drive from Lima to Cusco to more slowly acclimate versus the 2 hour flight that drops you off at 11,000 feet surrounded by the majestic Andes mountains.
Driving (or being driven) sounded easy enough until I dug deeper and discovered that this simple drive would take anywhere from 24-36 hours without planning to stop and sleep along the way. Still not completely dissuaded, I kept digging until I found a reputable bus company called PeruHop that allowed for hop on/hop off services that winded around southern Peru, and through several destinations from Lima to Cusco. (I will go into more about this experience later). While I may have been lured in by a misleading and vague statement on a random blog, I found myself hooked when I started researching our potential route and the possibility to see so much over a short span of days.
I want to dive right into the places and sights and adventures! Most of this trip was done with my best frand Hillary, with a yoga retreat in the middle, and we picked up a few (retreat) friends for the final trek - Machu Picchu!! I will share where we went, what we did, what wish we had done, and any other random stories that pop through.
Usually I opt for alphabetical order but this time let’s go in order of the trip.
Ready? Let’s goooo!
Lima: If you want to get to Cusco (the gateway to Sacred Valley), you are going to have to go through a larger city in South America. Most of the time that brings us to Lima, which like many airport cities doesn't have the best reputation, but there are some gems within. We only had 1 night here and our flight was late in arriving so we really didn’t get to enjoy the neighborhood which was carefully chosen for its proximity to food and grocery stores, but also rather safe for tourists. Best neighborhoods: Miraflores (upscale and foodies) and Barranco (artsy and more chill). We stayed here, and while we had to leave before really getting to enjoy breakfast, it looked delicious, and we did pocket a few croissants. Lima is right on the Pacific coast and it looked beautiful, even in the dark. I would definitely go back for a day/night so I could explore a bit, but that’s probably enough because cities aren’t really my favorite. From Lima, we hit the road and arrived 3.5 hours later in…
Paracas: another cute little beach town that is wayyyy smaller than Lima with only a few “major” roads. There’s a main strip with several options for hotels and hostels, and a few rows of side streets that lead to the ocean. There are two main attractions in Paracas: the national reserve and the harbor! We did the Golden Shadows Trek which took us through Paracas National Reserve for sunset - we booked through PeruHop but it’s easy to find other companies who offer this tour via a quick search. We hiked for a bit, saw some epic views, and ended with a fun photo shoot with “golden shadows” from the setting sun. Our morning took us to the harbor where we originally signed up for a boat tour to Ballestas Islands which has been nicknamed the Peruvian Galapagos and promised opportunities for wildlife and nature’s architecture. The tides had other ideas and we weren’t able to access Ballestas. Instead, we redirected toward Blancas Islas which had similar vibes. We spent some time watching sea lions - now forever called sea wolves after Peruvian influence as after watching their behaviors they most definitely have wiggly puppy energy. However, my absolute favorite moment was letting Bartholemew (my penguin tattoo from the Galapagos in honor of my first sighting) meet his Peruvian penguin cousins. (Side gratitude: When I put penguins on my bucket list a few years ago, I NEVER imagined that I would get to witness them TWICE!?) Our last mission was a quick shopping trip around the ocean side market where a table of shinies (handmade crystal jewelry) attracted my immediate attention. I walked away with a bag of gifts for my retreat guests (and myself), and I wasn't too upset when I checked my credit card statement (my brain wasn't quite converting the exhance rate yet). We stayed here which was super cheap with an easy walk to the beach, had comfortable beds, a meh but acceptable bathroom, and had whale vertebrae as hallway decor (which made this anatomy nerd super happy).
Huacachina: or as some of the clever marketing claimed “Huaca-fuckin-china” was quite the interesting stop. First, I had never seen an actual desert with real sand dunes, so finding out one existed in Peru intrigued me. Second, upon learning that we could ride dune buggies and go sand boarding it IMMEDIATELY became a MUST-DO. The story goes that a recently widowed maiden wandered off into the desert to mourn. She cried so many tears that a lake was born and she turned into a mermaid and inhabited the lake…some claim to still hear her wails in the night. Once a respite for Peru’s elite, today, it’s still an oasis in the middle of the desert but surrounded by tourist trap restaurants, party hostels, and filled with an eclectic mix of tourists and passer throughs. We opted for the sunset timing for sand boarding (obviously) and spent the next 2 hours squealing and giggling while bouncing over sand dunes, riding sand boards down a variety of hills, and making new friends. Sunset in the desert was next level. The funniest moment was around 9pm when the hostel DJ got going and we piled up extra pillows under the door to block out the sound. Yes, my bedtime is rather early even on vacation. We also learned that google can’t be trusted for opening times for restaurants in Huacachina. Just because google says it opens at 10am doesn’t mean that it does, or even that it exists any more. Do I recommend it? Totally! But I would check out staying in the town area, versus the actual oasis and hope for better food/lodging options - unless the party hostel scene is your vibe. We stayed here, which was centrally located with sand dune backdrop, had decent food, and a resident tattoo artist.
Nazca: Honestly, I was not at all interested in seeing the Nazca lines but when an opportunity to get off the bus arose, I hopped off and climbed the tower to see the view. The Nazca lines are a group of over 700 geoglyphs made in the soil of the Nazca Desert. They were created between 500 BC and 500 AD by people making depressions or shallow incisions in the desert floor, removing pebbles and leaving different-colored dirt exposed. Most lines run straight across the landscape, but there are also figurative designs of animals and plants. There’s different speculations around their purpose from aliens (insert meme with that one dude) to astrology and cosmology. We did a quick stopover in the town, and here’s where I started to form a strong opinion about the whole hop on/hop off magical mystery bus tour (keep reading for this story)... AND it was all (mostly) worth it to spend a little more time at our next stop…
Puno (Lake Titicaca): easily my most favorite stop and also the longest haul to get there. Up until now, we had followed the general route of PeruHop with 1 night in each spot. Backing up: we got on the bus at 2pm in Huacachina and landed in Puno at 3pm the following day. Sure, we had a dinner stop in Nazca (6pm-ish), and a shortstop in the middle of nowhere (9am-ish) at the equivalent of countryside gas station - pretty view, but terrible options for fueling and emptying of our internal systems (keep reading for the full story). We skipped the stop in Arequipa which would have gotten us off the bus around 5am. Arequipa looked beautiful but the main attraction was hiking a canyon which required some extra days to acclimate before hiking.
Ok back to Puno/Lake Titicaca! To be completely honest, I only had heard of this place due to Beavis and Butthead (huh-huh) and was giggly with excitement to learn that it actually existed and wasn’t just some silly punchline.
Let’s do some fun facts here, because it truly is one of the most unique places on the planet:
Titicaca is a Quechua word which translates to “sacred puma”
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and spans both Peru and Bolivia - there's even a floating bus you can take across the lake!
The lake is home to the famous Floating Uros Islands; made by stacking the local totora root which can also be peeled and eaten, but only if you are local!
There are around 120 floating islands that are home to approximately 1300 people, schools and community gathering centers. Some are open to visitors but many are just for the community.
Puno is the official city of Lake Titicaca, with the docks being a short taxi ride away from the city center. It reminded me of European cities with its tight and winding streets, abundance of plazas, and style of buildings. After a bumpy entry, we found our way to a local coffee shop to refuel, talked about how great pooping would be later, and witnessed (ok, I cried my tired eyes out) a funeral procession that included live music and dancing - a true celebration of life. We were driven to the docks by our new taxi friend, Willy, and picked up by boat by our Airbnb host, Nelio. This is the moment it all became WORTH IT. Nelio took us around the lake showing us a few landmarks: local fish farms to catch trout, the totora reeds that the islands are built out of. And then to our evening's desitination: his family's island which consisted of 3 rentable houses + his own home. Each house was mostly constructed of glass and had 360 views of the lake. We were immediately greeted by Nelio’s 6-year old daughter, Luna, who showed us around and continued to be a source of joy as I practiced my Spanish, played made-up card games, and posed the house down for my polaroid camera. We were treated like family: home cooked and authentic Peruvian food (finally!), handcrafted gifts, and “magic babies” aka heated water bottles wrapped in sweaters to be placed under the covers to keep us warm as the temperatures dropped overnight. Highlights included watching the storm from the outside bed (and the inside couch), the spectacular sunrise that reflected off the glass and water infinitely in all directions, and a second tour around the lake as we left the following afternoon. Nelio dropped us off on one of the Uros islands that is open to tourists and we were treated to a presentation about how the islands are formed. We also met Lucy who ushered us into her home and lovingly dressed us in her best Uros Islands finery. We conversed (and giggled) while she chose our skirts, vests, and hats with care. We then went back outside for a photoshoot and learned the vests had POCKETS!! Afterwards, Lucy showed us her goods and we gleefully purchased souvenirs that ranged from magnets and keychains to my most prized possession: a beaded llamas rainbow hat.
We finished our time in Puno at a tattoo shop (oopsies) for a permanent memento of the national flower Cantutas. And yeahhh….I may have had to run to catch the bus but it was totally worth the adrenaline rush.
Cusco: we arrived in Cusco around 6am after a slightly more restful night’s sleep on the bus (I had my own row of bus seats). After a small early check in fee, we were given access to one of our rooms at the San Pedro Monasterio and made our way to breakfast. Afterwards, we set out across the street to the San Pedro market - a place to get lost in with rows and rows and rows of crafts, foods, essential everyday items, and my favorite juice bars. For $1 I could get fresh squeezed passion fruit juice (maracuya) which quickly became a staple in my Cusco diet. We mostly stuck to the hotel restaurant on the first pass as making choices was hard and the next day was retreat day and I needed to conserve my energy. (skipping ahead in the timeline) We returned to Cusco after 7 days in Sacred Valley and stayed about a 9-minute walk away from San Pedro market in the busier area of Plaza de Armas. Even though only a few blocks away, this plaza was definitely much more happening. Our hotel had a gelato place attached that almost always had a line.
Sacred Valley: In between our Cusco sandwich, we spent 7 days in the beautiful surroundings curated by Samadhi Sacred Valley - a retreat center inspired by the Chakras. While most of our time was spent here, we did venture out to explore the Perolniyoc waterfall and Pisac market. Both were spectacular but only one of those places easily swindled me out of my money in exchange for beautiful, colorful, keepsakes for myself and friends back home. I feel like I got my moneys worth even though I had to wait a few months for the weather to cool off so I could wear my new poncho. I prefer not to haggle as the difference in money usually isn't that much to me, and it could be everything to the local folks. However, this method has gotten me hugs (and sometimtes extra gifts).
Machu Picchu: The journey to Machu Picchu begins earlyyyyyy from Cusco and included a private van ride for our group, a train ride through the Andes, and a windy bus ride full of excited visitors up the hill to entrance gate. The entrance gate was rather chaotic and reminded me of going to amusement parks on a hot and sunny day, and is your last place to use the bathroom before entering the grounds. When purchasing tickets, you will be asked to choose a circuit which are being periodically updated, and are designed to reduce the number of hikers with specifically created paths that don’t crossover. Each circuit has slightly different access points and it’s worth it to spend some time researching the current circuits. It’s also possible to add on mountains that you can hike. Each ticket will have a specific entry and exit time, and I totally recommend booking as early as possible so you can get the one you want. While you can book everything separately, I used this tour company who booked the tickets, transportation, and provided a knowledgeable guide who offered insights, motivation, and rituals as we trekked. We were a little late in the game but were still able to book Circuit 2 - which promised a mostly direct view of the ruins, and we also booked Machu Picchu Mountain - which I had NO CLUE what we were about to get into, even though I swear I did my fair share of research prior to agreeing.
But first, some fun facts:
Machu Picchu mountain is one of 3 mountains that surround the ruins of Machu Picchu and is the highest at 3082 meters (10111 feet) with an almost 2000 foot incline. Each mountain represents one person.
You need a special permit to enter and have to check in (and out) with the guard house.
The mountain peak closes at 12pm and it’s about 2.5 hours up and 1 hour down
The hike brings you straight up up up via stone stairs with no rhythm to their shape or distance but with plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view as the ruins slowly decrease in their appearance as we trek higher and higher and higher.
Serpentine stone is abundant around the heart of the mountain both as the stairs and the surrounding rocks.
Getting up that hill was quite the humbling experience. We had been there for almost 2 weeks and I still struggled to catch my breath with the altitude. (Sidenote: I had been consistently working out for over a year with a balance of weighted strength training and cardio. AND I still needed lots of breaks, encouragement from other hikers, and this magical rose spray from our guide.) I arrived at the top around 11:53 am with just enough time to snap a few photos, catch my breath-ish, and muster up the motivation to walk back down. While down was slightly easier, my legs trembled and shook like jello which made the irregular steps more challenging to step on with confidence. We spent the rest of the time closer to the ruins for the photo op, and our guide ever talked our way down into the ruins for a quick conversation.
Would I return to Machu Picchu?
Most definitely yes! I want to spend more time down in the ruins.
Would I hike that mountain again?
Most definitely not! #onceinalifetime
But I could maybe be talked into one of those other 2 mountains…
Ok, let’s talk about food!
One of the things I was most excited about was trying Peruvian cuisine. Conversely, one of my main complaints about PeruHop is that they recommended terrible (tourist/Americanized) food options and it took a few tries before deciding to veer off and find our own way. A funny moment of eff it occurred in Nazca when we were dropped off on Mother’s Day with only 3 options in sight: premade empanadas and cheeseburgers, fast food chicken, and some sit down place that was crowded con muchas madres y familias. We opted for the sit down place, but got it to go and ate it on the street outside of the pre-made empanada place. New meaning to street food, indeed.
Full disclosure: I call myself a recovering vegetarian with chicken being the first meat I ever quit eating (about 20ish years ago). I had already bargained with myself and created space for me to eat Peruvian chicken, but found myself with no other option at this moment. I was nervous - with explicit rules of “no #2” on the bus and our next official hop off being 20 hours away (remember that choice to skip Arequipa?!).
Short version: our “breakfast” spot included no toilet seats or running water, paid toliet access that included 2 sheets of toilet paper (nope, not 2-ply either), and pastries/coffee as our only options for food. I definitely got in my feelings from lack of comfortable sleep and inability to poop - but learned to always travel with extra t.p. and have low expectations for the food spots recommended by the bus company.
Once at the retreat center, we were treated to local trout (which has a pink hue due to it’s food source), veggies sourced from the surrounding lands and Samadhi gardens - all with gourmet presentations that were mouth watering. Overall, I give myself a D+ on finding good food spots and will definitely do more research when I return (psst…March 2026), and work towards a better score.
Speaking to my vegetarians/vegans: Good luck in Peru! With all the amazing things to try, Peru is NOT super veg friendly. If you find yourself of the meat squeamish type, avoid all the markets (mercados) - you will not be ok. Personally, I don’t eat chicken but I found myself breaking my “rules” because there were no other options. And NOPE, I did not try cuy (gerbil), I am not that brave when it comes to food.
However, I did have my fair share of ceviche - which was in abudance in most places that we ventured. My best meal came the last day and, was followed by un mas jugo de maracuya before begining the long journey home (CUZ>LIMA>MIA>CLT).
A note of the altitude:
While we took the slow climb to Cusco (11,000+ feet), my only symptoms of high altitude were a slight headache. I drank my fair share of muña tea, ate a few coca leaf candies and took some ibuprofen when those didn’t quite work (1-2x) but was otherwise ok. Next time, I will try flying straight into Cusco and plan to stay for a few days to chill and land before adventuring onwards. I did, however, experience a slightly more intense moon cycle upon returning which may have also been impacted by the altitude.
What I still want to do:
Rainbow Mountain: I skipped it last time because I’ve heard mixed reviews about it and didn’t want to prioritize it on my first trip (IG versus reality). I still want to give it a whirl and based on what I’ve read, I will totally take the support (horse or wheels or oxygen) on the way up. That altitude hiking is NO JOKE and I would rather not do that to myself, again.
Train ride from Cusco to Puno/Lake Titicaca: there’s a super fancy version that includes meals, dance lessons, and breathtaking views and I kinda want to try out that route next time.
More time in Sacred Valley to explore the cute little mountain/valley towns.
Go see about those pink dolphins!!!!
What would I add to my packing list: toilet paper, car sickness meds, better pillow for the bus ride, portable charger (purchased in Rome a few months later in a frantic moment), ear plugs
And now the last question: would I do PeruHop again? I mean maybeeee..but definitely NOT for a whole week nor for that many miles.
What I loved the most about Peru was the kindess of the peole we encountered and intertwined with the repeated reminders that life is a cermony, and there's always something to express graitude towards. I think it became my second favorite place I've ever traveled and I truly can't wait to explore more!