Peru is basically Mother Nature’s overachiever. With its vastly different regions and ecosystems — the tropical Amazon basin, the Pacific coast’s desert, and the Andes’ peaks, glaciers, and cloud forests — Peru is full of intrepid destinations for all kinds of adventurers. Between the sheer beauty of your surroundings and the level of physical activity you can expect — especially at altitude — a trip here is bound to get your heart pumping (and possibly doing cartwheels).
Choosing what kind of adventure you want to have is the real challenge. This list will help. Check out these five distinct Peruvian regions for unforgettable, action-packed experiences in stunning natural scenery, all with opportunities to learn about Peru’s diverse peoples, both past and present.
1. For exploring the Peruvian Amazon: Madre de Dios
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Called one of the most biodiverse places on the planet by the World Wildlife Fund, Madre de Dios lies near Peru’s border with Brazil and Bolivia. A short local flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, the region’s capital, makes the transition from the highlands to the Amazon basin quick and effortless.
The best way to experience the region’s incredible biodiversity is to stay in a jungle eco-lodge. This ups your chances of seeing, hearing, and getting close to capybaras, monkeys, alligators, and a wide variety of tropical birds. A longer stay also allows you to visit the region’s natural highlights, including the oxbow lakes and macaw clay-lick sites, where large groups of birds congregate to nibble on mineral-rich clay. Then, test your flora identification skills while you canoe rivers, hike forest floors, and climb more than 100 feet into the tree canopy to swing on bridges strung between tree trunks.
Natural sites like Tambopata National Reserve bring a unique opportunity to spot elusive creatures such as giant river otters, caimans, and even the mighty jaguar. Keep your eyes peeled for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
2. For cloud forest treks marked by history: Amazonas
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Lesser known to international travelers, Amazonas is another region that’s ripe for outdoor adventures. Here, the Andes and the Amazon meet in Peru’s north. Highlights of Amazonas include the Kuélap Fortress, the largest stone complex on the continent. This immense walled city with hundreds of circular homes was built by the Indigenous Chachapoya “cloud warrior” people beginning in the seventh century. It’s located in a remote area overlooking the Utcubamba Valley, with day trips possible via the cable car from Nuevo Tingo. Learn more about the Chachapoya civilization on a multi-day Gran Vilaya trek, and don’t miss the 1,000-year-old funerary site of Karajía with its eight-foot-tall “wise men” sarcophagi that guard the cliffs.
Some of the world’s tallest waterfalls are in Amazonas. Gocta Falls, known to outsiders only since 2002, flows 2,530 feet in two tiers down a lush cliff. As you hike to it, look for the bright red-orange Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Peru’s national bird. For a deeper dive into the region’s history, head to Laguna de los Cóndores, where you’ll find a Chachapoya archeological site discovered in 1996. The site originally contained more than 200 mummified human remains — some over a thousand years old. You can further explore Chachapoya culture at the nearby Leymebamba Museum, which houses artifacts and mummies recovered from the site.
If birdwatching inspiration strikes in this region, make your way to the cloud forest of Huembo Reserve. It’s home to several hummingbird species, including the vivid Sparkling Violetear and the unusual Marvelous Spatuletail — the male’s crisscrossing tail grows four times longer than its body.
3. For sunny streets, volcanoes, and canyons: Arequipa
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A UNESCO World Heritage City, Arequipa is nicknamed La Ciudad Blanca (The White City) for its hundreds of historic mansions and public buildings built from sillar, a white volcanic ash stone. The city gleams in its 300 annual days of sunshine. Learn more about the stone on La Ruta del Sillar tour, where you visit a nearby sillar quarry and walk through Culebrillas Canyon. There, you’ll find 1,000-year-old petroglyphs carved into the stone by the Wari people.
The volcanoes surrounding the city, including the perfectly cone-shaped El Misti, serve as a gateway to outdoor adventures. Explore the region’s peaks and valleys on foot, horseback, or mountain bike, and experience its rivers by raft or kayak. (Río Chili has class II to IV rapids, while Río Cotahuasi’s class Vs will challenge expert kayakers. Both can be accessed from the town of Cotahuasi, northwest of Arequipa).
Also in the Arequipa region are the world’s two deepest canyons. Cotahuasi, the deepest, plunges to depths almost twice those of the Grand Canyon. Visits to Colca Canyon, the world’s second deepest, come with an almost-guaranteed sighting of the 11-foot wingspans of Andean condors as they soar on thermal drafts. Staying in the Colca Valley is the perfect way to experience this region’s community-based approach to tourism. It’s also a great excuse to make the most of thermal pools and explore the wide range of accommodations available.
4. For high-altitude mountain adventures: Ancash
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North of Lima, along the coast and stretching eastward into the Black (Cordillera Negra) and White (Cordillera Blanca) mountain ranges, is Peru’s Ancash region. From its capital of Huaraz, refine your mountain destination according to your interests and skills — some routes are for expert climbers only.
Peru’s highest mountain, Huascarán, is in Ancash, as is the steep and icy Alpamayo, first voted in the 1960s as the world’s most beautiful mountain. Cordillera Blanca’s peaks are snowcapped year-round, and turquoise glacial lakes dot the region. Choose from trails between mountain villages and farms, multi-day hikes like those found in the high-altitude Cordillera Huayhuash, full-on mountaineering treks, plus rock and ice climbing — all with magnificent panoramic views. Mountain biking is also on offer.
Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, has plenty of sightseeing opportunities, with glacial lagoons that are easily accessible by paved roads or hiking trails suited to every fitness levels. As if that wasn’t enticing enough, it’s also home to 33 archeological sites, including ancient agricultural terraces, canals, stone tombs, and cave paintings. And if you decide to camp overnight, prepare to take in one of the clearest starry skies imaginable.
5. For ocean wildlife, water sports, and desert mystery: Ica
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Ica sits in Peru’s Pacific coastal desert, a four-hour drive south of Lima. Highlights include wildlife-rich islands, undulating sand dunes, and valleys perfect for growing grapes.
From Paracas, take a boat trip around the rocky Islas Ballestas to spot penguins, cormorants, Peruvian boobies, sea lions, and fur seals. Try kitesurfing and windsurfing around Paracas National Reserve — the desert and the cold Humboldt current create ideal conditions. Looking like a movie set, Ica’s Huacachina Oasis is a small lake with a tiny village catering to travelers, surrounded by palm and carob trees and desert dunes. Kayak or swim in its undeveloped cousin, Laguna de Morón, further north.
Learn how pisco and wines are produced in the vineyards that border Ica’s desert, where vines are still irrigated from canals built by the Incas. Or, get up high to puzzle over another of Peru’s UNESCO World Heritage sites: the mysterious 1,500- to 2,500-year-old geoglyphs of the Nasca Lines.
Whichever region you choose, a world of unforgettable outdoor adventures awaits in Peru. Where will you go first? For more inspiration, find Your Perfect Peru.
