Huaraz is the perfect departure point for excursions into both the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra. It's in the heights of the Sierra that you will truly discover all the fantastic features that the Ancash region has to offer.

Huarez: a jewel nestled between snow-covered peaks

It's at Lima that the great numbers of Peruvians found themselves in the 50s, when the rural exodus was at its peak. The capital has seen a tenfold increase in its population and it's this mixture of people and cultures from all over the country that gives it all its variety today.

Visiting Lima's various neighbourhoods

A visit to the heart of the various pre-Incan civilisations in the land of the Lambayeque. The region is brimming with important archaeological remains, so let's follow the tracks of this impressive historical heritage...

Lambayeque: follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations

Located between the Selva and the Cordillera of the Andes, the Huancavélica and Cerro Pasco region will put you under its spell, with its incredible landscapes, the welcoming nature of the local inhabitants and the old traditions that are still very much alive

Pasco and Huancavélica: a voyage combining nature and tradition

The huge capital of Peru sprung up out the desert. Lima is a noisy town, an easy going place where clouds cover the sky for 8 months of the year.

South America

On these pages you will find ideas for a trip to Peru to help you prepare for your trip. All these ideas are there just to get your imagination going; you can alter, mix and match them as you please. Your local agent will help you create a unique and unforgettable trip, just for you! Peru has three distinct parts, each with its own character: the Pacific coast, which is the most densely populated; the Andes range, with the highest mountain being the towering Huascarán at 6,768 metres; and the Amazon, which covers the largest part of the country. If you’re going, start with the must-see: Machu Picchu – fortunately not found by the Conquistadors – rediscovered in 1911. You should visit it at dawn to see the ruins shrouded in mist. This extraordinary site still clasps a few secrets to its bosom. Not far away, the Andes range draw ramblers and trekkers to magnificent landscapes. The ultimate rambling experience is the Inca Trail through exceptional archaeological sites. During your stay in Peru, you must stop in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. The Spanish erected their buildings, especially religious ones, over Inca constructions which they systematically destroyed, only sparing their characteristic foundations, which are still visible today with their large, perfectly cut and fitted stones. A voyage out of time awaits you in Cusco.

Peru

Lima

 Pisac: a wonderful site that remains still very well preserved today and where you can see and appreciate the ingenious system of terraces developed during the pre-Inca era in all its splendour.

Pisac

 The town of Ollantaytambo and it's archaeological site are situated between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Take the time to visit this charming, little Inca town.

Ollantaytambo

Andahuaylillas, a small village in the Andes mountains is still protected from the many tourist buses roaming all around Cusco.

Andahuayillas

The splendid lake in the Cordillera Huayhuash (in the Ancash region) that is reached after a steep descent.

Laguna Jurau

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Patagonia

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With its contrasting landscapes, cultural treasures and extraordinary cuisine, Peru has everything to attract travellers. Among its most popular sites are Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, which are part of the Inca Trail, but there are other circuits that are well worth discovering.
Head for the region of Ancash to explore the Huayhuash Mountains. This chain of mountains is the White Mountains smaller sister. It is still little visited which means you will have plenty of time to explore it without the crowds of tourists that you often get in Peru.
You should allow one or two weeks to get to know the main places in the range. Along its trails there are splendid landscapes, glaciers, grasslands and lakes. It was during the second part of our stay, after we had climbed the San Antonio Pass, that we discovered Lake Jurau. Its turquoise blue waters reflecting the snowy mountain peaks was a unique spectacle. Once we had seen Lake Jurau we went on down towards <a href="/peru/">Huatiac</a>. Mind your knees, the descent is very steep!

Lake Jurau is a high mountain lake in the Huayhuash mountains.

Just so you know, laguna means lake rather than lagoon in Spanish. So if you're anticipating a nice little spot on the coast, think again!
It's worth seeing the Laguna Jarau close up. Getting there involves going over a pass at 5000m in altitude, that's about 16,500 feet, which is to say that you might get a little out of breath. Literally and figuratively by the way, the view is breathtaking. It is from here you will get your first glimpse of the lake, a beautiful, perfect turquoise between the snow-covered peaks. It is only after a well-deserved snack break, whilst enjoying the view, that it becomes more difficult: the descent, with no proper path, so steep and uneven that you risk turning weak at the knees, is rather a delicate matter. I think, by the way, that this is the only point during the trek that I had to get out my hiking poles.
Once you have arrived on the other side, you have two options: either you pitch your tent on the village football ground in the next village or, if you still have any energy left, you continue on your way and camp in the countryside. Whatever you decide, keep this place name in your head: Huayllapa. This is the name of the village where you can (in fact must) refuel on cheese, the prize after such a long day. Impossible to forget, without doubt, this is the only large village that you will come across during your <a href="/peru/">breathtaking trek in the Cordillera Huayhuash.</a>

Laguna Jurau Vacations

Laguna Jurau: How to get there?

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Laguna Jurau: For how long?

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Peru: our articles for your vacations