Top 3 Peru Destinations That are Not Machu Picchu
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on July 21, 2023 by James Bustamante
Peru is a marvelous place to visit with destinations all over the country just calling out to be travelers. Most of the tourists that come to Peru have one place in mind they want to visit over everything else. This is normally the Machu Picchu Hike along with some treks like the Inca trail or the Salkantay trek.
There are always travelers who are looking for something more and would like know which destinations they can visit either before or after they go to the Inca city. There are several amazing locations in Peru so just to have a good idea of what is available, here are our top 3 Peru destinations. Not counting Machu Picchu of course.
Puno and Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is located in the province of Puno in Peru. It also has a border it shares with Bolivia. This immense body of water is the highest navigable lake you’ll find anywhere in the world, that facti on its own gives you a good reason to include it in your Peru destinations to visit.
How do I get to Lake Titicaca?
This is definitely a very popular Peru destination. Let’s begin by first reaching this massive body of water. Lake Titicaca is located in the Puno province of Peru.
It is located high in the Peruvian highlands so expect to have some effects from the high elevation, remember to acclimate for 24 hours in case you are going directly from a sea level location. The lake is found at over 12,506 feet (3,812 meters) above sea level , that is even higher than Cusco.
The best method of travel to the lake is by plane. Your flight will arrive at the Juliaca airport. If you are traveling from Lima it will take around 1.5 hours to get there. If you are going to Juliaca from Cusco it will take around the same time. Once we arrive at the Juliaca airport, we board a shuttle to Lake Titicaca and the surrounding region.
After about 45 minutes to an hour, we finally will finally arrive at this Peruy destination. Just as I previously stated, at this point, I recommend everyone should relax and take it easy.
You should have plenty of fluids, eat light meals, etc. This will help prevent altitude sickness and have you better prepared to explore this beautiful highland lake.
Important Thinks to See In Lake Titicaca
There are several things you’ll want to visit while in this region. The issue is having enough time to see all of them. One of the major sights to see is the ancient cemetery of Sillustani.
Sillustani is an important Peru destination. It is a pre-Incan cemetery located on the edge of the Umayo lagoon in the highland province of Puno.
It is an old cemetery where visitors can see a series of large and impressive tombs belonging to the “Kolla” culture which was mostly found in the northern part of the lagoon, in the town known as Hatuncolla.
This can be done on day one of your trip assuming you arrive early enough. On day two at the lake we can start a full day floating Uros Islands tour. Yes, there really are floating, man-made islands on the lake with active communities living right on them.
Both of these destinations within the Lake are pictures below and form part of the normal itinerary in Puno. Thanks to this amazing lake and the spectacular views we can’t recommend this place enough as part of your trip.
Another small island you can include under your possible Peru destinations would be Taquile. This tiny destination is just one of many small islands that can be found as we tour the absolutely immense Lake Titicaca. The island of Taquile has a local community that focuses on making knitted handicrafts which are mostly put together by men believe it or not
Puerto Maldonado in The Amazon Rainforest
This next Peru destination requires several extra days to experience correctly. If you have more than a week to spend in Peru a visit to Puerto Maldonado is certainly a great way to see the Amazon rainforest. This part of a Peru itinerary will usually require at least 3 full days (preferably 4) and if you add Machu Picchu hiking into the plan you will need at least 7 days.
How to Get to Puerto Maldonado
Assuming we are heading to Puerto Maldonado from Lima, the plane will take around 1.5 hours to reach the airport in Iquitos.
Next we take a private transport to the ports in the Amazon river to then finally take a boat ride into Puerto Maldonado. We will usually stay at the Tambopata nature reserve and book one of the lodges for accommodations.
There are a variety of places to stay, ranging from the very affordable to the more extravagant so depending on where you stay the ride might take a little longer if it is deeper into the Amazon.
What Can I do In Puerto Maldonado?
This Peru destination is quite unique among the rest of places to visit in the country. The interesting thing about Puerto Maldonado and the Tambopata nature reservation is each hotel will have their own particular experience. Think of this destination as an all-inclusive style trip.
Activities can include: a riverboat tour, fishing, hiking, canoeing, bird watching, go on a canopy tree walk, etc. You will simply schedule the activities you want to do with your hotel administrator or check the schedule for pre determined activities..
The Amazon rainforest is a vibrant place filled with domestic flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the world.
The evenings are for the most part a nice silence only interrupted by the sounds of the rainforest just outside your door. Most travelers rather enjoy the idea of being in such a far-off place. This Peru destination is most likely very different from the towns and cities most travelers hail from
Lima and The Southern Coast
Lima also has several interesting places to visit within the city and its many districts. Once you arrive in Lima (Jorge Chavez Airport) the common route is to stay in a hotel in the very scenic district of Miraflores. This coastal district has a wide array of places to stay ranging from fun and inexpensive hostels to 3-4 star hotels and the more lavish 5-star accommodations. Some notable mentions would be the Marriott overlooking the Pacific ocean or the Belmond Miraflores Park.
What To do in Lima, Peru?
We can start with an afternoon Lima city tour which takes you to the major attractions including the center and main square of the city, districts like Miraflores, Barranco and many more. In the evening there is always the chance you might want to take in a Peruvian food buffet and catch an ethnic dance show as well.
The following morning we offer several options for activities. We can go on a culinary tour of the major restaurants (Lima has a few on the top 10 in the world, including Maido #2 in South America, and Central, the #1 rated restaurant in the world).
Activities Outside of Lima
If experiencing some of the local flavors isn’t exactly your thing we can plan a trip to the national Paracas wildlife reserve. In a full day you can head from Lima to Paracas and visit the Ballestas islands reservation. After Paracas we can head back to Lima or have an additional day where we take a flight over the mysterious Nazca lines.
Lima is more of a hub and a gateway into several activities all centered in the coastal regions so you’ll never get bored!
Conclusion
In short, there are many places to go visit in Peru and of course Machu Picchu is the crowned jewel but there are also other top destinations that are well worth your time. If you have enough time to visit Machu Picchu + the three Peru destinations mentioned in this article, you will have a fun and cultural experience unparalleled anywhere else.
