Peru

Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is now a curious mix of a modern mega city (with some upscale neighborhoods), several large but orderly slum areas and a wealth of colonial architecture in the city center. Lima was, along with Mexico City, the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years, and as such it has wonderful churches, cloisters and monasteries that are worth a visit.

In particular, the Plaza Mayor—with its 16th-century cathedral and the Presidential Palace—and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular tourist attractions. Like many other world capitals, Lima is home to the country's most prestigious museums, including the National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district.

Lima is a great place to experience wonderful Peruvian cuisine, which utilizes a huge variety of ingredients from the country's coastal, mountain and Amazon regions. Due to the richness and quality of seafood from the ocean off of Peru's coast, fish and seafood restaurants are the best bet and are usually not expensive.

Lima is built upon a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert, and therefore boasts a mild subtropical climate with almost no rainfall, popular among visitors wanting to sunbathe on the beaches around the city.

Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is now a curious mix of a modern mega city (with some upscale neighborhoods), several large but orderly slum areas and a wealth of colonial architecture in the city center. Lima was, along with Mexico City, the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years, and as such it has wonderful churches, cloisters and monasteries that are worth a visit.

In particular, the Plaza Mayor—with its 16th-century cathedral and the Presidential Palace—and the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco are popular tourist attractions. Like many other world capitals, Lima is home to the country's most prestigious museums, including the National Museum of Anthropology, Archeology and History and the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum, both in the Pueblo Libre district.

Lima is a great place to experience wonderful Peruvian cuisine, which utilizes a huge variety of ingredients from the country's coastal, mountain and Amazon regions. Due to the richness and quality of seafood from the ocean off of Peru's coast, fish and seafood restaurants are the best bet and are usually not expensive.

Lima is built upon a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert, and therefore boasts a mild subtropical climate with almost no rainfall, popular among visitors wanting to sunbathe on the beaches around the city.

Words cannot convey the incredible sensation of standing amidst the enigma of this city and its fabulous architecture. On the summit of a great bluff, the palaces, plazas, interminable stairways, fountains, towers and homes are surrounded by vertically plunging cliffs, precipices and ravines. It is thought to have been the residence of priests and noble cusqueños, and to have been constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries. Archaeological finds show that the Spaniards did reach here, but perhaps thanks to the awe and respect it inspires, they chose to leave the ruins intact for Bingham to re-discover. Take the train, bus or helicopter from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and a tour bus from there. Admission to the ruins costs about PEN35.

Cusco (also "Cuzco," or "Qosqo" in Quechua), located in southern Peru, is a fascinating city that was once the capital of the Incan Empire. Cuzco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Peru's most important and popular tourist destinations.

The original Inca city, said to have been founded in the 11th century, was sacked by Pizarro in 1535. There are still remains of the Palace of the Incas, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun. In fact, there are Incan ruins scattered all around Cusco, notably the nearby "fortresses" of Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuaman (just below the gigantic statue of Christ that hovers over Cusco) and the world-famous Machu Picchu, reachable by train or foot from the city.

Cusco's vibrant Plaza de Armas combines historic architecture (i.e., the cathedral) with vibrant dining and nightlife, and is one of the safer areas of the city at night. Cusco is a major tourist draw, but is not yet over-commercialized and still retains a unique cultural flair at an unbeatable price.