Cathedral of Lima

Most of Lima’s tourist attractions are clustered around Plaza Mayor in the historic center. Plaza Mayor declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to several points of interest, including Lima Cathedral, the Inquisition Museum and the Catacombs below the San Francisco Monastery. The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is a Roman Catholic cathedral originally built in 1564 and designed by Francisco Pizarro who conquered the Incas and founded Lima. An immense baroque cathedral, the building has undergone many reconstructions and transformation since, however it still retains its colonial structure and facade. It is dedicated to St John, Apostle and Evangelist. The interior of Lima cathedral is attractive, with a delicate vaulted ceiling and a checkerboard floor. It is embellished with some impressive baroque furnishings, the most notable of which are the intricately carved choir stalls.

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Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is world cultural and natural heritage built in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, standing 2,430 m above sea-level. Embedded within a dramatic landscape between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin, Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere. It is also the most significant legacy of the Inca civilization. he story of Machu Picchu is quite a remarkable one; it is still unknown exactly what the site was in terms of its place in Inca life. Current researchers tend to believe that Machu Picchu was a country resort for elite Incas. At any given time, there were no more than 750 people living at Machu Picchu, with far fewer than that during the rainy season. The Incas started building it around 1430AD, but it was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

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Miraflores

Miraflores is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. Known for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches, it is one of the upscale districts that make up the city of Lima. The district is also a cultural center, with theaters, cinemas and art galleries. It also has a pre-Inca mud-brick temple called the Huaca Pucllana, one of a number of archaeological sites found in Lima. Miraflores is one of the top tourist districts in Lima. Most of the hotels in this beautiful area are located near the Pacific Ocean. Whether you like fine cuisine, fast food, cyber cafes (Internet for less than a dollar per hour), casinos, dancing, handcrafts, antiques flea markets, original paintings or cinema Miraflores can offer you whatever you like. The beaches are frequented by surfers and the riffs attracts paragliders. Miraflores also has an archeological site, Huaca Pucllana, one of the major centres left of the pre-Inca Lima Culture. Excavation and some restoration works are still continuing. To combine shopping with breath taking views, you can find Larcomar, which is a mall that overlooks the ocean, offering a relaxing sunset.

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Uros on Lake Titicaca

The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on forty-two self-made floating islands in Lake Titicaca Puno in Peru and Bolivia. According to the legends the Uros they possess the lake and the water. They call themselves "Lupihaques" (Sons of The Sun) and believe they have black blood and are impervious to cold. Today Uros don’t speak their ancient language nor practice their old beliefs but keep some of the old traditions. The Uros islands are made of totora reeds that grows in the lake. The plants develop very dense roots which support the islands. They are additionally anchored with ropes attached to sticks that go deep into the bottom of the lake. New reeds need to be added often because the ones at the bottom of the islands rot fairly quickly. This has to be done about every three months. The floating of the islands makes them an exciting destination for tourists especially in the rainy season when the reeds rot much faster. Each step on an island sinks about 2-4" depending on the density of the ground underfoot. Maintaining the island is hard work, and having heavy tourism makes it even harder for the local people. Tourism provides financial opportunities for the natives, while simultaneously challenging their traditional lifestyle.

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Titicaca Lake

Lake Titicaca is one of the most fascinating lakes one can see. Located between Bolivia and Peru, at 3800 meters above the sea, the lake is the origin of the world according to the Inca mythology. This lake has been a sacred place for the Inca, who believed that god Viracocha came out of the lake and created the sun, the stars and the first people. The tour of the lake offers many different places you can visit on the shore as well as the islands. Among the top things to do in Lake Titicaca is visiting the Tempo de la Fertilidad called so because of the large stone phalluses, some up to 1.2 m. in length. The town of Puno is central to the folklore of Peru, and 7 km. east of Puno you can visit the Islas Uros: 42 self-made floating islands. 10 km. out of Puno, there is Ichu, a rural community spread across a gorgeous green valley, the home of little-known ruins with breath taking views. Yavari is the oldest steamship on the Titicaca lake. The area around the lake give tourists the opportunity to immerse into the local culture, beautiful nature and indigenous rural culture.

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