Known for hosting one of the seven wonders of the modern world and for its cuisine, Peru is a destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. Its tourist offer is so wide that they cater to a wide range of interests, from history enthusiasts to food lovers, trekking fans, and those who prioritize wellness. The destination is an open book for a memorable vacation with endless possibilities. This is why, besides visiting Machu Picchu, considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world, visitors should also consider these must-do activities. 1. Exploring the Contrasts of Lima Most international flights land at the airport in Lima, the country's capital, making it the perfect excuse to discover the contrasts the city offers: from its historical side to its ...
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A record number of fires tore through Peru over the past few weeks, wreaking havoc across the country’s ecosystems as grasslands, dry forests, coastal areas, and the Amazon were set ablaze. In northern Peru, spectacled bears fled burning dry forests to nearby towns where some were shot by frightened residents. Jaguars in the southern Amazon, with nowhere to flee, were left charred on trees. Grasslands and wetlands that play a key role in storing water were left in ashes. “The rainforest is usually impervious to fire,” said Paul Rosolie, a conservationist and founder of JungleKeepers, an NGO that patrols and preserves the Amazon in Peru, adding that they’ve seen burned turtles, snakes, birds, and jaguars after recent patrols. “The forest is their world, so when you burn it, they die....
Read MoreRecent glacier retreat across the Andes is unprecedented in the history of human civilization, according to a new study published in the Science journal on Thursday. The discovery shocked scientists, who initially planned to study the current state of glaciers and how they had varied throughout human civilization. FILE PHOTO: A view shows the Iver glacier close to the El Plomo mountain summit, in the Andes mountain range, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile, April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado "We thought this result was decades away," said Andrew Gorin, lead author of the study, who first believed the initial results were a fluke, but were confirmed by later samples. "It goes to show you that this is happening faster than even those of us that think about this the mos...
Read MorePeruvian archaeologists unearthed a more than 1,000-year-old mummy on the outskirts of the modern capital on Monday, in the latest discovery dating back to pre-Inca times. The mummy was probably an adolescent and found in an underground tomb wrapped in a funerary bundle, along with ceramics and rope and including bits of skin and hair. Archaeologists work at the archaeological complex of Cajamarquilla where pre-Inca mummies from 900 to 1200 years old were discovered, in Lima, Peru, April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda The mummified adolescent was found in a "good state of conservation," said archaeologist Yomira Huaman, in charge of the Cajamarquilla research project affiliated with the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. While best known for the mountain-top Inca...
Read MoreArchaeologists in the Peruvian Andes have discovered an Inca bathing complex built half a millennia ago, which they believe may have served the elite of the sprawling empire than once dominated large swathes of South America. Found near the "House of the Inca" in the Huanuco Pampa archaeological zone in central Peru, local archaeologists believe that the bath may have served a religious purpose for high-ranking members of the Inca empire, which 500 years ago extended from southern Ecuador to the center of Chile. Archaeologists work in the remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, in Huanuco, Peru April 5, 2023. Peru Culture Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Luis Paredes Sanche...
Read MoreMost Christmas ceremonies would be ruined if attendees threw a punch. But in Peru's mountainous south, participants of one Dec. 25 festival have exactly that in mind. On Christmas Day, hundreds of residents of Chumbivilcas province in Peru's Cusco region gather to take part in an ancient fighting ritual aimed at settling scores and resolving conflict before the year's end. Andean men participate in a one-on-one fight during the "Takanakuy", a traditional festivity at Chumbivilcas province, in Cuzco. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil The tradition, which dates back generations, is known as Takanakuy, a Quechua name that roughly translates to hitting each other with fists. The ritual has been described as a method of alternative governance outside Peru's justice system. Fighters a...
Read MoreA team of archaeologists has discovered a network of passageways under a more than 3,000-year-old temple in the Peruvian Andes. Chavin de Huantar temple, located in the north-central Andes, was once a religious and administrative center for people across the region. FILE PHOTO: The archaeological site of Chavin de Huantar, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is seen some 155 miles (250 km) north of Lima. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil The passageways were found earlier in May and have features believed to have been built earlier than the temple's labyrinthine galleries, according to John Rick, an archaeologist at Stanford University who was involved in the excavation. Located 3,200 meters above sea level, at least 35 underground passageways have been found over the years o...
Read MoreMachu Picchu is among the most recognized archaeological sites in the world. A lasting symbol of the Inca Empire, it’s one of the most visited attractions in Latin America and at the heart of the Peruvian tourist industry. However, when Hiram Bingham first visited the ruins in 1911 and then brought them to the world’s attention, they were little known — even among those who lived in Peru’s Cusco region. More than 110 years after Bingham’s first visit to the site, historian Donato Amado Gonzales from the Ministry of Culture of Peru (Cusco) and archeologist Brian S. Bauer from the University of Illinois Chicago reviewed Bingham’s original field notes, early 20th century maps of the region, and centuries-old land documents from different archives. Their findings suggest that ...
Read MoreA pre-Incan mummy found in Peru and thought to be between 800 and 1,200 years old, went on display on Tuesday at the San Marcos University in Lima after archaeologists reported finding the remains in an underground tomb in November. The mummified remains, which were bound by ropes and had the hands covering the face, were found inside an underground structure outside Lima along with offerings including ceramics, vegetable remains and stone tools. Members of the media take pictures of the pre-Inca Mummy of Cajamarquilla, which is presumed to be between 800 and 1200 years old, in Lima, Peru December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda The university is now housing the mummy, as well as remains from at least two infants and the objects found in the ancient tomb while its researcher...
Read MoreA team of experts has found a mummy estimated to be at least 800 years old on Peru's central coast, one of the archaeologists who participated in the excavation said on Friday. The mummified remains were of a person from the culture that developed between the coast and mountains of the South American country. The mummy, whose gender was not identified, was discovered in the Lima region, said archaeologist Pieter Van Dalen Luna. "The main characteristic of the mummy is that the whole body was tied up by ropes and with the hands covering the face, which would be part of the local funeral pattern," said Van Dalen Luna, from the State University of San Marcos. The remains are of a person who lived in the high Andean region of the country, he said. "Radiocarbon dating will give a ...
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