Peru

​​In the south of the country, you’ll find many stunning mountain regions, but the most beautiful and highest mountain range in Peru is undoubtedly in the north: Huascarán National Park. 
Its highest peak—no surprise here—is Huascarán itself. Standing at an impressive 6,768 meters, this mountain proudly holds the title of the fourth-highest peak in South America. 
Huascarán is surrounded by several lower peaks, creating breathtaking mountain vistas. Climbing Huascarán is no easy feat, but luckily, you don’t have to in order to enjoy this magnificent area. There are hikes for all levels, ranging from day trips to world-famous multi-day treks like the Santa Cruz trek, where you constantly flirt with the 6,000-meter mark. Since acclimatization is crucial, even for experienced mountaineers, the park offers plenty of shorter hikes tailored to your level. Every hiker needs time to adjust to the altitude to avoid altitude sickness. What’s the best way to do that? By gradually increasing your altitude day by day. And yes, even the acclimatization hikes are well worth exploring the park. 

One of the most popular base camps for Huascarán is the mountain town of Huaraz. Here, you’ll find everything you need to prepare for your trek, along with hundreds of tour operators ready to assist you on your journey. But what will stay with you the most? The wonderful climate and the phenomenal view of the Cordillera Blanca. Breathtaking—literally and figuratively in my case! ☺

​ I can hear people think “I thought you were going to talk about areas that are less popular.” And yes, many tourists visit the amazon while in Peru. Most of them go to Iquitos, in the very north of Pery. This is a popular area to start off your trip in the Amazon: it is a big city with lots of facilities and with an airport that will fly you directly to Lima. 
There are more remote and authentic alternatives to be found! Let’s explore those! 
When you decided to spend most of your time in the south of Peru, Manu National Parc is the easiest accessible option. 
 
My personal favorite is the Pacaya Samiria Nature Reserve. Why? Simple, this is where you really feel like you are on a different planet. 
It is not an easy place to get to; you must reach Tarapoto by bus or plain and travel onward to Yurimaguas after. There you’ll have to board a speedboat for 4-5 hours. And this is where the real adventure starts: the boat will drop you at a very steep riverbed where you’ll walk up to the city through the mud. Trust me: people will be there to help! After climbing up, you’ll arrive in a village called Lagunas. A village of which we can only imagine that it still exists. It is situated in the middle of nowhere, houses are built with any kind of material combined and the flooring… Well, it is mainly clay that has been rammed and that chicken use as their coop. Let’s call it efficient! 

​ Starting from Lagunas, you’ll need a local guide. He/she will take you to Pacaya Samiria and will bring everything you might need for your trip. 2 days, 30 days… Anything is possible. What happens on the trip? Well, you’ll travel in a wooden canoe that carries all the necessary foor and equipment and of course yourself. From the boat, you will be looking for wildlife like pink dolphins, anaconda’s, different sorts of monkeys, parrots, eagles, giant otters, crocodiles, sloths… 

In the evenings, your guide will cook for you and depending on where you stop, you’ll sleep in a hut above the water or on the jungle floor. With a good guide, you’ll be taken into the jungle on foot, make a trip to try to catch piranha for dinner and make an evening safari by boat to look for nocturnal animals. 

Back to basics, on a real adventure!