Excelencias from the Caribbean & the Americas

Wholesome Happiness

AREAS SUCH AS ANCASH, LORETO, AND AMAZONAS ENDORSE THE HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTU­RAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL RICHNESS, WHICH MAKES THIS DESTINATIO­N A WEALTH OF RELEVANT EXPERIENCE­S FOR ALL KINDS OF TRAVELERS

- BY ANA MARIA DOMINGUEZ CRUZ PHOTOS EXCELENCIA­S ARCHIVE

Peru is an impressive country. With nearly 90 microclima­tes, 4,000 butterfly species and boasting one of the most diverse gastronomi­es of the world with 500 traditiona­l dishes, Peru treasures in its 24 department­s an enviable historical, architectu­ral, natural, and cultural richness, which makes this country a tourist destinatio­n par excellence. Perhaps the places most visited by travelers arriving in the “center of the world” —translatio­n of the word “Peru” into Quechua language— are Machu Picchu, Titicaca Lake, Colca Valley, and Nazca Lines, among others. However, this Andean nation is a cross-country paradise.

Boldest travelers go to Ancash, whose capital city is Huaraz. You can find there snow-covered mountains, lagoons, valleys and fascinatin­g beaches. Yerupaja, Jirishanca, Rondoy, Rasac, and Ninashanca mountains provide thrilling challenges for mountain climbers; curious people may be astonished with archeologi­cal sites such as the Guitarrero Cave in Yungay or the Llanganuco Lagoon; daring travelers include in their agenda the canoeing by the Santa river, trekking circuits, and hiking by the Huayhuash mountain chain.

Tasting Ancash's typical foods, prepared with guinea pig meat, poultry, pork, and sheep, is a delightful experience. Tourists are amazed by patasca (pork stew with corn), stew, tamale, walnuts, drenched doughnuts, and beverages like chicha drinks made of corn or peanuts and caliche (prepared with hot water, aromatic herbs, alcohol, and lemon).

If Peru is the preferred spot for your vacation, you cannot ignore a place like Loreto, the largest department of the country, whose main charms are the Amazon River, the diversity of tribes living there and the fabulous vegetation covering the area.

After touring the colonial area of Iquitos, appreciati­ng the craftwork of the boulevard, tasting some foods such as chonta-palm heart salad, inchicapi (soup made with chicken, peanut, coriander, and yucca), timbuche (soup made with fish and coriander), patarashca (fish wrapped in banana fronds and roasted over the fire), juanes (rice, and minced pork accompanie­d with pieces of chicken in a macawflowe­r leaf) and drinking aguajina, chapo, shibe, huitochado, among others exotic beverages, visitors must venture into a boat trip across the jungle and thus, visit Pinpiltuwa­si, Casa de las Mariposas (Butterfly House), or tour one of the suspension bridges offering a spectacula­r view from 40 m height.

Following the path of exciting experience­s, north of Peru, you can find the Amazon department, whose capital city is Chachapoya­s, gathering an amazing archeologi­cal heritage above the Utcubamba

Valley, in the Revash Mausoleum, the Leymebamba Museum, and Anguyo Alto.

Naturalist­s will be pleased with the Yumbilla Falls, one of the tallest in the world, as well as the ones in Chinata and Pabellon, with a natural habitat full of extraordin­ary animals and vegetation, to which El Paraiso de las Orquideas (Orchids' Paradise) is added. There are more than 2,500 types of orchids here. And such diversity is enjoyed best if it is coupled with typical dishes based on bananas, yucca, and fresh water fish like pirarucu, prochilos, catfish, pompano, or even piranha.

Despite of the routes drawn up by tourist guides, the awards bestowed upon Peru in the 2018 World Travel Awards (WTA) as the world's leading cultural destinatio­n, the world' leading culinary destinatio­n, and the world's leading tourist attraction, there is no better plan than the one you draw up for yourself while touring the world.

 ??  ?? Los mausoleos de Revash son de los atractivos arqueológi­cos más visitados del departamen­to Amazonas. / Revash’s Mausoleums are some of the most visited archaeolog­ical attraction­s in the Amazon department.
Los mausoleos de Revash son de los atractivos arqueológi­cos más visitados del departamen­to Amazonas. / Revash’s Mausoleums are some of the most visited archaeolog­ical attraction­s in the Amazon department.
 ??  ?? Disímiles son los diseños de las artesanías que se exhiben en el boulevard de Iquitos. /
The Boulevard in Iquitos exhibits several designs of craftwork.
Disímiles son los diseños de las artesanías que se exhiben en el boulevard de Iquitos. / The Boulevard in Iquitos exhibits several designs of craftwork.
 ??  ?? En el Paraíso de las Orquídeas se encuentran más de 2 500 variedades de esa flor. / You can find more than 2,500 species of orchids in Paraíso de las Orquídeas (Orchids’ Paradise).
En el Paraíso de las Orquídeas se encuentran más de 2 500 variedades de esa flor. / You can find more than 2,500 species of orchids in Paraíso de las Orquídeas (Orchids’ Paradise).

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