Because exploring unknown places is one of our favorite activities, at Nomades we wanted to put together a list of the 10 most wonderful places in Peru that you surely don't know about. Listed in random order, the places we'll show you next will leave you speechless. Cover image by @aswanpy
1. Los Yuracochas, Lima
Classified as the Vinicunca Limeño, the little-known Yuracochas mountain range bears a striking resemblance to the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain in Cusco. From its peaks you can see Nevado Rajuntay, Yuracocha lagoon, and all the beauty of the Peruvian highlands.
How to get there: From Lima you should head south for 3 hours to the District of San Mateo, province of Huarochirí. It's recommended to spend the night here, and the next day start the 6-hour hike to Los Yuracochas.
2. Candarave Geysers, Tacna
Made up of more than 80 hot springs, between lagoons and geysers, the Candarave Geysers valley offers a fantastic and little-known landscape within the Tacna Department, with the Yucamani volcano as a backdrop.
How to get there: From the city of Tacna you should take the Tacna – Tarata - Candarave Highway, and then continue for about 168 kilometers to Candarave. Here you can ask locals or authorities for the best way to venture down the trail and reach the geysers.
3. Huayllay Stone Forest, Pasco
Located at 4,310 masl, the Huayllay Stone Forest has more than 6 thousand hectares of rock formations with strange and unique shapes. Despite being one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Peru, this place remains quite unexplored and unknown to tourists.
How to get there: You can take a bus from Lima to Cerro de Pasco, a journey of approximately seven hours. From Cerro Pasco you can find shared vans that will take you to Huayllay in half an hour.
4. Panahua Waterfall, Arequipa
The Panahua waterfall is simply stunning. Most of the year it remains frozen, transforming into a unique 50-meter-high natural spectacle.
How to get there: From Arequipa you should head by vehicle to Orcopampa, a journey that takes around 8 hours. From there you head to Panahua on a road suitable only for 4x4 vehicles, where you'll find the entrance to the waterfall.
5. Tinajani Canyon, Puno
A mystical and amazing place made up of singular rock formations, narrow ravines, and small rivers. Tinajani Canyon also features funeral towers from ancient highland cultures. We recommend observing the landscape during sunset, when the colors of dusk give the place a unique movement.
How to get there: 12km south of the city of Ayaviri, along the Pan-American Highway, you'll find Tinajani Canyon.
6. Morón Lagoon, Ica
While Huacachina is visited by thousands of tourists each day, the unmatched beauty of Morón lagoon or oasis hides away alone 20 kilometers from Pisco. The place is surrounded by dunes, vegetation, and various types of birds.
How to get there: At kilometer 231 of the Pan-American Highway South you'll find Pisco, from where you should head east toward the town of Bernales. From here you can walk for an hour to reach Morón lagoon, or make the journey by 4x4.
7. Punta Lomitas, Ica
Difficult to access, the beautiful Punta Lomitas beach hides landscapes that seem straight out of a Dalí painting. Here you'll find dunes, tunnels, caves, and rock formations that create an unforgettable spectacle by the sea.
How to get there: From Ica you should head south toward Ocucaje. From there take the trail for a little over two hours (60 kilometers) until you reach Punta Lomitas.
8. Bayoz Waterfall, Junin
In the Central Jungle of Peru you can find the majestic Bayoz waterfall. It's a waterfall of approximately 60 meters in height that falls elegantly down a rugged rock wall. A perfect vacation destination if you want to connect with the power of nature.
How to get there: From Lima you should take a bus to Perené, in Chanchamayo, a journey that takes approximately 8 hours. From here you take a shared van to Puerto Yurinaki (25 minutes), where there are mototaxis that will drop you at the waterfall parking area.
9. Red River, Cusco
Discovered just at the beginning of 2019, Cusco's Red River is located very close to the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain in Cusco. The reason for its intense red color is that after heavy rains, minerals from the surrounding hills fall and accumulate in its riverbed.
How to get there: Due to its recent discovery, the exact location of the Red River hasn't been widely publicized, only that it's located very close to Palcoyo.
10. Choqolaqa, Arequipa
The cover photo of this article and the last place on our list that you surely didn't know about. In simple terms, the Choqolaqa Stone Forest looks like a landscape from another planet, the setting of a Hollywood Martian fiction. It's also known as Nueva Arequipa, and legend has it that one day its inhabitants stopped respecting their Apus and as punishment everything turned to stone.
How to get there: From Arequipa you should head to Tisco, a journey that takes around 5 hours. From Tisco you can ask locals how to get to Choqolaqa, which is about two hours away. Due to the difficulty in getting there, we recommend hiring a tour operator that offers this visit from Arequipa.
Do you know other unknown places in Peru that we should add to this list? Leave your recommendation in the comments!
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