On any given day 12,000 feet high in the Andean mountains, it’s possible to peruse the colorful stalls of a traditional street market, walk reverently through a gothic cathedral, run your hands idly along still-perfect Incan city walls, make an offering with an Andean healer, or enjoy the view of UNESCO world heritage sites from the terrace of a European-style coffee shop. Peru is a country filled with contradictions such as these, which somehow blend together as seamlessly as their beloved tea of coca leaves and sugar. The friendly, open people embrace both their Incan heritage and the Spanish influence that shaped them, celebrate both Catholicism and PachaMama (Mother Nature), and in everything, welcome the new while never forgetting the old. Visiting this country is like stepping back in time, while simultaneously taking the hand of a local and leaping joyfully forward.

Cusco

UNESCO-Rich Cusco:

Forgive the cliche, but Cusco will take your breath away. First, in the literal sense, as you land in this high altitude valley nestled amid stony-faced peaks. But then, after you’ve gotten your bearings and a few cups of coca tea in your system to ward against altitude sickness, it will make you gasp by its sheer beauty. Depending on which corner you turn in Cusco, you’ll be met with cobbled squares reminiscent of Tuscan piazzas, lively loud storefronts, packs of dogs, and half-constructed infrastructure that screams Latin America, or staid, elegant churches rivaling any in Spain. It’s dizzying, and not just because the air is so thin.

Cusco Marketplace

Must do’s include Plaza de Armas, touted recently as the most beautiful city square in South America by National Geographic. It’s also the only plaza with not one, but two Catholic cathedrals gracing its corners. Step inside the Convento de Santa Domingo del Cusco, and you’ll see further evidence of the Peruvian people’s cheerful duality: the Christ on the cross sports traditional Incan wear, and in the replica of The Last Supper, the conventional Peruvian dish of cuy takes the place of the traditional meal.

Plaza de Armas 

A short walk through the downtown sector brings you to the Temple of the Sun, which further illustrates this blending of Incan pride and Spanish rule, in ancient walls abutting marbled sanctuaries. Nearby, tiny alleyways reveal corner markets with grazing llamas, and overlooking it all, the Incan ruins at Saqsayhuaman stand sentinel, awaiting your visit.

Incan Walls 

Stepping Back in Time in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu:

Leaving the city of Cusco means a departure from the modern, but rewards with landscapes of stark, unrelenting beauty. The Sacred Valley is approximately one hour from Cusco by bus, the entire ride a gradual but unyielding descent along narrow roads with snake-like turns. At the bottom: Ollantaytambo, a town of yet more contradiction. Cobbled streets lead you to Incan ruins hugging the mountainsides, where you’ll want to climb the 200+ steps to the Sun Temple and ancient granaries. Once at these viewpoints, you’ll gaze down upon the towns of the Sacred Valley and spy soccer stadiums and political billboards vying for space amid quinoa and corn crops traversing the land along neat terraces.

Sacred Valley 

The train to Machu Picchu takes you from Ollantaytambo along the Urubamba River, where you can watch yet another transformation take place as the high desert peaks give way to rain-forested terrain. Arriving in Aguas Calientes, it’s easy to get lost in the lively, touristy marketplace and amid the narrow, European-style streets of restaurants and hotels.

Aguas Calientes 

The bus ride to the historic site of Machu Picchu is an attraction in itself: the skilled drivers swing along the hairpin turns with nerves of steel. Machu Picchu itself defies adequate description: plan to spend at least two days admiring this marvel of human innovation amid stunning nature, one day studying the history of the site, and at least one hiking a portion of the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate, or, if a fear of heights doesn’t stop you, to the top of adjacent Winu Picchu.

Machu Picchu 

The Modern World in Lima:

Most visitors leave the country by way of Lima, but before you do, take time to visit the town hall and Government Palace (the official residence of Peru’s president), and at least one museum. The Museo Larco dazzles, once again blending the old with the new with archaeological collections from the Pre-Columbian era paired with contemporary implications. However you spend your last few days in Peru, I guarantee you won’t be quite ready to head home.

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Amy Whitley

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• Celebrating the Old and New in Peru - October 17, 2016

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