90 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Peru - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Peru

Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes, Peru

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

-13.1631, -72.5450

Added by LongNow

Q'eswachaka Rope Bridge

Keshwa chaca, among the last handwoven Incan bridges, crosses Apurimac Canyon in Peru.

-14.3811, -71.4840

The Ausangate trek.

Pitumarca, Peru

Rainbow Mountain

A remote candy-striped mountain in the Peruvian Andes straight out of the pages of Dr. Seuss.

-13.8701, -71.3032

Added by Molly McBride Jacobson

Convento de San Francisco Ossuary

The mortal remains of an estimated 70,000 people lie in the basement of a monastery in Lima, Peru.

-12.0454, -77.0270

Added by zeppomarks

Hummingbird

Nazca Lines

Giant ancient line art drawn in the Peruvian desert so large that it can only be fully seen from the sky.

-14.7390, -75.1300

Casma District, Peru

Huayllay National Sanctuary

A remarkable geological formation resembling a forest made of stone.

-10.9966, -76.3290

Added by Mark Casey

The Boiling River.

Puerto Inca, Peru

The Boiling River of the Amazon

This scalding hot river was thought to be a myth, until one geoscientist made it his quest to study the mystical waters.

-8.8200, -74.7300

Added by Lauren J Young

Ollantaytambo, Peru

Ollantaytambo Ruins

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish Conquistadors.

-13.2581, -72.2633

Added by serflac

See All 90 Things to Do in Peru See All 90 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

Expedition Amazon

Mar 3—Mar 9, 2019

Come experience rare wildlife and conservation biology on this adventure deep into the jungle.

Unique
Food & Drink
in Peru

Peanut Butter Fruit

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Peanut Butter Fruit

Its pulp tastes just like the creamy spread.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Jared Rydelek

Ice Cream Bean

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Ice Cream Bean

The South American bean that looks like cotton candy and tastes like ice cream.

Gastro Obscura

Added by AbiInman

Ayahuasca

Gastro Obscura

Ritual & Medicinal

Ayahuasca

One vine unlocks the powers of a psychedelic shrub.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Stinging Nettles

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

See all 32 things to try in Peru See all 32 things to try in Peru

Explore Peru

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Recent Peru Activity

travelerjojo wants to go to Rainbow Mountain

travelerjojo wants to go to Rodadero Slides

jeffwestin wants to go to Puerto Maldonado Obelisco

megangedart wants to go to Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

Goyo wants to go to Sacsayhuamán

Stories
About Peru

Once a florist in Utah, Victor V. Morris lived half his life in Peru and opened a famous bar.

How a Mining Boom Led a Mormon Florist to Invent the Pisco Sour

The unorthodox backstory of Peru's signature cocktail.

Two men at the Takanakuy celebrations, Chumbivilcas, Cuzco, Peru.

December 25, Day of the Fistfighting Festival

In the Peruvian province of Chumbivilcas, physical conflict is an annual sporting event.

December 22, 2017

The bridge spans 118 feet and the first few steps across it are on a 30-degree angle.

Photos of the Peruvian Festival That Creates a New 118-Foot Bridge Every Year

A centuries-old tradition brings Inca infrastructure into the present.

by Scott Ferrara

August 29, 2017

A new species of frog in the genus <em>Pristimantis</em> discovered near Camp 3.

Frog-Spotting in One of South America's Least Accessible Mountain Ranges

A team of herpetologists trekked into Peru’s remote Vilcabamba Range and discovered animals found nowhere else on Earth.

by Andy Isaacson, bioGraphic

The <em>Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen</em> is celebrated in Paucartambo, Cusco, from July 15-18

The Sleepy Peruvian Town that Comes Alive Each Year to 'Please the Virgin'

Demons, jokers, and colonial characters get together to celebrate tradition and faith with a raucous party.

by Mariana Zapata

December 13, 2016

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