Ancient ruins from a magnificent kingdom. Mountains rising over a lush, fertile valley. Colorfully dressed llamas. Welcome to tiny Ollantaytambo, Peru, a mouthful of a town with its own enormous archaeological site, but forever overlooked next to nearby Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo offers ancient culture and fascinating history that dates back to the pre-Columbian era, a place to respectfully learn about and support the lives of the local Quechua Indigenous people, and a jumping-off point to explore the Sacred Valley. Here are all the best things to do in Ollantaytambo!
The Ultimate Self-Guided Free Walking Tour: Lima, Peru
Lima, Peru is a giant, bustling sea-side city, full of delicious food, beautiful parks, stunning art and rich culture. During our year-long honeymoon, we spent 2 weeks in Lima, which allowed us to do things like befriend every cat in Kennedy Park, eat at a zillion incredible restaurants, and learn to make ceviche and Pisco Sours. One thing we wish we had during our trip? A free self-guided walking tour of Lima! Today’s Guest Poster spent 5 months exploring Lima and created an excellent self-guided tour through 3 coastal neighborhoods in Lima: Miraflores, Barranco, and Chorrillos.
30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in South America
We spent 5 months backpacking in South America. Although each of the countries we visited was as unique and different from one another as can be, we did notice a few universal truths about backpacking in South America… things nobody told us about before we left. In no particular order and in various degrees of usefulness, we’ve compiled our observations into this list of 30 things no one tells you about backpacking in South America!
The 5 Most Instagrammable Places in Peru
Peru is full of picturesque places, from the iconic Machu Picchu to the towering El Misti volcano. Don’t miss out on the 5 most Instagrammed places in Peru!
The Best Specialty & Third Wave Coffee Shops in Lima, Peru
Lima, Peru is the top foodie destination in the world , and it’s fortunately located in a continent – and a country – known for growing high quality coffee. Our list of the best third wave coffee shops in Lima, Peru is a labor of love (and many very jittery afternoons).
Lima Cooking Class: Making Ceviche & Pisco Sours in Lima, Peru
Ceviche and Pisco Sours: we have Peru to thank for these two iconic South American creations. So during our visit to Lima, we were thrilled to discover Lima Gourmet’s classic Ceviche and Pisco Sour cooking class. In one short hour, we went from boring average Americans to masters of Peruvian cooking! Lima Gourmet’s class is fun, easy, and affordable: we think it’s an absolute must-do when visiting Lima.