You've booked your holiday to Peru, you've planned a bunch of sightseeing activities, you've probably packed more than you need, and you're excited to get started. The thing we bet you're missing though is any idea of how vibrant, diverse and full of character this South American country really is.
Our top tip here is - dive straight in! Go out and explore without a strict plan and see where life takes you. You are guaranteed to uncover something interesting along the way.
Here are the little joys we found on our trip that we would definitely seek out again if we get the chance to return.
1. Have the most amazing pork sandwiches in Lima
Of course we'll start with a food one :)
Lima is famous for its world class fine dining which by all means should be experienced if you have the planning skills necessary to book a table. And everyone will tell you to try the cevice, eat guinnea pig or taste alpaca meat to get a real feel of Peruvian cuisine. What surprisingly no one tells you is to go for pork. Not just any pork, but these shockingly delicious pork sandwiches that they make at La Lucha near the park (named John F. Kennedy for some reason) in Miraflores. They are juicy, they are tender, they are full of flavour. It's hard to put it into words so you are best off trying them out for yourself.
La Lucha is a chain and you can also find their shops in Arequipa and Trujillo in case you missed it in Lima. Or you can do as we did and eat them in more than one place.
2. Explore the street art in Lima
Another find in Miraflores was the graffiti covering the backstreets. Find some hipster coffee shop in the area and walk towards it - you'll be sure to find an abundance of local street art covering buildings and walls along the way. It's proper art too - the murals are impressive in both scale and detail, so much so that you can spend hours admiring the different pieces.
3. Have a drink at a rooftop in Arequipa
Arequipa is an incredibly cute colonial town which feels weirdly European but not quite. It has a spirit of its own with its hipster spots and vintage-looking buildings and it was our favourite town in Peru. The low-rise flat-roof houses in the town center have been turned into public spaces - galleries, cafés and restarants. The locals have taken advantage of the ample rooftop spaces, turning them into bars.
This is the best place to experience Peru's craft brews and fancy cocktails. And it's really really cheap. So go ahead and spend an afternoon relaxing between the hike to Machu Picchu and the trip to Colca Canyon with a refreshing drink in your hand.
4. Visit a coffee farm in the Andes
Coffee has been turned into an art form lately with fancy and ridiculously expensive coffee shops popping up on every city corner. Whether you enjoy sipping on your overpriced latté or you think it's all a bit ridiculous, we think a visit to a coffee farm is well worth it. It's a bit touristy but it's a humbling experience nonetheless.
You will be taken through the whole process of brewing a coffee - from picking the beans, cleaning them, grinding them, drying them (ok, not in real time) and brewing your own cup. We never realised how laborious the process is and we really appreciated having a peek behind the scenes. It makes us feel much better spending so much on coffee :) Oh yes - it's also the best coffee you'll ever taste.
5. Watch alpaca fabric weaving
One thing you are sure to notice in anything Peru related is the abundance of colour in traditional clothing. Women with brightly coloured tunics can be seen everywhere and they look not only fun but comfortable and warm as well. Their secret - the alpaca wool they use for the fabrics. OK, most of the clothes you'll see in the streets is not actually made from alpaca as that's super expensive. But the finest clothes are indeed made of this heavenly wool and similar to the coffee, once you see how it's made you appreciate the price tag a bit more.
You can peak at the process of making alpaca garments in museums. You can also visit a functioning mini-factory in Arequipa where elderly ladies weave the dreamy soft fabric on their traditional machines. The Free Arequipa Tour takes you through this spot so be sure not to miss it. There are lots of llamas and alpacas there too which come in a variety of shapes and coat colours.
6. Treat yourself to hot chocolate in Cusco
What's better than a warm cup of sweet goodness to gently caress your soul while you're gasping for air? Probably an oxygen tank. But this is the next best thing. Sit back with your cup of hot chocolate and enjoy looking at the people traffic from inside one of the many quiet coffee shops around the main square in Cusco. It is guaranteed to help adjusting to the altitude a bit faster :)
We were so content at the time we didn't even remember to take a picture so here's one of Cusco from above instead:
7. Taste a very different churro in Lima
We're not sure if should even call this churro as it has nothing to do with the dessert you're thinking of right now. This thing is superior in almost every way - it's boiling hot, it's sweet, it's filled with the most amazing custard, it's rolled in sugar. Delicious simply doesn't cut it. This is food for the soul. Indeed, to fit all of this in they are slightly thicker than the churros we're used to seeing but that's a very small price to pay. Pro tip: don't get this as a sharer, you'll regret it!
8. Meet a hairless dog in Paracas
Is it a cat? Is it a tiny bald hyena? Is it a bat? One thing is certain - this isn't your typical dog! Native to the Paracas region you are most likely to see the infamous Peruvian hairless dog on your way to the Ballestas Islands while you're waiting to board your boat in the coastal town. This is probably the ugliest and simultaneously cutest thing we've ever seen! We hope you run into one on your adventures as it's something you'll remember for the rest of your life (and might haunt some of your dreams but oh well...).
9. Try to spot the mischiefs in church art
When the Spanish erm... did their thing in Peru (aka when they forcefully tried to make everyone Christian) they needed to re-create some works of art in order to decorate their new churches and town halls. They used local artists for that job who did a fantastic job! They painted what they were told alright. But not without adding a special touch to the pieces like serving Jesus some guinea pig at the last supper. See if you can spot some other cool additions as you walk around.
10. Have a passion fruit straight from the tree
As you walk through the Andean jungle on the way to Machu Picchu you occasionally run into some small "roadside" cafes and restaurants. Most of these places are tiny and only offer coca leaves tea, coffee and water. Occasionally they would offer passion fruit which are both dirt cheap (2 for $1!) and taste amazing! It looks too good to be true so initially we didn't want to try them but once we did we stuffed our faces as much as we could.
11. Go to the local market in Cusco
San Pedro Central Market is a fantastic place to explore while waiting for your body to adjust to the altitude in Cusco. There are great opportunities to shop for your souvenirs, try local fruit or eat on the spot in one of the many stalls. What we enjoyed was just looking at all the weird stuff they sell there food-wise. There is a variety of fruit, vegetables and meat that we had no idea existed. It's a also a rare opportunity to see smoked guinea pigs or frogs sold in the street. It is a bit extreme at times so be warned!
12. Dance in the streets
Did we mention how laid back Peru is? Imagine a country where people go to the park to dance, listen to music and enjoy life. It's a fantastic tradition that we saw in Lima (Kennedy Park) and Arequipa (a bit off the main square) and we're sure they happen all over the place. You can join in if you like but have in mind that the locals are quite experienced dancers, so you'll need to step up your game. Or if you're not feeling up to it you can just stand by and watch - the vibe is sure to rub off on you.