Journey through Peru, the UNCHARTED Way

It’s been said that “the list of must-see attractions in Lima is as long as a llama’s neck." This old Pacific port city is where conquistadors transported Incan gold back to Spain, and over the years it has become known as a gastronomic hub that hosts four of the 10 top eateries in Latin America, according to the annual 50 Best list. The bohemian Barranco area offers excellent shopping, art, and music, and a stunning string of beaches feathers the city.

The gateway to the south of Peru, Arequipa is the perfect spot to start working on altitude adjustment. Receiving 300 days of sunshine and nestled between three towering volcanoes, Baroque buildings carved out of white volcanic sillar stone glint across the cobblestone streets. Grab lunch at a picanteria before settling into Cirqua, which was built in a monastery dating back to 1583. Its original high-vaulted ceilings bring parador-vibes from bygone days when monks received passing travelers.

Magnificent condors soar in the winds of Colca Valley. Ranging from 7,500 to 16,000 feet, the canyon flaunts its natural beauty while you weave through the narrow ravines of the Andean highlands: Glimpse alpaca and vicuña, and peruse brilliant, indigenous textiles sold along the road. Once you arrive at Puqio, a luxurious canvas camp, spend your days soaking in the thermal baths of Uyo Uyo, delving into ancient plant wisdom with a herb naturalist, and riding horseback through the volcanic landscape.

Perched on the shores of Lake Titicaca—the highest altitude lake in the world at 12,500 feet—Puno is often recognized as Peru’s folkloric capital. Straddling the Bolivian border, Titicaca is a sacred place to the Uros people, who live on floating islands built out of totora reeds. Travel by boat to experience their traditional craftsmanship and dances that tell the mystical mythology of these waters.

Just north of Cusco lies the Sacred Valley, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Home to the impressive terraces of Pisac and Moray, both are exquisite engineering feats that showcase the Incan’s intensive crop rotation and agricultural techniques. Take an ATV up dirt roads for overviews of the fertile, green gorge below, then head to Hacienda Urubamba to enjoy a traditional highlands dinner on the grounds of their 10-acre plantation.

Head towards Machu Picchu by way of the Hiram Bingham train, which is exquisitely decorated in the style of a 1920s Pullman. You’ll enjoy splendid scenery, lunch and a Pisco Sour lesson. Spend the next few days hiking the ruins and marveling at how the massive stone slabs were crafted without the use of mortar or iron tools. At day’s end, unwind at our Outpost, Pueblo, which sits in a cloud forest paradise, and is laid out like an Andean village with terraced hills, waterfalls, stone pathways, and adobe casitas.

Originally designed in the shape of a puma, Cusco was once the site of the Incan Temple of the Sun. The city is a great place to soak in your last Peruvian days and do any final shopping, especially in San Blas, the artisan quarter, where Spanish and Incan architecture fuse harmoniously. Sacsayhuaman, a tremendous sacrificial and religious site, can be reached on foot from town.