Maureen Stanucci

With Machu Picchu being a UNESCO World Heritage site and celebrating the 100th anniversary of its rediscovery by Hiram Bingham, it’s no wonder that Peru is one of the top 10 for world tourism. As more and more people are coming here, they are discovering what a bargain destination it is. Generally speaking, once the airfare to get here is paid for, everything on the ground is quite reasonable.

View over Machu Picchu, a classic Peru travel scene

It is a particularly welcome spot for travelers from the United States as it is relatively close, compared to the trip from other continents. Once here, the dollar goes much farther than it would in a trip, say, to Europe. This makes it possible to see a lot more for the money as well as to spend more time traveling around.

Many people don’t realize quite how large the country is until they start to plan their trip. It’s easy to spend three weeks just touring the Southern Circuit of Peru. In addition to Cusco and Machu Picchu, many will then head to Puno to visit Lake Titicaca, the highest inhabited lake in the world.

Following Lake Titicaca, one can head to the Colca Canyon, a sight to rival the Grand Canyon of the United States and also a location where one can often view condors. After that, one can spend a day or two in Arequipa before heading to Nasca to do a fly over the enormous ancient figures etched into the desert.

If all this isn’t enough, there’s also the jungle to visit and, in the north of Peru, one can spend some time at the beach or head to Huaraz and the awesome beauty of the Cordilliera Blanca mountains. Peru boasts some of the most diverse geography of any country in the world including mountains, beaches, desert and jungle.

The increase in tourism is something that will need to be monitored closely by the government, however. Every year, there are rumors that Machu Picchu will be restricted to tourism to avoid the site being damaged by the influx of people. While that may be true, it also is too important an attraction to afford closing it down. Without Machu Picchu, many less people might be inspired to visit the country at all.

There is also the danger that other areas will not only lose their charm but also have the environment harmed by expansion trying to make money from the tourist trade. A proposed airport outside of Cusco, in Chinchero in the Sacred Valley, has met with much protest. While this would undoubtedly bring more business to the area, it may also end up destroying the landscape that attracts visitors in the first place.

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