Photos from My Trip to Peru: Machu Picchu & the Coast

Recently a friend’s wedding brought me down to the beautiful country of Peru. Here’s a few photos of my trip!

Lima Coast

Lima Coast

Lima Coast

Surfers at sunset

You may find the coast of Lima to be reminiscent of Malibu, California, with steep cliffs leading to a beautiful coastline. I recommend taking in the beautiful view at sunset from the restaurant La Rosa Nautica, located in Pier 4 of the Lima Beach Circuit.

Visiting Machu Picchu

Of course no trip to Peru would be complete with a trip to one of the “new” wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. We stayed at the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, a former monastery and national monument dating back to 1592. Upon arrival you are greeted with a cup of Coca tea, which is widely believed to alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness.

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Hotel Monasterio

While there’s an option to trek to the top of Machu Picchu (for those more outdoorsy types), we opted to take the train. The ride was three and a half hours each way, followed by a thirty-minute (or so) bus ride up the mountain. While a tour guide can provide some interesting facts, it can also limit your “exploration time”. If I were to do it again, I’d definitely go without a guide.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Constructed around 1450 AD, archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, but abandoned a century later during the Spanish Conquest.

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My next pet?

Me

Jumping for joy

Flights to Lima, Peru

Finding inexpensive flights to Lima is pretty difficult. It’s not everyday we publish a $355 roundtrip fare from D.C. to Lima! From most major international airports, you are going to pay somewhere between $800-$1,100. Prices can vary quite a bit depending upon the time of year of day of the week you travel. Make sure to consult a Fly.com Low Fare Calendar prior to booking a flight. Calendars can be accessed on the cheap flights to Lima page (from D.C., LA, San Fran, NYC & Miami), for other cities generate your own custom Fly.com Low Fare Calendar (enter your origin and destination on the bottom of the page).

Showing 2 Comments

  1. Maria 12:56 PM on May 14th, 2012 |

    Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Arequipa but I hope to return one day and catch everything I wasn’t able to see. I’ve got to agree on the ceviche and pisco sours – those were delicious!

  2. Peru traveler 7:14 PM on May 11th, 2012 |

    Looks like you had a lot of fun in Peru! did you visit Arequipa? when I went there my favorite places where also Lima and Machu Picchu and trying the Peruvian ceviche and the pisco sour was just great.

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