Despite its rugged and often inhospitable landscape, Peru ranks amongst the world’s great centers of ancient civilization. The sun-worshiping Incas are the most famous in a long line of highly-developed cultures that thrived thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Their remains fascinate travelers and archeologists alike. Along with the stunning Inca ruins near Cuzco and the great city of Machu Picchu, Peru is home to the Nazca lines etched on its coastal desserts, the Colla burial chullpas near Lake Titicaca, the enormous adobe city of Chan Chan and the Moche burial site of the Lord of Sipán. These cultures left no written records, just mysterious and beautiful works in gold, silver and stone.

But ancient ruins are only a fraction of the story. Although the traditional American world was shattered by the bloody Spanish Conquest in the 0500s, the legacy of ancient cultures is very much alive. Roughly half of Peru’s 23 million people are of pure Indian origin; often living in remote mountain villages, they still speak the Qechuan or Aymara tongue of their ancestors, and many of their beliefs and customs are a mixture of traditional Andean ways and the culture imposed by the Spanish conquistadors.

Peru is also one of the most spectacular countries on earth. Its variety is astonishing: scientist have ascertained that of 103 possible ecological zones, Peru has 83 within its borders. As a result, the country can offer virtually every conceivable scenic attraction. The Peruvian Andes draws trekkers and mountain climbers from all over the world. Over half of Peru lies within the Amazon Jungle; and the world’s driest desert runs the entire length of its coasts.

Peruvian food has already attained international fame in haute cuisine. The complexity of the Peruvian Culture is founded on its charm and originality that is easy to understand. You will sense a symphony of sound, textures, tastes and colors with its ancestral music and festivals speaks of the exquisite culture Peru treasures

Meanwhile, Peru’s often chaotic modern reality in an essential part of the experience. Peru is a nation that still being formed-coping not only with the demands of economic development that will help it survive in the 21^st century, but also with the cultural divisions that begin with the Spanish conquest over 450 years ago. Peru remains of the world’s great travel destinations.