The 12 most beautiful towns in Peru (to visit)

The beautiful nation of Peru is located in western South America. In the we can find ruins, historical cities, valleys, deserts, beaches, high mountains defined by the Andes Mountains and the wild nature of the Amazon. We also find many magical and mysterious towns, with an incomparable beauty.

When we go to visit and get to know a town, it is like traveling through time since they are full of experiences, stories, landscapes, architectures and ancestral customs. Life in these places is quiet, its inhabitants carry out native activities typical of those regions, where the humility, affection and warmth of its people invade and appropriate the visitors.

• We recommend you read: "Ranking of the 10 most visited countries in the world"

What Peruvian towns do I have to visit?

In this article we bring a great recommendation for those who want to travel to Peru and seek a different experience.

1. Lamp

It is one of the beautiful attractions that the city of Puno has. This beautiful town It is known as the Pink City

Since all its facades are painted with this tonality, it has a large number of tourist attractions that captivate the attention of people who decide to visit this magical region. Among the most touristic places in this place we recommend:

1.1. The Colonial Bridge of Cal y Canto

This is one of the most beautiful bridges in the entire region, it was built in 1845 based on stone covered with ashlars. It is 4 meters wide and 77.5 meters long and has 4 arches built of stone, lime and edge.

1.2. Lenzora Cave

It is considered an archaeological museum since there are rock carvings where we can see representations of camelids and anthropomorphic beings that were engraved with the technique of low relief in the cave walls.

1.3. The Santiago Apóstol Church

This church dates from the years 1678 and 1779, it is built with light and dark hard and shiny stones without carving. It was declared a national monument in 1941.

2. Huaquis

It is known as the ghost town. It is reached by a path that goes from the town of Miraflores, through which a 4-kilometer walk is made, it is an abandoned place with houses, churches and squares, its streets and stone constructions have deteriorated over time, which captivates tourists who visit it. they visit.

Its pre-Hispanic dwellings were made with stone and gabled roofs, the church's altarpieces were decorated with floral motifs made of plaster and its walls painted in reddish ocher.

It is located in a deep canyon on a mountain ridge, from where you have a beautiful view of the entire valley. It has a hospital dating from the 16th century and which was used as a cemetery in the Republican era.

3. Celendin

This beautiful Cajamarca town still retains its colonial charm and, thanks to its architecture, it is considered the best representation of the Spanish culture of the 18th century. It is known as the land of the hat and chocolate and it has several tourist sites that you can visit, such as the ones that we will show below:

3.1. Llanguat Hot Springs

Also known as Baños de Sendamal, it is located half an hour from the town and its waters are thermo-medicinal and also have mud with medicinal properties. It also offers the service of swimming pools, where people with bone and skin problems can immerse themselves in these hot springs.

3.2. The Mirador San Isidro

It is located within the town and has a sculptural image of Christ the Redeemer, in this viewpoint there is you can contemplate all the majesty of the town and the blue sky that reminds you of paradise heavenly.

3.3. Virgen del Carmen Cathedral

This impressive church is surrounded by two large and beautiful towers. Inside we find a sculpture that resembles a crucifix and according to a legend, it was made on the bones of a young religious.

4. Well

It was the first colony founded by foreign immigrants. The first settlers from Austria and Germany, raised the people following the patterns architectural structures of their countries, building their houses with geometric plants, gabled roofs and wood. You can also visit the following places:

4.1. The Pool of Water and Salt

It is a spectacular turquoise lagoon of incomparable beauty and with medicinal properties. You can enjoy these waters throughout the day.

4.2. Settlers Cemetery

This cemetery is the place where the spiritual guides of the colonizers rest, among which are the priests José Egg, Luis Ipfelkofer and Francisco Schafferer.

4.3. Schafferer Museum

Here ancient objects that belonged to the first settlers are preserved, such as work tools, kitchen utensils, ceramics, photographs, among others.

5. Hot Waters

Also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo since It is located exactly at the foot of the mountain where the Inca City is located. Its landscapes make it a very tourist destination. In this magical place there are no vehicles, except for the buses that go up to Machu Picchu. As it is an old town, you can find different tourist attractions here, such as:

5.1. Putucusi Mountain

It has a height of 2,560 meters and is one of the favorite mountains for those who like extreme activities. It has a path with little signposting where you will find almost vertical stairs and, when you reach the top, you can see Machu Picchu from another perspective.

5.2. The Thermal Baths

They are small pools of natural hot water where you can enjoy a day of rest, bathing in its medicinal waters. They are located in the highest part of the town.

5.3. Macchu Picchu

It is without a doubt the tourist site par excellence not only in Aguas Caliente, but in all of Peru. This ancient Inca town was built before the 15th century and is considered a masterpiece of engineering and architecture for its architectural and landscape characteristics, making it one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

6. Chacas

This Peruvian town has few inhabitants and has a cold climate almost throughout the year, the inhabitants are dedicated to the service sector, commerce and small industry, here pre-Inca archaeological remains are found from Pirushtu, Antash, Huaraspampa and Cahagastunán. Other places you can visit are the following:

6.1. Ugo de Censi Square

It is the only plaza in America that preserves its grass center since bullfights are held there without causing the animal's death. In addition, in the month of August the Horse Ribbon Race is held.

6.2. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Assumption of Chacas

Also known as the Sanctuary of Mama Ashu, it has a classic structure, with stained glass windows representing passages from the New Testament and the Virgin Mary Help of Christians.

6.3. Mamita Lourdes Falls

It is the closest waterfall to the city, with a height of 20 meters and there are canyoning and rock climbing excursions around it.

7. Ollantaytambo

This peruvian town It has a great historical legacy throughout the Sacred Valley of the Incas and is an obligatory way to go to Machu Picchu. It is also known as the Living Inca City since its inhabitants preserve the traditions of their ancestors. This is one of the towns with a very important historical legacy of the Sacred Valley, where you can do this series of activities:

7.1. Hiking to Pinkuylluna

Pinkuylluna is a hill very close to the town where there are agricultural archaeological remains that, in order to access it, you have to walk along steep paths that are very careful.

7.2. Walks through the village

Walking through Ollantaytambo is a very fun way to get to know the whole place, where we can get to know its cobbled streets, stone walls and water channels.

7.3. Visit to the Site Museum

Here the tourist can appreciate the works of the ancient settlers either in crafts or architecture.

8. Chucuito

It is a small town located in a mountain range 18 kilometers from the city of Puno, It is known as the City of Royal Boxes since in times past there were strips of mercury that allowed the use of gold and silver that came from the mines. Its sites of interest include:

8.1. The Church of the Assumption

It is considered one of the most important religious constructions in the region, due to the fact that its lateral façade is made up of columns and arches. Every August 15 the start of the agricultural season is celebrated and quispiño, a cooked mass of quinoa and lime, is thrown from the tower of the temple.

8.2. The Inca Uyo

It is a rectangular stone archaeological site also called the Temple of Fertility, where there are utensils made of bones, ceramics, metals and stones, in 2003 it was declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

9. Antioch

This beautiful town, also known as the Town of Colors, is characterized by have all their houses painted with cheerful colors and fun designs in the style of altarpieces. Walking through its streets makes you feel as if you were immersed in a work of art, this earned it entry into the Guinness Book of Record as the ‘Largest Altarpiece in the World’ in 2007.

10. Zaña

It is known as the ghost town of Peru and the city of slavery and was founded in 1563 and its growth was so great that It was thought that it could be the capital of Peru, but it was attacked by pirates in 1686 and then suffered a natural disaster, which what turned it into a town full of ruins, which currently attract the attention of visitors. You can enjoy the following sites:

10.1. The Afro-Peruvian Museum of Zaña

In this place there are manuscripts and accessories from the time when slavery reigns in the town. Tourists can learn about all the myths, customs and traditions of this town.

10.2. Main Church of Zaña

It is known that Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Archbishop of Lima, was buried in this temple. It is a Colonial Property Cultural Heritage and a Historical Monument.

11. Uros Island

It is a floating town located on Lake Titicaca, near the bay of Puno, is characterized by the fact that its houses are made from totora, a plant that grows in water. It is an ancestral town where traditional crafts are the economic activity of its inhabitants, tourism in recent years has been significantly increased since there are tourist packages that include trips in reed rafts, walks through the town, accommodation and cooking.