Cuzco, Iquitos & Huaraz Area

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(Free-Press-Release.com) June 25, 2006 -- Cuzco

The archaeological capital of the Americas and the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent, Cuzco is now an important link in the South American travel network. Its legacy as the hub of the Inca empire is readily apparent: Most of the city streets are lined with Inca-built stone walls and crowded with Quecha-speaking descendants of the Incas. The city has magnificent repositories of colonial art such as the catedral (begun in 1559) and La Merced Church. There is also the Coricancha ruins, east of the city center, which were formerly covered with gold (the stonework is all that remains) and the Museo de Arqueol�gia, the interior of which is filled with metal and gold work, jewelery, pottery, textiles and mummies. Four other ruins - Sacsayhuam�n, Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambo Machay - are nearby.
West of Cuzco is Machu Picchu, the best-known and most spectacular site on the continent. Despite the relentless stampede of tourists (especially during the dry season months, June to September), this 'Lost City of the Incas' still retains an air of grandeur and mystery and is a 'must see' for any visitor to Peru.

Iquitos

Iquitos (pop 400,000), Peru's largest jungle city and the Amazon Basin's largest settlement without road links, is connected to the outside world only by air and river. Founded in the 1750s by Jesuits, it would later become an oil and rubber boomtown. Today the tourist economy is increasingly the area's main focus. Iquitos' main attraction is as a civilized gateway to the Amazon and jumping-off point for jungle excursions.

Huaraz Area
Huraz is the most important climbing, trekking and backpacking center in Peru. The city of Huaraz has been demolished several times by massive earthquakes and is therefore not particularly atractive. The surrounding mountains, however, are exceptionally beautiful, and many travelers come to Peru specifically to visit the Huaraz area.

The Andes around Huaraz offer a wide range of attractions, the most evident of which are the many permanently glaciated peaks jutting up to 6000m. The climbing and hiking season runs May to September. There are also glacial lakes and hot springs and Inca and pre-Inca archeological sites, most notably Chav�n de Hu�ntar. Parque Nacional Huascar�n, established in 1975, protects a large chunk of the Cordillera Blanca. The city of Huaraz is a great base camp, with a multitude of hotels and guide services to choose from.

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