THE AMAZING PERU!!!

The 12 tourist attractions protected by Unesco in Peru.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Peru ratified the convention on February 24, 1982, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list!

In Haku Tours we are proud to show our world heritage sites and here you have sum up of all these outstanding places!!

1. Historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

Located 2,430 meters high in a place of great beauty, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, the Machu Picchu sanctuary was probably the most amazing architectural realization of the Inca Empire in its heyday. Its walls, terraces and gigantic ramps give the impression of having been sculpted in the escarpments of the rock, as if they were part of it. The natural frame, located on the eastern slope of the Andes, is part of the upper Amazon basin, which has a very varied flora and fauna.

2. Historical Center of Cuzco.

Located in the heart of the Andes, this city became under the rule of the Inca Pachacutec in a complex urban center with different religious and administrative functions. Its surrounding area was divided into clearly defined zones for agricultural, artisanal and manufacturing production. By taking over the city in the sixteenth century, the Spanish conquerors retained their structure, but built churches and palaces on the ruins of the temples and monuments of the Inca city.

3. The archaeological site of Chavín.

The archaeological site of Chavín has given its name to the culture that developed between 1500 and 300 BC. in the high valley of the Peruvian Andes in which it is located. The architecture of this monumental set of squares and wide terraces surrounded by carved stone constructions, as well as its largely zoomorphic ornamentation, give an impressive aspect to this place of worship, which is one of the most famous and ancient pre-Columbian sites.

4. Huascaran National Park.

In the White mountain range, the highest tropical mountain range in the world, Mount Huascarán, which gives its name to this park, rises to 6,768 meters above sea level. Its deep gorges crisscrossed by numerous torrents, its glacial lakes and its varied vegetation form a set of spectacular beauty. This site houses animal species such as the spectacled bear and the Andean condor.

5. Chan Chan Archaeological Site.

Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimú kingdom, which was at its height in the 15th century, shortly before succumbing to the power of the Inca Empire. The disposition of this city, one of the most important in pre-Columbian America, was the result of the application of a rigorous political and social strategy, evidenced by its division into nine "citadels" or "palaces" that form independent units.

6. Manu National Park

This huge park of 1,500,000 hectares has a great variety of stratified vegetation between 150 and 4,200 meters high. The tropical forest of the less elevated areas hosts an incomparable variety of animal and plant species. Up to 850 kinds of birds have been identified in it. Some rare species such as the giant otter and armadillo have found refuge in this site, where the frequent presence of jaguars has also been observed.

7. Historical Center of Lima.

Lima, the "City of Kings", was the most important city and capital of the Spanish domains in South America until the mid-eighteenth century. Despite the severe damage suffered by earthquakes, it has many architectural monuments, such as the convent of San Francisco, the largest in this part of the world in its kind. Many Lima buildings are joint creations of artisans and local artists and architects and master builders of the Old Continent.

8. Abiseo river National Park.

This park was created in 1983 to protect the highly endemic fauna and flora of the rainforests characteristic of this region of the Andes. The woolly yellow-tailed monkey, which was believed to be extinct, is found only in this area. The research work carried out since 1985 has revealed up to now 36 archaeological sites, located between 2,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level, which provide a rather complete idea of what pre-Inca society was like.

9. Nazca Lines.

Located in the arid coastal plain of Peru, about 400 kilometers south of Lima, the geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana cover about 450 km2. Traced on the ground between 500 BC and 500 AD, the lines pose one of the greatest enigmas of archeology due to their number, nature, size and continuity. The geoglyphs represent living creatures, stylized plants, fantastic beings and geometric figures several kilometers long. They are supposed to have a ritual function linked to astronomy.

10. Historical Center of Arequipa.

Constructed with volcanic rock called sillar, the buildings of the historic center of Arequipa are representative of the fusion of European and native construction techniques, reflected in the admirable work of Spanish architects and master builders and Creole and indigenous masons. That fusion is evident in the robust walls of the buildings, the arcades and vaults, the patios and open spaces, and the complex Baroque decoration of the facades.

11. The oldest civilization in the Americas, Caral.

Caral-Supe is a 5,000-year-old archeological site covering 626 hectares. It is located on a deserted and arid plateau that dominates the verdant valley of the Supe River. Its origins date back to the late archaic period of the Central Andes and make it the oldest center of civilization in the Americas. The city, exceptionally well preserved, is impressive for the conception and complexity of its architectural and spatial elements, especially the monumental platforms of stone and earth and the low circular courtyards. Caral is one of the eighteen urban settlements in the region and its architecture, complex and monumental at the same time, includes six large pyramidal structures. The plan of the city and some of its components -in particular, the pyramidal structures and the residential complex of the ruling class- clearly testify to the existence of ceremonial functions revealing a strong religious ideology.

12. The Inca Trail.

It is a vast road network of some 30,000 kilometers built over several centuries by the Incas -using in part pre-Inca infrastructures already existing- with a view to facilitating communications, transport and commerce, and also for defensive purposes. This extraordinary system of roads extends through one of the most contrasted geographical areas of the world, from the snowy peaks of the Andes that rise above 6,000 meters to the Pacific coast, through humid tropical forests, fertile valleys and deserts of absolute aridity. The road network reached its maximum expansion in the fifteenth century, reaching to extend throughout the length and breadth of the Andean mountain range. The new World Heritage Site, which consists of 273 components and extends over 5,000 kilometers. The components have been selected to highlight the important social and political function of the road network; masterpieces of architecture and engineering and related infrastructures dedicated to commercial activities, accommodation and storage of goods; and sites with religious significance.

HAKU TOURS!!!!

Jean Paul Grillo
Official Tour Guide
30 / 11/ 2017