The Atlas Obscura Guide To Peru

107 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Peru

Updated August 30, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Peru

Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes, Peru

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

Peru

Q'eswachaka Rope Bridge

Keshwa chaca, among the last handwoven Incan bridges, crosses Apurimac Canyon in Peru.

The Ausangate trek.

Pitumarca, Peru

Rainbow Mountain

A remote candy-striped mountain in the Peruvian Andes straight out of the pages of Dr. Seuss.

Lima, Peru

Convento de San Francisco Ossuary

The mortal remains of an estimated 70,000 people lie in the basement of a monastery in Lima, Peru.

The Boiling River.

Puerto Inca, Peru

The Boiling River of the Amazon

This scalding hot river was thought to be a myth until one geoscientist made it his quest to study the mystical waters.

Nazca Lines

Nazca, Peru

Nazca Lines

Giant ancient line art drawn in the Peruvian desert so large that it can only be fully seen from the sky.

Lima, Peru

Mercado de Brujas

A market for witches is hidden within a train station.

Ollantaytambo, Peru

Ollantaytambo Ruins

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish conquistadors.

See All 107 Things To Do in Peru

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Peru

Salt Pans of Maras

Maras, Peru

Salt Pans of Maras

This Peruvian canyon is filled with geometric salt pools that have been being harvested since the Incan empire.

Coca tea

Cusco, Peru

Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum)

A fascinating little museum all about the rich history of Peru’s famous plant.

The Last Supper by Marcos Zapata

Cusco, Peru

Guinea Pig Last Supper

A painting in the historic Cathedral Basilica depicts Jesus and his disciples dining on a traditional Peruvian menu.

Trees surrounding a pond in the Bosque el Olivar

Lima, Peru

Bosque el Olivar (Olive Grove Forest)

A pretty park of over 1,600 olive trees that grew from just three saplings brought over from Spain.

See all 7 Places to Eat in Peru

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Ruins 25

Archaeology 20

Nature 14

Cultures And Civilizations 12

Incas 11

Natural Wonders 11

Geology 10

Lost Tribes 9

Water 9

Ancient 9

Geological Oddities 7

Sacred Spaces 7

Places To Stay 3

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Stories About Peru

Of the 151 species they studied, all of them, including this tree frog, Dendropsophus rhodopeplus (shown under blue light), displayed some level of fluorescence.

Biologists Threw a Fluorescent Frog Rave in the Amazon, for Science

Turns out many of the frogs glow, maybe to communicate.

by Roxanne Hoorn

August 22, 2023

A reconstruction of P. colossus shows it in its coastal habitat. The head is an educated guess because a skull has not been found yet.

Paleontologists in Peru Discover What Might Be the 'Chonkiest Whale Ever'

And maybe the heaviest animal the world has ever seen.

by Roxanne Hoorn

The Gocta Waterfalls in northwestern Peru are the subject of one of our favorite recent Atlas Obscura Podcast episodes.

7 Recent Atlas Obscura Podcast Episodes You Just Have to Hear

For our two-year pod-iversary we're headed back to some of the coolest places we've taken you recently.

Fruiting bodies of the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps emerge from the body of a fly in Tambopata National Reserve, Peru. This photo won top prize in the 2022 BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition.

Real Zombies and Body Snatchers Live Among Us

A creepy form of parasitism is one of evolution's favorite strategies, and scientists are starting to figure out how it works.

by Gemma Tarlach

October 20, 2022

Podcast: Gocta Waterfalls

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

September 15, 2022

This 11-foot-tall statue outside Trujillo on Peru’s north coast is based on the ceramic drinking vessels of pre-Hispanic Moche culture, also known as "sex pots."

How Erotic Peruvian Artifacts Inspired a Controversial Roadside Attraction

The risqué new landmark is the site of joyful selfies—and arson.

by Liliana Michelena

Aracely Solano, a youth volunteer and member of the Huaycán Cultural collective, at the archaeological site.

In Peru, an Ancient Site May Revive a Modern Community

An hour's drive from central Lima, locals hope to preserve Huaycán's glorious past and improve their own future.

Empanadas are traditional across Latin America.

The Challenges of Writing a Continent-Spanning Cookbook

22 countries, 600-plus recipes, one giant book.

January 13, 2022

Lists Featuring Peru

Cushing Brain Collection

Brain of Helen Hamilton Gardener

The World's Most Fascinating Displays of Preserved Brains

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Including Cushing Brain Collection, Mammalian Brain Collection, and Brain Museum

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