I am going to Peru toward the end of May for two weeks with a friend. We are going to Machu Picchu and would like to see other cities in Peru, possibly along the north coast, but want to squeeze in three days or so in Ecuador. Should we go from Lima to Cuzco (Sacred Valley, etc.), back to Lima and then north? We want to spend a day or two in Máncora.
Ann-Marie Nicholson, New York
Two weeks should be enough time for Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Máncora in the north, but you may want to save Ecuador for another trip. Frommer’s (the Travel section’s online content partner) warns that Peru is deceptively large and that its natural and transportation barriers make zipping around difficult (flying is the most practical, inexpensive option).
Start in Lima. For tips on what to do there, see Ethan Todras-Whitehill’s “36 Hours in Lima, Peru” (June 1, 2008) and Nicholas Gill’s “Inexpensive Restaurant Choices in Lima, Peru” (Oct. 25, 2009). Next, fly to Cuzco, the old Incan capital. Spend a couple of days exploring this gem, and make sure to see the Cathedral and the Temple of the Sun. Buses are the best way to and around the Sacred Valley, a beautiful stretch of villages and ruins across a broad plain and rugged slopes.
In his article “New Life in Ancient Peru” (Sept. 13, 2009), Paul Brady explained that the sleepy village of Ollantaytambo, a typical stopover on the way to Machu Picchu, actually has much to offer itself, including some underappreciated ruins. Continue on to the much more elaborate ruins at Machu Picchu, nestled in the Andes.
Frommer’s suggests staying overnight, as a day trip is not enough time for this famed “lost city of the Incas.” Take one of the three tourist trains back to Cuzco, a spectacular journey of its own. Back in Lima, fly to Piura, and then take a two-and-a-half-hour taxi ride to Máncora (the bus takes about 18 hours).
In “Riding the Waves of Peru” (May 4, 2008) Julia Chaplin wrote that Máncora has been transformed from a small fishing village into an international backpacker hub with a mythic reputation among surfers for balmy waters, endless sunshine and crowd-free breaks.