chelsb423's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Nazca, Peru

The Paredones

These overlooked ruins give an intimate look at the Inca Empire's urban planning prowess.
Aguas Calientes, Peru

Machu Picchu Discovery Plaques

It took 82 years and four different plaques to finally get the story right.
Quispicanchi, Peru

Rumicolca

The Incas turned this ancient Wari aqueduct into an imposing defensive gate.
Lucanas Province, Peru

Pampa Galeras National Reserve

This high-Andean reserve protects the graceful vicuña that was nearly hunted to extinction for its precious wool.
Trujillo, Peru

Museo del Juguete

Peru’s only toy museum houses everything from pre-Inca whistles to lead soldiers and terrifying dolls.
San Martín, Peru

Petroglyphs of Polish

This set of mysterious petroglyphs in the Peruvian jungle could shed light on centuries-old activities in the region.
Chucuito Province, Peru

Chucuito Temple of Fertility

Ancient Peruvian fertility temple or modern money-making hoax? Either way these monoliths still look like penises.
Chahuaytire, Peru

Parque de la Papa

A highland eco-park celebrates more than a thousand varieties of tuber.
Chamis, Peru

Cumbe Mayo and Los Frailones

Pre-Incan aqueduct amidst a stone forest in Peru.
Cusco, Peru

Plaza de Armas

Built on the remains of one the Incas’ most important gathering spots, this square keeps the spirit of a fallen empire alive.
Lamas, Peru

Castillo de Lamas

A kitschy Italian medieval-style castle incongruously located amidst one of the most historic towns in the Peruvian Amazon.
Nazca, Peru

Puquios

The sophisticated hydraulic system of the Nazca civilization.
Cusco, Peru

Tambomachay

An Inca spa, military outpost or maybe… both?
Tambopata, Peru

Tres Chimbadas Lake

This small oxbow lake has rare giant river otters and some Seussian-sounding birds.
Casma District, Peru

Cerro Sechin

The depictions of slaughter are surprisingly detailed at this mysterious ancient site.
Lambayeque, Peru

Tombs of Sipán

The shockingly unspoiled Peruvian tomb of the Lord of Sipan was once guarded by a footless warrior.
Peru

Aramu Muru

An abandoned Incan construction project left behind a mysterious "doorway."
Lima, Peru

Paddington Bear of Lima

The little bear in the "funny kind of hat" has made his way from London back to Peru.
Zaña, Peru

The Not-So-Abandoned Town of Zaña

After an epic flood washed away its enslavers, this city has been part ghost town, part cultural wildcard for the past three centuries.
Cusco, Peru

Cusco Cathedral

Situated on a sacred Inca site, this 16th-century cathedral took nearly 100 years to build.
Cusco, Peru

The Twelve-Angled Stone

This geometric feat is a testament to the Incas' mesmerizing architectural abilities.
La Convención Province, Peru

Pongo de Mainique

A paradisical gorge with rapids, waterfalls, and wildlife whose raw beauty is the stuff of CGI movies.
Lima, Peru

Larco Museum's Erotic Art

The large collection of pre-Columbian pottery might make you blush.
Leymebamba, Peru

Mummies of Museo Leymebamba

Hundreds of mummies in a silent room, some with eerily pained expressions preserved on their faces.