SOUTHERN COAST AND JUNGLE · PERU

The desert and the jungle, a flight away

The southern coast hides dunes, ancient lines, and sea lion colonies less than three hours from Lima. The Amazon rainforest in Tambopata protects macaws, giant river otters, and communities that continue to live off the forest. Two opposing landscapes, and both of them, too, Peru.

THE DESERT

Where the desert meets the sea

Between islands with marine fauna, dunes over one hundred meters high, and ancient geoglyphs, the southern coast concentrates some of the most unique landscapes in the country.

— The Nazca Lines

Flying over the Nazca Lines allows you to appreciate the true scale of one of Peru's greatest archaeological enigmas. Etched into the desert more than 1,500 years ago, some complex figures—such as the hummingbird or the spider—can only be made out in their entirety from the air. Many other lines and geoglyphs can be seen from nearby hills or from the observation tower on the Panamericana Sur highway.

— Ballestas Islands

Off Paracas, they gather so much marine life that a boat ride is enough to see sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and flocks of guano birds. All less than three hours from Lima.

Huacachina

A royal oasis: a lagoon surrounded by dunes in the middle of the Ica desert. From there, buggies set off to climb dunes over a hundred meters high, and at the end of the tour, you can go sandboarding in the low light of the sunset. A dreamlike place.

— Pisco

The Peruvian grape distillate made in this region has a protected designation of origin. A well-made pisco sour does not taste like alcohol or sugar: the key is the balance between the lime, the beaten egg white, and the Angostura bitters at the end.

THE JUNGLE

The Peruvian Amazon, up close

The Amazon is a majestic rainforest that covers up to 60% of the country's surface area. It is one of the areas with the highest biodiversity on the planet, and exploring it is a continuous discovery.
In Tambopata, the forest is seen from the river, with guides who know every clay lick and every community that inhabits it.

— Tambopata

Dozens of macaws gather every morning on clay riverbanks—the collpas—in one of the greatest spectacles of color in Tambopata. Giant river otters, over a meter and a half long, also live there.

— The Ese Eja community of Infierno

Near Puerto Maldonado, the Ese Eja de Infierno native community co-manages a lodge within its own territory. The guides who accompany visitors through the forest are members of the community, and part of the fees paid goes directly back to those families.

Peru

By day, dunes and silence.
One flight later, the green and the sound of the forest.