Honeymoon quick fix: Peru
Your 60-second guide to the most scenic honeymoon in Latin America
Peru is the perfect romantic intro to Latin America.
- Start in capital Lima, which is gaining a real foodie
reputation. Wander the colonial centre and smooch in El Parque del
Amor, a park on the clifftops of Miraflores, dominated by a statue
of an embracing couple.
- Next, fly (45mins) or drive (14hrs) to Arequipa, a white-stone
city set against volcanic peaks. Contain your ardour amid the
cloisters of the Santa Catalina Convent, once home to 450
nuns.
- Drive on (4-6 hours) to Colca Canyon - a great gash twice as
deep as the Grand Canyon - to watch Andean condors and play in your
own private plunge pool at Las Casitas del Colca.
- Cobalt-blue, high-altitude Lake Titicaca is eight hours further
by road. Take boat trips to meet the locals living on the lake's
islands, catch sunset on Isla del Sol and splurge on a stay at
boutique hotel Titilaka, right on the water.
- Next, Cusco- take a luxury train (10hrs) to this former Inca
capital. Explore Sacsayhuamán temple and the Sacred Valley, where
adventurous types can via ferrata (fixed cable climb) along the
rock walls or raft the Urubamba River.
- From Cusco, the 'lost' city of Machu Picchu is a scenic
train-ride away. Or trek there: camping Inca Trail treks take four
days; for a luxurious option, try Mountain
Lodges of Peru on the longer Salkantay Route for comfy beds and
jacuzzis at the end of each day.
- Once at Machu Picchu, you could renew your vows, Inca-style. Journey Latin America can arrange a blessing
from a shaman in a forest grotto.
- Finally, fly back to Lima to finish with dinner at Astrid &
Gastón - voted one of the world's 50 best restaurants in
2012.
The top 2 week trip:
Lima - Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Lake Titicaca - Cusco - Sacred
Valley - Machu Picchu - Lima
Real Honeymooners say...
"After a long day clambering up to the top of Machu Picchu
the spa at Sumaq was just the thing: a hot bubbling jacuzzi with a
cold bubbling bottle of champagne!" - Diana Henderson
(Head of Product, Journey Latin America)
Getting there and when to go:
Iberia flies UK-Lima via Madrid; flight time is around 16 hours.
UK nationals don't need visas.
Driest Apr-Nov. The Inca Trail is closed in February each year;
if you're planning on trekking to Machu Picchu you'll need to pick
a different route or another month.
