Peru is a wonderful place with amazing stories where ancient wonders meet stunning beauty. Peru’s World Heritage Sites, from the Andes to the jungle, are special, as they offer something for every traveler. These sites are not just remnants of history, they are lively symbols of cultures that have influenced our world.
If you love ancient architecture or old tales, visit Peru’s heritage sites that offer a journey through time. Peru has 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including cities, archaeological sites, and national parks, called “World Cultural and Natural Heritages.”
Peru has also “Intangible Cultural Heritages”, which describe the methods, customs, and expressions that communities pass down through generations. It gives groups a sense of identity and continuity promoting welfare and creativity.
It also manages the built and natural environments generating revenue. Come along as we discover the most popular World Heritage Sites that make Peru a fantastic destination!
Cultural Heritage Sites
Cusco City
Cusco is the starting point for the magnificent Machu Picchu ruins, located southeast of the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is a popular destination on Peruvian tourism routes. Cusco is vital to Peru’s history and culture. So, UNESCO named it a Cultural Heritage of Mankind in 1983.
Cusco was once the cradle of the famous Inca empire, as they designated this city as a political and administrative center. When Spanish conquerors arrived in Peru, they saw Cusco’s importance. So, they built their own structures on top of the Inca buildings, churches, and homes.
The word “Qosqo,” which in Quechua means “navel of the world,” is the source of the name Cusco. Strolling Cusco’s stairs, cobblestone streets, and sloping streets reveals its major sights where you’ll see local customs and a rich cultural and archaeological legacy. Your trip may include famed museums, squares, churches, restaurants, and bohemian areas like San Blas.
Historic Center of Lima
The so-called “City of Kings” is more than your Peru getaway. Its historic core holds Peru’s colonial history in its monuments, buildings, and houses. The city has the best of the Pacific Ocean. It also has some of the world’s best restaurants serving Peruvian food. This guarantees stunning views of the horizon.
The best museums are either in old buildings or outside in the city of kings. it’s your choice! Lima has many archaeological sites, both within and outside the city. These connect to the historical events that the capital contextualized.
So, exploring the city is a cultural-historical experience. Some of Lima’s streets and neighborhoods are named after Spanish cities, which shows the Spanish Crown’s power during the colonization of South America.
Arequipa Historic Center
The Peruvian white city earns this name thanks to its white color architecture made of volcanic rock called “sillar”. Arequipa boasts one of the most striking historic centers in all of Peru, with an array of colonial-era monuments dotting the landscape with their majesty and the distinctive white ashlar used in their constructions.
This colonial center is an important part of our history, and it’s easy to post about on Instagram and makes for the most gorgeous souvenir images. According to recent statistics, Arequipa is one of Peru’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing over two million visitors annually wonder why UNESCO has designated it as a world heritage.
Qhapaq Ñan Andean road system
The first Peruvians did not have an organized road system due to the threat of rival peoples, however, they needed it to connect their cities with their capitals, ceremonial centers, and other settlements. When the Incas arrived, they built the Qhapaq Ñan, a 30,000-kilometer road network connecting Cusco with key settlements and six countries.
This impressive system, influenced by pre-Inca civilizations, facilitated control and communication across the vast Tahuantinsuyo empire, showcasing Inca engineering ingenuity in overcoming challenging Andean terrain.
Nazca and Palpa Lines and Geoglyphs
The Nazca Lines, over 1,100 geoglyphs in Peru’s Nazca town, date back to 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. Their purpose remains unclear, but they may have been a ritual center or astronomical calendar. Best viewed by flight, some geoglyphs are also visible from a viewing tower along the Panamericana Sur highway.
The Palpa Lines are perhaps not as popular as it was discovered recently. The Palpa Lines are a series of confusing geoglyphs that encircle Palpa town. To the south are the less frequent but more well-known Nazca Lines.
A larger variety of human forms can be seen in the Palpa Lines, such as the eight figures that make up the Familia Real de Paracas on a hillside.
Sacred City of Caral Supe
What about if we tell you that the oldest civilization in the Americas is in Peru? Yes, we’re talking about Caral culture. It is located roughly 200 kilometers north of Lima, tucked away in the beautiful Supe Valley.
According to radiocarbon dating, Caral has a long history that dates back to about 3000 BC. Astonishingly, it is over 4,000 years old! The well-known Inca and Andean civilizations were preceded by this culture.
Chan Chan Archaeological Zone
Trujillo, in northern Peru, is also called the “City of eternal spring”, it hosts the largest clay-made citadel in the Americas, Chan Chan. The Chimu culture was the strongest civilization between 1000 to 1470 A.C.
Its hierarchical organization and significant engineering skills are still admired by many. Chan Chan was their capital, an area dispersed over an area of 20 square kilometers.
Chavin de Huantar Site
Chavín de Huantar, dating back to 1500 B.C., was a major Peruvian cult center with two temples. Despite land instability causing damage, excavations revealed key artifacts like the Lanzón monolith, Raimondi stele, and Obelisco Tello, all significant spiritual and socio-political symbols in Andean culture.
Natural Heritage Sites
Manu National Park
This Park is “a sanctuary to biodiversity”, located in the heart of the Peruvian rainforest in the Madre de Dios department. It was declared a protected area by the Peruvian government as shelters countless wildlife species.
In 1987, the Manu was declared by Unesco as a world heritage thanks to its contribution to maintaining the wildlife on our planet. It has three zones: the national park (1,716,295 hectares), the reserved area, and the buffer zone.
The park protects a wide variety of plants and animals. It has 2,000 to 5,000 plant species and over 2,000 animal species, including the giant armadillo, and the threatened Andean mountain cat.
The Manu also safeguards cultural values that show how indigenous peoples adapted to the Amazon over centuries. Many of these communities have had no contact with the outside world.
Huascarán National Park
This beautiful National Park boasts 27 extra peaks that reach over 6,000 meters! This stunning park is known for having the world’s highest tropical mountain range which is located in the “Cordillera Blanca” a Peruvian mountain range that at the same time is part of the famous Andean Mountain range.
Huascarán National Park in Peru covers 340,000 hectares, it has 27 peaks over 6,000 meters, including South America’s fourth-highest at 6,768 meters. It spans parts of Huaylas, Yungay, Carhuaz, Huaraz, and other regions.
The park’s 700+ glaciers shape the landscape, create stunning lakes and rivers, and provide essential fresh water. If you’re eager for adventure, you’ll find a variety of trekking options here, with trails that range from medium to challenging.
Mixed Cultural Heritage Sites
Machu Picchu
What else can we say about the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu? Besides being the most important Unesco World Heritage site in Peru, is also one of the 7 world wonders.
The Lost Inca citadel is the greatest living legacy left by our ancestors and one of the main reasons why travelers around the world want to visit our country. When you visit it, you’ll realize the importance it has on us Peruvians and the whole world.
Rio Abiseo
Rio Abiseo National Park covers a vast area of 274,520 hectares in the tropical Andes of North-Central Peru. This stunning park offers a wonderful mix of cultural and ecological wonders, making it a fantastic place to visit. It features various ecosystems, from lush forests to high Andean grasslands.
These diverse habitats are home to incredible biodiversity and many unique species. We invite you to explore and appreciate all the beauty this park has to offer! There are over thirty-six archaeological sites here, dating to 6,000 B.C.
Including rock shelters, paths, and ceremonial buildings that share our past stories. The park also helps protect the important headwaters of the Huallaga River system. One of its special residents is the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, which is currently at risk of extinction.
The park is a beautiful place with stunning landscapes and a fascinating history. It’s a great chance for all of us to explore and enjoy nature together. We invite everyone to discover more about this special environment and its heritage!
All of these sites show Peru’s rich cultural living legacy, we invite you to see all of them for yourself! Travel with Viagens Machu Picchu, we’ll be more than glad to assist you to make your dreams come true in our country. Contact our specialists and start living your Peruvian adventure!
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