1. In your trip to Peru what were 3 things you remember most that surprised you?
Peru is a beautiful country and many things surprised me, I will highlight the 3 main ones for me:

The weather & altitude: I was surprised by the weather I loved the fresh cold breeze of the Andean mountains every morning on my face, Cuzco’s mornings can be very cold where temperatures can reach the 2°C and slowly hit the 15°C at noon, temperature descent again at night. I suggest to travellers to bring a winter jacket for all their Cusco and surrounded areas visits. For Machu Picchu as its location is in between the Highlands and the jungle temperatures varies from 5°C to 20°C, so a light jacket is perfect for this visit, but most important they need to bring their high SPF broad spectrum sunscreen.

People, culture: Peru culture and traditions are well preserved trough the years, local indigenous people kept their ancestral heritage and they share their knowledge in traditional workshops organized by indigenous intrapreneurs. I visited The Chinchero Community a colourful and Ancient town located at 28Km from Cusco and I was surprised by the traditional way of the extraction process of the Alpaca and lama wool, its coloration, and its manufacture in precious garments with Andean themes, such as sweaters, scarves, jackets, shirts, among others.

Safety: I felt so safe walking around Cusco by myself. As a solo traveller, safety was one of my main priorities! I was so comfortable going anywhere by myself, all places are secure, Peruvians are very friendly and I was confident to go walking everywhere!

2. Machu Picchu is an extremely popular site, how was getting around up there, how were you managed through the crowds?
I was so lucky to have a clear day with a few travellers around visiting Machu Picchu with me. It is also very important to have an experienced guide with you who knows where to go avoiding crowded places, my guide was also knowledgeable and he knew the best spots for pictures! My guide was perfect, I learn a lot and got the best pictures!

3. What sort of fitness level do you need walking around Machu Picchu?

During my visit of Machu Picchu, I walked  several hours to see the main attractions, but shorter walking routes are also available for travelers who prefer a more leisurely experience. Overall, a visit to Machu Picchu requires a moderate level of fitness and comfortable walking shoes. For more adventurous people there are a few more challenging options such as: the “Huaya Picchu” hike, where they need to be fit since it is a moderate to hard activity.
 

4. In the Sacred Valley we visit some great organisations supporting locals, what was your experience there?

For me, the experience of visiting a textile center managed by master women weavers in the Chinchero Community was one of the best highlights during my trip, as I described above. I felt amazed by the cozy and friendly atmosphere there; they shared with us their knowledge, they offer a local tea for some of us who were feeling a struggle due to altitude; furthermore, the way of how these women taught us about the extraction of wool and how they dye these textures using natural means was stunning!

5. How about the food in Peru – if you haven’t mentioned it already?

As a good Latin girl, I love to eat! I tried different delicacies while in Peru, the Peruvian cuisine has this unique spacy flavour. In this occasion the start of my journey was the “Ceviche”. The classic Peruvian ceviche is composed of chunks of raw fish, marinated in freshly squeezed lime juice, with sliced onions, chili peppers, salt and pepper, very yummy! You can eat fresh home style food in every local restaurant, even the modest restaurant offers plenty of menus.

Margarita Lugo is our Client Services Specialist based in New York and travelled in October 2023.