The Fiesta de la Candelaria is the largest and most famous festival in Peru and one of the largest in South America as a whole. In fact, throughout the continent, it's only dwarfed by the world-famous Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the Carnaval de Ouro in Bolivia.

The first of many religious Peruvian festivals on our list, the Fiesta de la Candelaria celebrates the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron saint of the town of Puno, where the festivities are held. Music and dance are at the core of this festival, all of it performed by elaborately costumed participants numbering well over 40,000. This occasion is an incredible two-week-long synthesis of indigenous and Catholic traditions; this is one of the most iconic Peruvian festivals.

The Fiesta de la Candelaria is the largest and most famous festival in Peru and one of the largest in South America as a whole. In fact, throughout the continent, it's only dwarfed by the world-famous Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the Carnaval de Ouro in Bolivia.

Music and dance are at the core of this festival, all of it performed by elaborately costumed participants numbering well over 40,000. This occasion is an incredible two-week-long synthesis of indigenous and Catholic traditions; this is one of the most iconic Peruvian festivals.

El Señor de Los Temblores, or the Lord of the Earthquakes, is the patron saint of Cusco and the celebratory focus of this significant Holy Week celebration. The story goes that during an earthquake here in 1650, a canvas image of Jesus Christ was held to the sky as prayers were offered, causing the tremors to subside and saving the town from ruin. Since then, this statue commemorating the original image has become the focal point of an important annual celebration.

Each Easter Monday at 7 PM, the statue is removed from Cusco's cathedral and paraded. Amazingly, it's said that the statue was not originally black, but rather that its color is due to years of exposure to smoke from incense during religious ceremonies.

The Fiesta de las Cruces (Festival of the Crosses), also known as Invención de la Santa Cruz (Invention of the Holy Cross) or Cruz de Mayo (May Cross), is a holiday celebrated on May 3 in numerous places in Spain and Hispanic America. Although quite popular, it is not an official government or church holiday.

The roots of the holiday go back to the finding of the Cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus (the True Cross) by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine. In the Gallican Rite, the Feast of the Cross commemorating this event was celebrated on May 3. Today, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Cross on September 14. 

Inti Raymi, the ancient Inca Festival of the Sun, is one of the most traditional Peruvian festivals on our list, indigenous in design and untouched by Catholic tradition. Held annually on June 24th, Inti Raymi is meant to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

Banned by the Spanish and the Catholic Church after 1535, the modern incarnation of the celebration began in 1944 based on the few historical records of the festivities that managed to survive. Since then, it has grown in size and scope. Though sometimes derided as tourist pageantry by detractors, its historical and cultural significance makes it worth checking among the many Peruvian festivals.

Peru’s festival dedicated to Mother Earth, Pachamama Raymi, takes place in the first week of August every year. Celebrations unfold in Cusco, the former Inca capital. People give tributes to Pachamama to show thanks for the bounty of crops that support their communities.

On the first day of August, farmers halt work on their land and prepare offerings as a sign of respect to Pachamama. The first plate of food from the feast they prepare is given to Pachamama, and any other offerings are buried in the ground.

Peruvian cuisine is one of the world's best, and Lima, in particular, features what is probably South America's most impressive culinary scene. And as if the food wasn't enticing enough year-round, the prospect of eating your way through Peru becomes even more appealing each September when the Mistura Culinary Festival rolls around. Featuring over 200 restaurants and bars, not to mention plenty of outdoor vendors and food carts, well over half a million visitors stop by to enjoy the festival's offerings over some ten days in mid-September. Though certainly not one of the most traditional Peruvian festivals on our list, this is without a doubt the most delicious.

An 18th Century earthquake destroyed a good part of town, leaving only this iconic image of Jesus Christ standing. It was considered a miracle; the image became even more venerated.

With time, the celebration of its feast day became the most significant religious celebration in Peru, featuring one of the longest processions of any religious gathering in the world. This considerably more solemn celebration is one of the most important Peruvian festivals, and we couldn't leave it off our list.

Puno Week occurs during the beginning of November and centers around November 5th, also known as Puno Day. The purpose of Puno Day, and by extension Puno Week, is to celebrate the legendary birth of one Manco Cápac, said to be the first Inca.

It involves an exciting reenactment of his arrival on the shores of Lake Titicaca bordering the city, and it's also just a great excuse to party the whole week long.

The famous Inca Trail is a four-day hike, which terminates at Machu Picchu, and is regarded as the highlight of their trip to Peru. This scenic trail is often more demanding than what many people are expecting but also more rewarding.

A couple of different starting points for the Inca Trail exist, but the traditional four-day hike begins at km 82 of the Cusco - Aguas Calientes rail line. From this point, the trail passes more than 30 Inca ruins and traverses through spectacular scenery. The most challenging portion of the trail is the second day of the hike, with a climb of 1,200 meters in elevation gain and two high passes.

The hike must be done with an agency, and reservations should be booked well in advance, particularly in the high season of June to August.

Some agencies offer a shorter version of the hike, which entails the last two days or just the last day of the trek. There are campgrounds at intervals along the trail and one at the base of Machu Picchu.

Depending on the type of tour, hikers can either carry their backpacks or have them transported for them. The daily number of hikers and porters on the trail is strictly enforced.

Walking through the streets of Cusco is like wandering through a museum, with history built upon history in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inca ruins have been used in the foundations of many of the lovely old colonial buildings lining the narrow roads, showcasing the city's long history.

The main square, Plaza de Armas, in the city center is home to the Cathedral and La Compania, two equally impressive structures. The square is also a great place to start a walking tour, grab a meal, or people-watch during the day.

And while there are countless buildings and museums worth visiting, the church of Santo Domingo, resting on the ruins of the Inca site of Coricancha, is one of Cusco's must-see attractions.

The lake area is beautiful scenery and culture that sets it apart from other country regions. Rolling hills and traditional small villages surround the sparkling blue water of Lake Titicaca. Sitting at 3,820 meters above sea level, Lake Titicaca is known for being the highest navigable lake in the world.

One of the main tourist attractions is the Uros Floating Islands (Islas Flotantes), which sustain small communities of Uros Indians. These are artificial islands constructed of reeds that have sustained a traditional way of life since the time of the Incas. A boat trip to the islands and surrounding villages is the best way to appreciate the lake.

On tours to these islands, what you'll see is designed for tourism, but it does offer a glimpse into a traditional way of life. The floating islands are only one tiny part of Lake Titicaca's attraction, with the natural charm lying in the small villages in the hills along the shores of Titicaca and on the main islands of Isla Taquile and Isla Amantani.

The main gateway to Lake Titicaca is the city of Puno, where you'll find hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies. There are trains and buses to Puno and flights in and out of the nearby city of Juliaca.

Although it was once thought to be the deepest canyon globally, Colca Canyon (Cañon del Colca), twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, is the second deepest after nearby Cotahuasi Canyon. The canyon reaches a depth of 3,400 meters and results from a seismic fault between two volcanoes. At the base far below is a winding river.

The Colca Canyon area has been inhabited for thousands of years and was home to the Collagua, Cabana, and Inca peoples. Stone terracing along the canyon walls dates to AD 800 and is still in use today.

The canyon is about a four-hour drive from Arequipa. Day trips to the canyon are available from Arequipa, but two or more days are recommended considering the driving time involved in accessing the canyon. Besides gazing out at the canyon, there are also hot springs, churches, villages, and Inca ruins to explore. Condors are also a big attraction in Colca Canyon as they soar past the cliff walls.

The mysterious Nazca lines are an unusual sight that will leave you with a sense of awe. These vast images on the desert floor were relatively undiscovered until planes flying over the area in the 1920s saw the lines from the air and realized they formed distinct patterns and images.

Until that time, there was some recognition of the hillside drawings near Nazca and Paracas, seen from ground level. However, the vast graphics on the flat desert floor are so large that it requires an aerial view to be appreciated.

It is possible to see 70 different plant and animal drawings and hundreds of lines and other geometrical shapes from the air. Some of these lines stretch as long as 10 kilometers, spread over hundreds of square kilometers. The figures are a lizard measuring 180 meters long, a condor with a 130-meter wingspan, and several others: a monkey, hummingbird, ki.

The lines were created by removing the dark surface layer of stones and piling them at the sides of the lines, creating a contrast between the dark rocks and the exposed lighter soil below. 

Puerto Maldonado is located in the southeast of the country. It is the capital of Madre Dios; it has the official title of Biodiversity in Peru to recognize vital records of flora and fauna found in the forests department, especially in the Manu. The region is home to native tribes for whom the advance of civilization has not yet arrived. Iquitos is the capital of Loreto and the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon. 

Iquitos is the sixth-largest city in Peru. It is located northeast of Peru, set on the left shore of the Amazon River. Due to the rugged geography of the Amazon, Iquitos has no roads, and communication is by air or river.

For the sporting type looking to try something a little different, the oasis resort of Huacachina on the outskirts of Ica has just the answer. This picture-perfect, palm-fringed resort town just west of Ica is situated around a lagoon surrounded by massive dunes, some of which reach 1,000 meters in height.

People come here to try out the sport of sandboarding. Like snowboarding, sandboarding involves surfing down the sand dunes on specially made sand-boards rented in the area. For the less coordinated, renting dune buggies is another excellent way to get out and enjoy the landscape.

Ica is slightly higher than the ocean and is not affected by the usual coastal mist like other towns along this stretch. The town has a year-round sunny and dry climate, making it an excellent place to visit at any time.

The main reason to come to Pisco, about 200 kilometers south of Lima, is to see the nearby Islas Ballestas and the Reserva Nacional de Paracas on the Paracas Peninsula. Almost directly west of Pisco, the Islas Ballestas, sometimes referred to as the "poor man's Galapagos," are home to hundreds of thousands of birds, large colonies of sea lions, pelicans, penguins, and dolphins.

Boat tours from Paracas and Pisco, which visit the islands daily, leave in the morning. The whole tour takes you past the "Candelabra," a hillside geoglyph is seen from the coast, and then spends a considerable amount of time boating around the islands watching for wildlife. This tour is generally a half-day trip, returning around noon.

The Paracas Peninsula, jutting out into the Pacific Ocean just south of Pisco, is home to the Reserva Nacional Paracas and Peru's most extensive protected coastline. The shoreline of the Paracas Peninsula supports a wide variety of wildlife, with approximately 200 species of seabirds, two types of sea lions, a rare kind of an otter, and the endangered Humboldt penguins.

The Cordillera Blanca draws mountain climbers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide, a stunning area of mountains and valleys.

The Cordillera Blanca is home to Peru's highest peak, Huascaran. Also located in the same area of the Andes are sixteen other mountains over 6,000 meters in height.