Top Reasons to Go

Handicrafts: Ayacucho has retablos (carved portable boxes with scenes of religious and historical events). Quinua has ceramic workshops. The Mantaro Valley has mates burilados (ornately decorated gourds), silver filigree, and alpaca textiles.

Highland Cuisine: Enjoy the sublime delights of freshly caught trout, pachamanca (herb-roasted meats, potatoes, and vegetables cooked in an earthen oven), and papa a la huancaína (potatoes covered in a spicy cheese sauce).

Market Day: Head to the Mantaro Valley, where there's a market every day.

World's Second-Highest Train: It's no longer number one, but you can still chug your way from Lima to 4,782 meters (15,685 feet) above sea level before dropping down to the valleys surrounding Huancayo.

Jungle Heat: Head to Chanchamayo, near Tarma, to escape the dry highland air and enjoy the soothing warmth of the high jungle.