The Peru that remains hidden: 5 off-the-beaten-path destinations

Peru often comes down to a few postcards — Machu Picchu, Cusco, Titicaca — which tell almost nothing of the country. For twenty years, we have been working on other territories, less traveled, and often more revealing. Here are five of them.

1. Chachapoyas and the Kuelap fortress

To the north, in the ceja de selva where the Amazon meets the Andes, the citadel of Kuelap raises its perimeter walls, older than those of Cusco. Nearby, the sarcophagi of Karajía, the waterfalls of Gocta, and a network of valleys almost untouched by tourism.

2. Ayacucho and the central sierra

Twenty-six colonial churches, altarpiece artisans of rare finesse, a rich history: Ayacucho is one of Peru's most beautiful cities, and one of its least visited. The sierra surrounding it — Vilcashuamán, Quinua, the Pampas valley — offers landscapes worthy of the southern highlands.

3. The Colca beyond the Mirador

The Colca canyon is not limited to the condor viewpoint. Sibayo, Coporaque, Yanque: inhabited Andean villages, mountain hot springs, trails that descend into the canyon in two days of walking. Another scale of presence.

4. The Sechura desert and the Chulucanas road

In the far north, between the Pacific and the deserts, some of the country's best criolla cuisine, black ceramic workshops in the village of Chulucanas, and the almost deserted Tumbes mangrove. A coast far from Paracas and Nazca.

5. The Peruvian shores of Lake Titicaca

Beyond the floating islands, Taquile Island and the Capachica peninsula preserve an intact community life: weaving men, spinning women, codified Andean hospitality. Overnight stays with locals, simple exchanges, landscapes that verge on the sublime.

Each of these regions is incorporated into our tailor-made itineraries, or into small-group departures crafted separately. These are the journeys one prepares when they've already seen everything — or when they simply don't want to see what everyone else sees.