The Ica region lies south of Lima on the desert coast and is easily accessible via the Panamericana. From Paracas, boat tours depart for the Islas Ballestas, home to sea lions and Humboldt penguins, alongside which lies the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, the country's largest coastal protected area. Around the city of Ica, Pisco is distilled; on the city's outskirts lies the Huacachina oasis, nestled between high dunes. Further south, the Nazca Lines stretch across the desert, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

Huacachina is a small oasis with a lagoon and palm trees, surrounded by towering sand dunes, just a few kilometers from the center of the city of Ica. Most visitors come for exhilarating dune buggy tours and sandboarding, often in the late afternoon to experience the sunset over the desert. The lagoon's water level has dropped, and water is now being supplied.From Lima, take a bus to Ica, then a ten-minute taxi ride to Huacachina.Around Ica, you'll find bodegas producing Pisco and wine, offering tours with tastings.Buggies have been involved in accidents, so choose a reputable provider.

The coastal resort of Paracas on the Pacific coast is the starting point for two of the most famous natural experiences on the Peruvian coast. From Muelle El Chaco, boats depart in the mornings for the Islas Ballestas, passing the El Candelabro geoglyph, which can be seen from the sea on a sand dune. Sea lions, Humboldt penguins, pelicans, and colonies of guano birds live on the rocky islands.South of the town begins the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, founded in 1975 and, at around 335,000 hectares, the largest protected area on Peru's coast, two-thirds of which is ocean. Viewpoints such as Playa Roja, with its reddish beach, and the rock formation La Catedral, whose arch collapsed in the 2007 earthquake, are accessible by car or tour.

Machu Picchu is the most famous Inca site and the reason most travelers come to Peru. The complex lies at around 2,430 meters on a mountain ridge between the peaks of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu high above the Urubamba River, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco. Most archaeologists consider it an estate of the Inca ruler Pachacútec, built around 1450. It remained hidden from the Spanish, becoming internationally known in 1911 through Hiram Bingham. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.Tickets: Entry is organized into three circuits with a total of ten routes and fixed entry times. The daily capacity is 4,500 visitors, increasing to 5,600 on designated high-season days. Tickets are sold online by the Ministry of Culture; a small contingent for the next day is available locally in Aguas Calientes. For June to October, book well in advance.Getting there: By train from Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then by Consettur bus or on foot via stairs up to the entrance.Inca Trail: The classic trail requires a permit and is closed every February.

Ollantaytambo is situated at approximately 2,800 meters at the western end of the Sacred Valley. The town is often referred to as a living Inca village: Its old town still follows the rectilinear street grid of the Inca, water flows through the alleys in stone channels, and many houses stand on Inca walls.Above the town rise the Inca terraces and temple complexes, which were expanded under Pachacútec. During the Spanish conquest, Ollantaytambo served as a fortress for Manco Inca. On the opposite slope lie ancient storage structures.From the station, PeruRail and Inca Rail run several times daily to Aguas Calientes; the journey takes about two hours.The Inca site is included in Cusco's Boleto Turístico.