From hikes to ancient cities to marvellous markets, a solo adventure to Peru has it all

HAVING spent three hours hiking the verdant Andes in gentle but persistent drizzle, the clouds start to clear and the prospect of some sunshine becomes promising.

“Remember,” our guide Henry warns, “this is a cloud forest. There are no guarantees.” 

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I’m on an eight-day tour of Peru, which sees me exploring cultures past and present, from the contemporary buzzing metropolis of the capital Lima, to the ancient Inca Empire – where I am now, trekking the sacred Inca Trail.

Fortunately, by the time we arrive at Machu Picchu’s Sun Gate viewpoint four hours – and seven miles – later, it has proven its namesake true.

“You’re lucky,” Henry concedes. “I thought it may be the Misty-And-Cloudy Gate today.”

The gateway sits slightly higher and 2km from the famous ruins – which we explore after basking in the glorious vistas.

With the sun bearing down, we are treated to unparalleled views of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. 

Full of Lima beans

I kicked off my Peruvian adventure three days earlier, in bustling Lima – home to one-third of the country’s 34 million inhabitants – where I soon stumbled upon a statue commemorating Peru’s most famous export, Paddington Bear.

Decked out in a coat bearing the Union Flag, he is a strangely comforting sight when I’m more than 6,000 miles from home.

Peru is also the home of ceviche, its national dish, so it seems only right to assign myself the job of finding the best. After many attempts, with varying degrees of success, I finally land upon Cevicheria Miramar.

Brimming with locals and with a menu only in Spanish, I get an authentic Peruvian experience, as well as possibly the most sensational meal I’ve ever eaten – fresh ceviche marinated in a delicately zingy lime dressing, £5, and chilcano especial (a fish soup, complete with rice, onions and coriander), £4, washed down with chica morada – a refreshing drink made from purple corn, £1 (Cevicheriamiramar.com).

Sufficiently fuelled, I head off on foot, keen to explore the sprawling city.

Lima comprises 43 districts and the bohemian neighbourhood of Barranco is by far the coolest, filled with colourful street art, coffee shops and bars.

After checking out chic homeware at Puna (Puna.com.pe), I stroll over to buzzing Bar Juanito for a nightcap of chilcano – a delectable Peruvian cocktail of pisco, lime juice, ginger ale and Angostura bitters (Instagram.com/juanitodebarranco) – before heading back to my hotel to meet my fellow explorers.

Age of empires

The next day, my G Adventures tour group takes a one-hour domestic flight to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire and now the gateway to Machu Picchu.

Here, archaeological wonders are aplenty and I marvel at the Twelve-Angled Stone, an impressive geometric feat testament to the Incas’ masonry skills, before setting off on the 45-minute hike up to Sacsayhuamán, an ancient Incan fortress which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry £15. 

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Having worked up an appetite, I venture to the San Pedro Market, a sprawling trove of pretty much anything and everything, from juice bars and jumpers to souvenirs and coffee.

You can even pick up and munch on coca leaves – the raw ingredient cocaine is derived from – as you wander, which both tourists and locals alike often do to alleviate altitude sickness, as Cusco sits about 3,300m above sea level.

I sample the delicious pan chuta, a sweet, sumptuous anise bread local to the region, before swerving the raw meat section – seeing piles of cows’ hearts, intestines and snouts is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Rainbow daze

Neither is my optional excursion to climb Rainbow Mountain – striped due its unique geological make-up – the next morning.

Waking at 4am and being picked up by a stranger in a white van to find 12 snoozing people in the back, has the beginnings of a horror story, but two hours and a kip later, we arrive ready for our trek.

Leaving the trailhead behind, we amble up a slight slope past grazing alpacas.

Our guide ensures we stop every five minutes to catch our breath, because despite this only being a 6km trail out and back, hiking at 5,200m above sea level is no joke – it’s just marginally lower than Everest base camp!

Needless to say, any incline and the air – or lack of it – makes its presence known. The mountain itself is stunning, but the real star of the show is Nevado Ausangate, the enormous glacier opposite. A three-hour guided walk and transfer costs from £40. 

After another short flight, I’m back in Lima. It’s my final night and I discover the historic Bar Piselli, whose brown interiors give the impression that it hasn’t changed a bit since it opened in 1915.

Though this isn’t the first pisco sour of my trip, it’s the most delectable – and lethal – one I’ve tried, £2 (Facebook.com/pisellibarranco).

Salud! 

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