We loved our first trip to Peru so much that we decided to make a second and were not disappointed! Huaraz was much less touristy than Cusco, which means you can relax in the main square without getting harassed and a you will have to rely on your Spanish skills a bit more to get around. The area has limited ancient architectural sites but make up for that with mountains that are so much more dramatic than anything Salkantay or the Inca Trail have to offer!
This trek combined mountainous agrarian culture and the occasional rumble of volcanic eruptions, with safari style camping and great meals. The Guatemalan Highlands is a place where you can find women dressed in vibrant traditional clothing, churches blasting music on weeknights, and people cultivating impossibly steep terrain, while lava shoots skyward in the background.
This trek combined agrarian culture and rugged wild beauty with the comfort of a bed and a hot meal at every stop. It is one of those places where you never know when you might find a chicken under the dining room table, have a child eat off your plate, or see a man carrying a grown woman in a basket supported by his forehead.
The Salkantay Trek is an amazing way to get to Machu Picchu. This trek takes you from the majesty of glacial snow capped mountains to the tropics within a few days and the view of Machu Picchu at sunrise is unforgettable.