Some 175 miles (285km) north of Lima is Huaraz, South America’s premier base for spectacular trekking, mountain biking, horse riding and ice climbing.

The town offers dozens of excellent restaurants and hotel accommodations, and is only a few hours away from important archaeological sites, most notably Chavín de Huántar.

Running parallel east of town is the Cordillera Blanca, a dramatic mountain chain of snow-crested peaks and turquoise-colored lakes.

In an area covering 840,000 acres (340,000ha) hectares, more than 40 summits thrust above 19,000 feet (5,790m), including 19,511-foot (5,947m) Alpamayo and 22,132-foot (6,746m) Huascarán, the tallest peak in Peru and the tallest tropical mountain in the world.

Most of the range lies within the Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and part of the World Heritage Trust.

Some 60 miles (100km) to the south are the peaks of the Cordillera Huayhuash, dubbed the “Himalayas of America” for their massive ice-faces. These sheer glaciers rising from the emerald Puna provide the backdrop for one of Peru’s most gorgeous, and challenging, hiking circuits.