Northern Circuit

Northern Circuit
When the rains come early to Cusco, consider the Moche Trail alternative

When the rains come early to Cusco, consider the Moche Trail alternative

The weather in Cusco has been predictably unpredictable with the rainy season starting a month earlier than usual. Last week there was significant flooding in the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. A recommendation for anyone interested in coming to Peru in the next couple of months: The northern coast. You would want to take plenty of sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent, since there are mosquitoes — but the summer season has barely begun, so the bugs shouldn't be too bad. The pace is less frenetic and much less touristy than Cusco. You can pick and choose any number of destinations, from amazingly beautiful nature reserves to the most active — and arguably the most significant — treasure trove of active archaeological discovery occurring right now in Peru. There's Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary, the Cerros de Amotape National Park and the Tumbes Reserved Zone, with protected wildlife; to quote our friends at PromPeru, near Piura are the Colan beach resort, the town of Catacaos known for its arts and crafts and gold and silver jewelry, and the town of Chulucanas, famous for its pottery.
Northern Circuit
Marinera Norteña

Marinera Norteña

There’s a lively debate about the origins of the Marinera, and several contrasting schools of thought. It’s not surprising that everyone in Peru wants to claim a slice of the country’s most popular dance. It’s a dramatic and romantic paired dance, with the couple making sweeping gestures, showing off the white traditional costumes of Peru’s north coast. Watch this clip from the documentary Soy Andina, which travels through Peru, explaining the country’s diverse regional cultures through the story of two dancers.

Northern Circuit
Gocta Falls ~ The Debate and a Video

Gocta Falls ~ The Debate and a Video

There’s been much frenzied debate about what place Gocta holds on the list of the world’s highest waterfalls. Is it the third highest, the fifth or the fourteenth? Do you measure both drops together, or only the highest of the two stages? Is height really the most important factor in deciding whether a waterfall is worth visiting?

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