Il meglio del Perù e Galapagos

Lima stretches along the desert coast of the Pacific, capital of Peru and the gateway to every journey through the Andean nation. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as the "City of Kings," it preserves a historic centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Spanish colonial legacy intertwines with the energy of a contemporary metropolis. The monumental heart revolves around the Plaza Mayor, framed by the Cathedral, the Palacio de Gobierno and the famous carved wooden balconies overlooking the streets of the old town. A few steps away, the Convento de San Francisco holds catacombs and an ancient library, while the Casa de Aliaga recounts five unbroken centuries of history. Moving toward the ocean, the districts of Miraflores and Barranco reveal the city's modern, bohemian soul: along the Malecón, clifftop paths run high above the sea, the Parque del Amor offers Pacific sunsets, and paragliders glide over the waves. Barranco, with its pastel-coloured houses, the Puente de los Suspiros and its art studios, is the haunt of artists and musicians. Not far from the centre rises the Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid of the pre-Columbian Lima culture, a testament to a past that predates the arrival of the Europeans. Today Lima is recognised as one of the gastronomic capitals of Latin America: birthplace of fresh ceviche, fish marinated in lime, the pisco sour, nikkei cuisine blending Peruvian and Japanese traditions, and acclaimed restaurants ranked among the world's best. The markets of San Isidro and the refined eateries of Miraflores reflect a passion for food that defines the country's identity. Between museums devoted to pre-Columbian gold and Moche ceramics, ocean-battered cliffs and a lively nightlife, Lima invites you to discover it slowly, amid colonial history, unforgettable flavours and the boundless horizon of the Pacific.

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cuzco unfolds at over 3,400 metres above sea level among the mountains of the Peruvian Andes, holding within its very name — Qosqo, "the navel of the world" — the sacred role it played for centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is a living palimpsest in which mighty Inca walls, perfectly fitted without mortar, form the foundations of Spanish colonial palaces and churches. Its beating heart is the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Cathedral and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, surrounded by arcades, cafés and craft workshops. Nearby, the Qorikancha — the Temple of the Sun, once clad in sheets of gold — bears witness to the architectural genius of the Inca, upon which the conquistadors built the convent of Santo Domingo. Climbing toward the San Blas quarter, cobbled lanes, flower-filled balconies and artists' studios reveal the city's most intimate soul, while the famous alley of Hatun Rumiyoc guards the legendary twelve-angled stone. On the heights above Cuzco rises the ceremonial fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its enormous megalithic blocks, an ideal starting point to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas. From here you reach the sites of Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, with their colourful markets and agricultural terraces carved into the mountains, and above all Machu Picchu, the mythical lost city among the clouds. Cuzco is also a sensory experience: markets such as San Pedro are fragrant with corn, Andean potatoes and tropical fruits, while local cuisine offers dishes such as cuy, alpaca and chicha de jora. Amid ancestral ceremonies, festivals like Inti Raymi and a spirituality that still pervades the streets, Cuzco welcomes the traveller into a journey out of time, where Inca history and colonial heritage coexist beneath the clear Andean sky.

The route crosses the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a region rich in archaeological sites and natural beauty. Among the most significant stops along the way are the Moray ruins, an Inca site believed to have been used as an agricultural laboratory, and the Maras salt mines, where salt is still produced today using traditional methods. Another important stop along the route is Chinchero, a picturesque Andean village famous for its artisan markets and ancient Inca ruins. An ancient Inca outpost in the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo preserves its urban layout intact, with paved streets and water channels still in use. Above the village rise the terraces of the fortress and the Temple of the Sun, built from enormous blocks of pink granite. It was here, in 1536, that the Inca won one of their few victories against the Spanish conquistadors. From Ollantaytambo departs the scenic railway leading to Machu Picchu, making it an essential stop on any Andean journey. A village where the past is still alive. Also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, Aguas Calientes is the town that serves as gateway to the world's most famous Inca citadel, reachable only by train or on foot along the Urubamba valley. Set between steep, forest-clad mountainsides where the Andes begin to give way to the Amazon, it owes its name to the hot springs that have long made it a place of rest. From here begins the climb to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new seven wonders of the world, where the trail leads to the Puerta del Sol and its legendary views. Among restaurants, craft markets and the ceaseless rush of the river, Aguas Calientes is the lively threshold to an unforgettable experience.

Perched at around 2,400 metres among the Andean peaks, Machu Picchu is the most famous lost city of the Inca, brought back to light in 1911 and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overlooking the valley of the Urubamba river, it reveals stone terraces, temples and palaces of remarkable precision, including the Intihuatana, the enigmatic solar clock. Those seeking breathtaking views can climb the peak of Huayna Picchu or reach the site on foot along the legendary Inca Trail. A timeless thrill in the heart of the Andes.

Guayaquil is Ecuador's most populous city and the country's main commercial port, set along the Río Guayas a short distance from the Pacific coast. The Malecón 2000, the waterfront promenade redeveloped in the early 2000s, is the heart of city life: visitors stroll past fountains, tropical gardens, monumental sculptures and the Museo Antropológico y de Arte Contemporáneo (MAAC). The historic barrio of Las Peñas, climbing up Cerro Santa Ana hill, is the most picturesque neighbourhood in the city, with its brightly painted houses, numbered stairways and seafood restaurants serving the celebrated encebollado broth and the classic Ecuadorian coastal ceviche de camarones. The top of Cerro Santa Ana offers a sweeping view of the Guayas, its river islands and modern Guayaquil below. As the gateway to the Galápagos, Guayaquil is a necessary stop for anyone visiting Ecuador, and rewards those who linger an extra day with pleasant surprises.

Baltra is a small, flat and arid island in the Galápagos, known primarily for hosting one of the archipelago's two international airports — Seymour Airport — through which most visitors bound for Santa Cruz and nearby islands transit. Without tourist attractions of its own, Baltra is essentially a transfer point: from the dock, a short ferry crosses to Santa Cruz. It does, however, support colonies of marine iguanas and has a notable history linked to the Second World War, when it served as a US military base. Santa Cruz is the main inhabited island of the Galápagos archipelago and the hub of one of the planet's most extraordinary natural heritage areas, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Puerto Ayora, the main town, is the most-visited arrival point in the archipelago: from here, boat tours depart for neighbouring islands and day trips head to black-coral beaches, inland lagoons and snorkelling sites where visitors swim alongside sea turtles, sea lions and Galápagos penguins. The Charles Darwin Research Station is open to visitors and offers the first close encounter with the iconic giant tortoises, which roam freely on the island's nature reserves. The Highlands, the volcanic interior of the island, are home to the twin craters known as Los Gemelos, surrounded by lush scalesia forest, while the lava tunnels El Mirador and Las Grietas are geological features of rare beauty. Tortuga Bay beach, reachable on foot from Puerto Ayora in around 45 minutes, is considered one of Ecuador's most beautiful, with turquoise waters and marine iguanas that calmly take ownership of the shore. Santa Cruz is the natural gateway to the entire Galápagos ecosystem.

Isabela is the largest island in the Galápagos archipelago and one of the most wild and compelling destinations in all of Ecuador, where volcanic nature asserts itself in full force. Formed by the merging of six volcanoes — including Wolf and Sierra Negra, one of the world's largest active craters with a caldera roughly ten kilometres wide — the island offers landscapes of extraordinary variety, from black lava flows to coastal lagoons populated by flamingos, Galápagos penguins, and land and marine iguanas. Puerto Villamil, the small settlement on the southern tip, is the starting point for exploring the Galápagos National Park on foot or by bicycle: the Wall of Tears (Muro de las Lágrimas), a relic of the island's penal colony era, and the natural pools of Las Tintorereras are particularly evocative stops. Snorkelling in Isabela's waters is considered among the best in the archipelago, with reliable sightings of green sea turtles, white-tip reef sharks and dolphins. Isabela is for those who want the Galápagos in its most authentic and unspoilt form.