Planning your Veggie Tour to Peru

While planning your Veggie Tour to Peru, keep in mind that Peru's three geographical regions - coast, highlands, and jungle - each has distinct attractions and climate. Also remember that most visitors will arrive to the capital city of Lima, located in the center of Peru's long, narrow Pacific coastal region. From there, travel itineraries are generally directed to the south, the north, or the eastern jungle region. Here are some useful tips --

Llama grassing in Machu Picchu, Cusco-Peru.

Climate The ideal time of year to visit the coast is from December through April, when there is plenty of sunshine and the ocean warms up for bathing. The highlands and the jungle are best visited during the dry season from April through October. While temperatures remain warm at night in the jungle, they drop sharply late in the afternoon in the highlands, and may go below freezing. Be sure to bring a good sun block, mosquito repellent and warm clothes for the highlands.

Popular Itineraries: 

The Southern Circuit When time is short, one week is enough to see the highlights of Peru's attractions: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. With another week, you can add Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Puno and the magnificent Lake Titicaca and also spend a couple of days to see the Nazca Lines and the Paracas Peninsula with its magnificent marine bird life. Adding a few extra days allows you to see more in the Cusco area or visiting some fascinating museums in Lima.


Northern Peru Destinations Interested in archaeology? A Veggie Tour to the northern cities of Chiclayo and Trujillo is a must. The Moche mausoleum of Lord of Sipan in the Tumbas Reales museum, along with many other archaeological treasures of the area, like Chan Chan and El Brujo are a marvel to behold. The Chachapoyas area with its impressive fortress of Kuelap has also become a new destination of interest in the north. The Huascaran National Park and the beautiful Callejon de Huaylas, known as the "Switzerland of South America," also attract many visitors every year in search of adventure and the height of Andean natural beauty.

The Peruvian Jungle Some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world are found in the Manu National Park, the Tambopata Candamo Nature Reserve, Pacaya Samiria and the numerous other protected areas of the Peruvian jungle. The Amazon jungle near Puerto Maldonado and Iquitos offers a great variety of programs with experienced guides and comfortable lodges. In order to get the most of your tour to the Peruvian Jungle and its amazing biodiversity, you should plan properly and allow enough time. So whether your interest is adventure or ecotourism, archaeology, history, culture, mysticism, or experiential tourism, and of course you wish to travel with vegan or vegetarian meals, your beat alternative is to choose one of our Veggie Tours.

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Veggie Tours to the Surprising Peruvian Amazon Rain Forest

The Amazon Basin

Iquitos: Capital of the Department of Loreto. Located on the West Bank of the mighty Amazon River, considered to be the longest in the world and with the greatest volume of water. Iquitos is an isolated city by road. It can be reached only by air or river.

Founded in 1757 as San Pablo de los Napeanos by the Jesuits. However, Iquitos did not grow until the rubber boom in the late 19th century and early 20th century. A great wealth came from the extraction of latex. Today, Iquitos is the center for exploration of oil in the Peruvian Amazon. Also its of big importance the lumber industry, ecotourism and commerce.

Warm, humid and with a heavy rainy season, Iquitos has a typical tropical climate. The best time for visiting is from April through October, when the rains diminish due to the dry season.

Puerto Maldonado: Capital of the Department of Madre de Dios, located at the confluence of the rivers Tambopata and Madre de Dios. Puerto Maldonado is considered as the biological capital of the world due to the amount of plant and animal species found in this area. The climate is tropical, very humid and warm, with the rainy season from December through April. That is why, it is better to visit from May through November.

Puerto Maldonado is the starting point for visiting the rainforests, some of the most beautiful protected areas in the country, including Manu National Park, Tambopata Candamo etc.
The most wonderful vegan and vegetarian tours are organized to visit these protected areas of the Peruvian Amazon, a world natural wonder. We also include tours to other regions of Peru including the legendary Machu Picchu, Cusco, Nazca Lines and Lima, the beautiful capital city of Peru.

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Spectacular Colca Canyon

The spectacular Colca Canyon is at least twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. About 150 Km NW of Arequipa (4 hours), crossing the Salinas and Aguada Blanca reserve is the town of Chivay, starting point to explore the canyon.

The climate is dry in the valley, with sunny days and cold nights. The rainy season is from November to April.

The Colca Canyon is a massive geological formation made by the Colca River as it finds its way between the mountains made of volcanic material.

The greatest attractions to the tourists are between the town of Chivay and the Cruz del Condor near the town of Cabanaconde, about 60 Km distance.

Chivay is the gateway to the canyon. Most tourists overnight in the accommodations nearby. Then after 8 km, the first town is Yanque with warm thermal swimming pool and nice accommodations at Colca Lodge,

Then comes the town of Achoma, Maca, Pinchollo and finally the Mirador or Cruz del Condor, the deepest point of the canyon, where the majestic Condors can be seen, rising from the mountains. The last town in the Colca Canyon is Cabanaconde, a typical village about 20 minutes from Cruz del Condor.
Wonderful Vegetarian and Vegan Tours can be taken in order to enjoy this awesome destination with 100% Veggie meals.
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The Amazon River, one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in the World

The Jaguar, Feline of the Peruvian Rain Forest

The Amazon River was named as one of the New Seven World Wonders of Nature list in the forests, national parks and nature reserves category.
The Amazon River is the largest river of the world and its basin is also the largest drainage basin of the planet; since, it covers an area of 6 475 000 square kilometers (2500 000 square miles) in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia.
The Amazon River releases an impressive quantity of water into the Atlantic Ocean, around 300 000 cubic meters per second. Because of this flood, the Amazon is the source of the 20% of the total volume of fresh water of the planet’s Oceans.
The Amazon River basin supports also the most important biodiversity ecosystem of the world, the Amazonian Rain Forest, which is the home of around 70% of all known plant and animal species of the planet, including 300 species of mammals, 1700 species of birds, 3000 species of freshwater fish and trees as well as millions of insects, including 4000 species of butterflies. It highlights species such as the jaguars, macaws, piranhas, toucans, anacondas, turtles, snakes, alligators and many more.

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

The Peruvian Government declared the Pacaya and Samiria River Basin as a Reserved zone in 1940 in order to protect the largest fish in the Amazon river system.

In 1982 Pacaya Samiria was declared as National Reserve. It was created to conserve the species of plants and animal wildlife.

Four different types of forests are found here, and a great variety of species of plants, such as Lupuna (Chorisia insignis), renaco (Ficus anthelmintica), caoba or mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla); orchids such as mosses, lichen, Elleamthus aurantiaca; Palm trees, such as Mauritius Palm or Aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa), yarina (Phytelephas yarina).

In Pacaya Samiria there are more than One hundred thirty two species of reptiles, one hundred thirty types of mammals, more than three hundred species of birds, countless numbers of amphibians, and huge variety of fish species that are the main source of protein for the local population.

Many endangered species are found in this National Reserve such as the Black spider monkey (Ateles paniscus), wooly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha), red howler monkey (Alouata seniculus), the pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), the gray estuarine dolphin (Sotalia fluviatilis), two species of turtles: Taricaya (Podocnemis unfillis), giant charapa (Podocnemis expansa), manatees (Trichechus inunguis), giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis), and the black cayman (Melanosuchus niger).

A large variety of fish species that can be found here, such as: the world's largest fresh - water fish (Paiche arapaima gigas) , weighing four hundred pounds, and about three meters long: Pacu (Myleus setiger) thirty pounds, gamitana (Colossoma bidens) one hundred twelve pounds, tucunare (Cichla Ocellaris) eight to ten pounds, and acarahuasu (Astronotus ocellatus) three to five pounds.

Within the group of mammals, we can find the most common felines , the jaguar (Panthera onca), ocelot (Leopardis pardalis) and margay (Leopardus wiedii). The most abundant type of mammals are the rodents, an example of these are the ronsoco or capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).

Finally, we find in Pacaya Samiria a great variety of birds species such as: toucan (Ramphastos cuvieri), blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), tabaquero (Pteroglossus castanotis), Scarlet macaw (Ara macao), tuqui-tuqui (Jacana jacana), green hummingbird (Amazilia lactea), among others.

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Veggie Experiential Tourism in the Andes

VEGGIE EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM IN THE ANDES

Experiential tourism constitutes an important means of encouraging the meeting and coming together of different cultures, their problems and potentials, especially in rural areas. Tourists get experiences completely different from their usual ones in big cities. They experience first-hand the rich cultural diversity of the rural communities.

Participating in a vegetarian experiential tourism program in Cajamarca (Porcon Farm), North of Peru; programs in different communities of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, (Cusco- Peru), and also communities in the highlands of Ecuador or Bolivia; gives tourists the opportunity to enjoy the pristine nature of the highlands in the Andes, participating in different workshops for the benefit of the communities and increasing the income of local people, through sale of local products (handcrafts, improvement of tourism services, etc) as well as enjoying delicious vegetarian and vegan local food.

Living for some time in these communities are unique experiences which enrich the life of visitors, eager to have intimate contact with the natural world of the Andes and its inhabitants. Visitors will share daily life, customs, festivals and the great variety of natural ecosystems, in this beautiful land, the fascinating and ancestral world of the Andes.

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Willka Tika, a Vegetarian Eden in the Andes of Peru

Embedded in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, between Cusco and Machu Picchu and along the Sacred Urubamba River, lies a real Vegetarian Eden, ready to welcome vegetarian and vegan travelers from all over the world.

Willka Tika means Sacred Flower in Quechua, the original language of the Incas. This name represents everything that Carol, the founder of this inspiring place wished to impress upon, a retreat of love, beauty and spiritual development, an authentic living dedication to the heritage and spirit of the people of the Andes.

The gardens are laid out as Seven Sacred Gardens. Each is dedicated to a different energy center, to provide a perfect setting for personal meditation, healing and rejuvenation. The accommodation, merged into the gardens was built in a beautiful colonial style using all local materials.

Most Vegetarian or Vegan travelers visiting Willka Tika feel immediately at home, when the staff, entirely Quechua neighbors welcome them with a local herb tea. Meals at Willka T'ika are something out of this world. The vegetarian ingredients are filled with the living energy of freshly harvested vegetables and salads grown in their own organic gardens; however, the common and main ingredient in every plate is love. Vegetarian guests always speak of the affection with which every recipe is prepared and offered to them; no wonder why one of the most often used words in the vegetarian visitor’s testimonials is “home”.

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The Tuber that Saved Mankind from Famine.

The potato (Solanum tuberosum), a tuber that originated in the upper part of the Andes in Peru, has served as a foodstuff for humans in the last 8,000 years. However, it was not until the Spanish took samples of the potato to Europe in the sixteenth century that it became a universal food. In fact, less than a century after the potato was brought to the Old World, it turned for mass consumption, and during the industrial revolution proved to be a key energy source for the working class. Today, the potato is a very important source of protein and starch for vegetarians and vegans.

According to ancient legend, when the mythical founders of the Inca Empire, in old Peru, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from the cold waters of Lake Titicaca, the first thing that God taught them was to plant potatoes. Possibly due to this ancient origin, farmers in the Andes have developed a number of varieties that have adapted to all climates. Today, scientists have identified more than 4,000 potato varieties, many of which, as the yellow potato (papa or pope huayra yellow) are found only in Peru. In fact, Peruvian potatoes are considered unmatched in flavor and texture. The mighty Inca culture revered the potato not only as a staple food but as an icon. Vegetarians and vegans who travel to Peru delight themselves in many delicious dishes based on several varieties of potatoes, including the famous “yellow potato” or “papa amarilla”.

The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century include about 33 kg of potatoes. However, the local importance of the potato is rapidly increasing. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially in Central and Eastern Europe), where output per capita is still the highest in the world. However, a faster expansion in recent decades has occurred in South and East Asia. China is now the world's largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India. In general, the potato production has shifted away from richer countries to low-income areas of the world.

In the famous tourist destinations of Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and Quito many restaurants offer wonderful recipes of potatoes and corn to vegetarian and vegan visitors who travel to Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

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