This tangy, refreshing dish of ‘raw’ seafood ‘cooked’ in lime juice and served with red onion and coriander is Peru’s national dish. You will find iterations of ceviche all over Lima, from street-food carts and market stands such as El Cevichano in El Eden Market to casual beachside eateries such as Canta Rana (rumoured to be the city’s best) and big-name chef joints such as La Mar Cebicheria from Gastón Acurio (of Astrid & Gastón fame). There’s a no-bookings policy at this latter city favourite, so expect to queue for the spanking fresh seafood (sustainably sourced) and Pisco sour cocktails in a buzzy setting.

Among the residential skyscrapers, trendy boutiques and busy eat streets of Lima’s upmarket Miraflores neighbourhood, you’ll discover the uniquely Peruvian cuisine called ‘Nikkei’. It is a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cooking and dates back more than 100 years when Peru was the first Latin American country to welcome Japanese migration. Maido is the 8th best restaurant in the world on S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and here you can experience chef Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura’s inventive Nikkei tasting menu or take a seat at the traditional sushi counter.

Although the Pisco sour cocktail was created by an American bartender, the citrussy drink – made with Peru’s national spirit Pisco, lime juice, Angostura bitters and frothy eggwhite – is an important part of Lima’s history, so much so that it has its own day of celebration on February 4. Sip for yourself at the luxurious Hotel Bolivar on San Martin Square (where Ernest Hemingway is rumoured to have consumed record amounts of this drink!), or head to the gracious Country Club Lima Hotel with its opulent colonial architecture and manicured gardens.

The Ballestas Islands, a group of small islands on the south coast of Peru, are an untouched marine sanctuary with an abundance of wildlife, from pelicans and flamingos to sea lions and penguins. The best way to take in this natural wonder is by boat departing from the mainland port town of Paracas.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Arequipa, which dates back to Peru’s Spanish colonial era, may be the country’s most underrated city. The all-white Baroque architecture is framed by a ring of three volcanos, which provide not just a stunning backdrop for the city’s European-style cathedrals, plazas and monasteries, but also the white volcanic rock from which they are all built – hence Arequipa’s nickname ‘The White City’ or ‘Ciudad Blanca’ in Spanish. Have lunch at one of the local picanteria – no-frills traditional eateries – such as La Capitana, serving hearty local soups, stews and fritters, before exploring the area’s mountains, rivers and canyons.

The Andean Condor is the world’s largest flying bird, with an impressive wingspan of more than three metres. Catch a glimpse of these mountain-dwelling South American vultures from the Condor View Point, an easy three-kilometre hike from the small town of Chonta, where the view over the crumpled green mountains, sheer canyons and cloud-dotted sky is just as impressive.

Lake Titicaca, the large, deep lake in the Andes that straddles the border of Bolivia and Peru, is geographically important as the highest navigable body of water in the world, and culturally significant as the birthplace of the Incas. Explore Inca ruins at Isla de la Luna, the floating Uros Islands – home to the indigenous Uros or Uru people, who build their floating abodes out of totora reeds – and Suasi Island, which is the spot to catch sunset over the lake.

Cusco is one of South America’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and was the home and administrative capital of the Incas for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today the city is a fascinating combination of both cultures, and at a dizzying altitude of 3450 metres, you will need to acclimatise before you set out on foot to explore its markets, plazas, Spanish cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and ancient Inca temple, Coricancha.

Despite its fascinating history and well-preserved architecture, today, the capital of the Incan Empire has become an interesting food destination in its own right. Here are three must-try dishes in Cusco. Pachamanca, which means ‘earth oven’ in the ancient Quechua language, is a traditional dish of meat marinated in spices with corn and potatoes slow-cooked under hot rocks. Caldo de gallina, Cusco’s answer to chicken soup, is what the locals eat for breakfast. Join the queue at one of the food stands in San Pedro Market to get your fix of this Cusquenian comfort food. Quinoa was an important part of the Incan diet, and now it is a hot ingredient in the country’s growing craft beer scene. In Cusco, try a quinoa pale ale at Cholos Craft Beer, QOSQO Beer House or Cicciolina.

The Sacred Valley – a lush green valley about 90 minutes’ drive north of Cusco – has been an important source of food in the high Andes since the time of the Incan Empire. See Incan ruins including farming terraces, palaces and temples, and check out Pisac Market – the most famous market in the region – where indigenous Quechua communities from the surrounding highlands come to sell their produce and buy supplies. It’s busy, colourful and a total sensory overload. Snack on empanadas or try roasted cuy (guinea pig).

Nestled in the cloud forest at the base of Machu Picchu in the Urubamba River Valley, Aguas Calientes is a fantastic base to explore Peru’s most famous relic from the Incan Empire. Named for its hot springs (aguas calientes) it is also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo (town), because it is only a short, but winding, 30-minute bus ride to the famous mountain-top Incan citadel. While Aguas Calientes has the wild-west frontier feel of a gold-rush town, the benefit of staying here is early access to Machu Picchu to beat the crowds.

Located at the centre of the once expansive Inca Empire, Machu Picchu is one of the few well preserved remnants of the Inca civilisation and one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. Built in the 15th century, and abandoned just 100 years later, it is an example of the Inca’s engineering feats, with the mountain-top citadel’s terraces, walls, temples and infrastructure constructed using the sophisticated dry-stone technique. In fact, the stones are so perfectly cut, they have survived multiple earthquakes. Machu Picchu’s purpose remains a mystery as there are no written records surviving the Incas. Historians argue it could have been a place of spiritual worship because many of the structures appear to align with astronomical events. Other suggestions include it being a military stronghold, a prison or the headquarters of the great Incan emperor Pachacuti.

The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It borders Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana and Ecuador, but it’s in the Peruvian part of the rainforest that you’ll find the highest levels of biodiversity, the best bird-watching, and some of the most unique jungle lodges and river cruises. Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado are the two major Peruvian cities in the Amazon, both important jumping off points for boating on the Rio Tambopata and Madre de Dios that lead you into the expansive jungle. An adventure into the Amazon is a twitcher’s delight, as a rainbow of scarlet and red and green macaws, parrots and parakeets chirp overhead. This gallery is brought to you by Helloworld Travel.