Birding in ¨Abra Patricia Alto Nieva¨ Biological Station in Amazonas-Peru
-
- The Johnson’s Tody-Tyrant in abra patricia
-
- The Long-whiskered Owlet biological satation
-
- The Yellow-scarfed Tanager
The Abra Patricia Alto Nieva Private Reserve is located on the east slope of the Andes in Northern Peru, at kilometre 364.5 of the Fernando Belaunde Highway, in Bongara Province, Amazonas Department. The reserve protects 1415.74 ha. of Peruvian Yungas ecosystems, characterized by rugged terrain clothed in very humid and diverse montane forest.
It is rare to find such pristine, protected montane forest in such an accessible situation: the station can be reached by a 6 hour drive on paved roads from Tarapoto, which is serviced by commercial flights from Lima. Most birdwatchers will visit the biological station as part of a spectacular North Peru birding tour, visiting diverse sites on the coastal plain, in the Andes, and in the Mayo Valley.
The Long-whiskered Owlet Biological Station has three spacious bungalows, each housing two double rooms with private bath, hot water, space heater, and electricity in the evenings. Internet access via satellite is available in the dining/lounge area. The biological station’s kitchen offers three hearty meals per day, served in the spacious and comfortable dining room. Meal times and menu items are tailored to each group individually.
Five trails have been established near the Biological Station, allowing visitors excellent birding opportunities. Other attractions include mammals such as the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, a great variety of orchids and much more; overall, these trails offer an thrilling and intimate “cloud forest” experience.
You may bump into mixed flocks with Golden-naped, Metallic-green and other Tanagers. Exploring side trails you may see the new Johnson’s (Lulu´s) Tody-Tyrant, Royal Sunangel, Long Whiskered Owlet, Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Cotingas, Fruiteaters, Toucans, Parrots, Tapaculos and many others that lives on this protected area. You’ll bird various altitudinal zones between 1000 and 2400 meters.
Tipon is an Inca archeological site near Cusco, Peru. Like the more famous Machu Picchu, Tipon features typical Inca architecture and Inca water engineering.
Just like at Machu Picchu, you will enjoy great panoramic views from Tipon, as it is built high on the side of a mountain, overlooking the “Valley of the South” and the nearby town of Tipon. There are several ancient trails leading up towards the top of the mountain which offer a great hike with beautiful views.
-
- Tipon archeological site
-
- View from Tipon, Peru
-
- Typical Inca terraces
-
- Tipon historical site
-
- Tipon, near Cusco, Peru
-
- Inca water engineering
-
- Inca water engineering at Tipon
-
- Tipon, Peru
-
- Inca walls at Tipon
-
- Tipon
-
- Inca stairway
-
- Tipon archeological site
Tipon is only about an hour bus ride from Cusco and an excellent choice for a day-trip. Unlike Machu Picchu, Tipon is visited by few foreign tourists, it’s a perfect place to relax in the Andean sun and chat with some of the local visitors. To extend your day-trip a bit more, you can drive another half hour or so to get to Andahuaylillas and visit the Sistene Chapel of the Andes.
Before or after visiting Tipon you should definitely have a typical Andean lunch in one of the nearby towns. Each town near Tipon has it’s own specialty: in the town of Tipon you can enjoy cuy (Guinea Pig), in Lucre the typical dish is duck, and in Saylla meatlovers can have Chicharron, or fried pork.
How to get to Tipon:
Tour operators in Cusco offer a “Valley of the South” day-trip, which typically includes Tipon, lunch and Andahuaylillas. However, you can visit all of these sites by yourself as well. From Cusco, you can take the “Saylla-Tipon-Oropesa” bus, or take the Urcos bus (which is nicer and has fewer stops on the way). The Urcos bus terminal is located on Av. Cultura, about a block down from the UNSAAC university. If you take the local bus you will also need to take a taxi or hike from the main road up to the Tipon archeological site. If you want to visit Andahuaylillas as well, you can continue on the Urcos bus from Tipon.
To enjoy typical Andean food, there’s no better place than restaurant Sol de Mayo in Urubamba. It’s a local restaurant, you will find very few tourists there, so it’s a great place to see what life in Peru is really like. On Sunday afternoons, the restaurant is full of local families enjoying the great food.
Andean food is excellent, with fresh ingredients unique to the high Andes mountains. Here are a few pictures from this past weekend when we took my parents to lunch at Sol de Mayo:
-
- Typical Andean food
-
- Typical Andean food
-
- Restaurant Sol de Mayo in Urubamba, Peru
Urubamba is the biggest town in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, about 20 miles outside of Cusco. Unlike the nearby towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, Urubamba doesn’t have any prominent tourist attractions. However, it’s central location and availability of nice hotels has made it somewhat of a popular destination.
Restaurant Sol de Mayo is located on La Salle ave. in Urubamba, overlooking a picturesque little square.
The church of Señor de Torrechayoc in Urubamba is one of those beautiful sights away from the busy tourist circuit in Peru. It’s a quiet little church with a picturesque square in front, a perfect spot to sit down, relax and enjoy the Andean sun. We stopped by Señor de Torrechayoc a few days ago while we were in Urubamba for lunch with my parents 
The church of Señor de Torrechayoc, or the “Patron” of Urubamba, is just a few blocks away from the main avenue in Urubamba, up about half a mile from the bus station. Just ask any of the locals and they’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.
Señor de Torrechayoc is not a busy tourist destination at all, but well worth a visit for those who like to get a flavor of what Peru is like for ordinary Peruvians.
Señor de Torrechayoc in Urubamba, Peru
Señor de Torrechayoc in Urubamba, Peru
Señor de Torrechayoc in Urubamba, Peru
Since this blog is intended to be a Peru travel guide I thought I’d create an open thread for anyone to add in the comments what they think are the best things to do and best places to see in Cusco and Peru. We all know the main attractions such as Machu Picchu, the Inka Trail and downtown Cusco, but let’s dig a little deeper and find out what else is out there.
Because many tourists nowadays are interested in seeing how life is for ordinary Peruvians, I asked Cusqueños to add their views in the comments section, to get the word from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Actually, I didn’t ask as much as I bribed: this month my students at ICPNA are getting extra points if they add a comment below 
Please fire away in the comments, if you’d like to add pictures, email them to me. Thanks!!!
There are many reasons to visit Peru, sightseeing, culture, history, and nightlife just to name a few. Peruvian food by itself can be enough reason for a visit. Peru’s cuisine reflects the country’s diversity, with distinctly different dishes by the coast, in the high Andes and in the Amazon jungle.
-
- Homemade Peruvian soup or caldo
-
- Typical Andean meal
-
- Ceviche (Cebiche), fresh seafood
-
- Chicharron de pollo
-
- Homemade salchipapas
-
- Chicharron or fried pork
There are many typical dishes in Peru, these are just some pictures I had handy. Living in Peru has given me an entirely new appreciation for fresh food, since most of the ingredients come from local markets, not big industrial food processors
About 20 miles outside of Cusco is “the Sacred Valley of the Inca” (Valle Sagrado). There you will find the popular tourist destinations of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, as well as the town of Urubamba and the shrine of Señor de Huanca, a popular pilgrimage among Cusquenians.
Sacred Valley of the Inca
I recently added a hotel reservation section to our Peru travel site. You can now find a great selection of touristic hotels in Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley on www.mycuscotrip.com.
Hotels in the Sacred Valley of the Inca:
- 3-star hotels in the Sacred Valley of the Inca from $56 / night
- 4-star hotels in the Sacred Valley of the Inca from $126 / night
- 5-star hotels in Cusco from $369 / night
Why stay in the Sacred Valley of the Inca?
It is a good idea to spend a few days in the Sacred Valley when you first arrive to Cusco, because it is at a lower elevation (~7,000 feet MSL) than the city of Cusco, so it is easier to get acclimated to the altitude. Staying overnight in the Sacred Valley of the Inca is also a great option before you head of to visit Machu Picchu, since the train ride from Ollantaytambo only takes about 2 hours, as opposed to 4 hours leaving very early in the morning from Cusco.
These pictures don’t do it justice, Machu Picchu is fabulous. Not only is the ancient Inca citadel impressive and beautiful in its architecture, but also its setting on top of a mountain peak is absolutely stunning. We took these pictures during a visit with my parents…
-
- Machu Picchu, Peru
-
- Machu Picchu, Peru
-
- Looking up towards the top of Machu Picchu
-
- Inca architecture at Machu Picchu
-
- Typical Inca architecture
-
- Great views from Machu Picchu
-
- Receiving energy from the Sun at Machu Picchu
-
- Llamas roam free at Machu Picchu
-
- With my parents at Machu Picchu
-
- At Machu Picchu, Peru
-
- View from Machu Picchu
-
- At Machu Picchu, Peru
How to get to Machu Picchu? From Cusco you can reach Machu Picchu either by bus or train, train being the most common way. I recommend staying overnight in the Sacred Valley of the Inca and taking the train from Ollantaytambo, since the trains in Cusco leave very early. The trainride from Ollantaytambo is about 2 hours, from Cusco it takes around 4 hours.
You can also reach Machu Picchu via the ancient Inca Trails, you can choose from a number of different hikes, the most common ones are a 2-day hike and a 4-day hike. There are also more challenging hikes via Salkantay or Choquequirao, which can take up to a week.
You can visit Machu Picchu in one day if you like, but you may also want to stay overnight to enjoy the hot springs at nearby Aguas Caliente.
Some pictures from the Choquequirao trek. Choquequirao is an ancient Inca site that rivals Machu Picchu in its beauty and architecture, but it is much less visited than Machu Picchu. Unlike Machu Picchu, which can be reached by train and bus, the way to visit Choquequirao is to take a 4 day hike, with stunning scenery along the way.
-
- Scenery along the Choquequirao trek
-
- Cachora, where the trek to Choquequirao begins
-
- Along the hike to Choquequirao
-
- Choquequirao in the distance
-
- Along the Choquequirao trek
-
- At Choquequirao
-
- At Choquequirao
-
- Choquequirao trek
-
- Waterfall along the Choquequirao trek
The trek to Choquequirao is about 1.5 days each way, leaving from Cachora outside Cusco. To take this great hike, please contact us or visit www.mycuscotrip.com to make online reservations.
We now offer online hotel reservations for Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley on www.mycuscotrip.com.
You can make your reservations online to stay at the prestigious Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, or a number of fine tourist hotels in Machu Picchu town, ranging from 3-star to 5-star rating.
Machu Picchu hotels:
- 3-star hotels in Machu Picchu from $70 / night
- 4-star hotels in Machu Picchu from $179 / night
- 5-star hotels in Machu Picchu from $268 / night
Come and visit Machu Picchu, one of the “new 7 wonders” of the world!
Ward Welvaert
www.mycuscotrip.com
