Southern Crossings Tours and Travel

23/12/2019

Check out this beautiful video of the Lost Inca City - Choquequirao. Great video but several of the most important and unique areas of this site were not filmed. On a Southern Crossings Choquequirao trek we always spend a minimum of one full day at this incredible site. It takes at least a day to see and enjoy it all. Only those who have been there know what´s missing. Contact us to join a small group or plan your own private trek with friends.

Choquequirao - The Lost Inca City. Similar in structure to Machu Picchu, but much less accessible, it is called also Machu Picchu's sister city. Choquequirao...

23/12/2019

Emmy nominated Machu Picchu documentary - Intro.

El documental Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu-100th Anniversary, producido y conducido por la norteamericana Ashley Colburn gracias a la invitación que re...

29/11/2019

FLA MIAMI director Gustavo Dornelles rallies Flamengo fans while on tour with Southern Crossings.

20/06/2018

Huascaran National Park, Laguna 69 Trek

15/06/2017

While it is usually the Andes of Peru that captivates tourists and brings them in their numbers to visit the country, the capital city of Lima itself has some archaeological gems of its own. 120km outside of the city of Lima lies the oldest archaeological city in the whole of the Americas, at more than 5,000 years old. Situated in Lima’s desert climate, the archaeological site would not look out of place in Egypt, given its six large pyramid structures. Caral's builders created a city of pyramids, earthquake-resistant with underground ducts that that channeled the wind to keep their fires burning, built with the most basic of tools. The comparisons with ancient Egypt are not just because of the appearance, Caral was built from 3000 to 1800 BC—almost as old as Ancient Egypt!
Of course Caral is a very quintessentially South American and Peruvian. It overlooks the green valley of the Supe river. The site is very well-preserved, and walking around the site one of the most impactful impressions visitors will notice is the design and complexity of its stone platform. Caral’s unique status was recognized by the UN body UNESCO and was listed as a World Heritage site in 2009. It has become an architectural hub of sorts, where several architects from the world have convened in Caral seeking solutions for sustainable living in the 21st century, and are inspired by the ancient city, and engineering marvel. As well as being named a world heritage site, it has been hailed as being an example of sustainable living of the ancient world, in harmony with nature. Such meetings have only taken place twice before, in Athens in 1933 and Venice in 1964. Jose Arispe, one of Peru’s leading architects said of the event: "We turn to the past to see how civilization was organized 5,000 years ago, thinking about their commitment to nature, their cosmic vision."
A visit to this site takes you well off the beaten path to a truly incredible site, a unique piece of Pan-American history, with roots in the history and inspiration for the future.

17/05/2017

Peruvian food is becoming more and more famous around the world as more people discover its sintilating taste. Peru now has three restaurants in the top 50 restaurants (including two in the top ten) and Peruvian restaurants are appearing in cities around the world. Take a look at some of the top Peruvian dishes that make Peruvian food so special, although there are many dishes that are not mentioned that are really great too. Remember, coming to Peru isn´t just about seeing incredible archaelogical sites, hiking in the Andes, and exploring the Amazon jungle, you can also learn about the unique cuisine and Southern Crossings allows you to learn how to prepare these dishes in a custom culinary tour that lets you take back some of the magic of Peruvian cuisine with you to prepare at home.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/06/essential-peruvian-cuisine.html
http://www.southerncrossings.com/culinaryperu.html

If you've been primed on Peruvian food, the conversation likely started with the country's mindboggling variety of potatoes. But culinarily speaking, Peru is the Hope Diamond of Latin America, home to dishes and flavors you won't find anywhere else. Here are 10 essential meals to dig into on your vi...

14/05/2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP7n_cHJRe4

07/03/2017

While Peru is most famous for Machu Picchu, and its incredible archaeological and natural beauty, another great thing about it is the food! Peru's gastronomy is starting to get big international attention, Peruvian restaurants are popping up across major cities, catering to the demand of this new and exciting cuisine. Of course, while Peruvian food is great wherever you find it. It's best in Peru where the natural ingredients like the Peruvian lemons give it unmistakable flavor. Southern Crossings offers a culinary tour where you can come to Lima and discover how to prepare your favorite Peruvian dishes. Check out our website, and look for culinary tour.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-02/why-lima-is-the-world-s-best-food-city-by-the-numbers

Eating our way through three restaurants that set the bar.

02/03/2017

Continuing on from yesterday on our focus on the small village of Camaná, the rice-growing village in the South of Peru. Much of the agriculture depends on the season, and specifically the river. In the dry season the river becomes considerably lower, restricting the water supply, then during the rainy season, it grows to great potential bringing with it the water needed to feed the rice crops and also it brings food for the villagers, many of whom fish. The richest catch are the shrimp, used to make the typical dish of Camaná and Arequipa, the Chupe de Camarones (a shrimp soup). Right now, as the river grows, the shrimp are in breeding season so it is illegal to fish them, but later on at the peak season of the river, fishing for shrimp becomes common. Here are some pictures of the beautiful scenic river as it grows and gets closer to its peak.

01/03/2017

Camaná is a small village in Peru, relatively close to the city of Arequipa in the South. It is right next to the beach, and is a major source of agriculture for the whole of the country. Rice is planted throughout the year, especially now in the Peruvian summer, and are harvested when they are grown. The process of growing the rice is very interesting and requires a lot of water, fields are flooded with water to feed the rice plants. Then as when they grow and are harvested, the farmers have to remove the old plant that won't many more rice, so what they do is the burn the plants (although this has now been made illegal) and then replant rice plants and start the process again. You can see this in the main photo below. It is a simple and small little village, but it is a big producer of rice and provides Peru with a lot of the important grain. It is just one of the many wonders of Peru, not a top tourist destination, but very interesting nonetheless, a place full of learning.
More photos and information on Camaná will be coming tomorrow.

01/03/2017

"The Vinicunca mountains, also known as the Rainbow mountains, are one of Peru's many beautiful destinations to visit. While Machu Picchu is the best known tourist spot in Peru, the Rainbow mountains are one area that is just recently being promoted by the local community. Hiking to the mountain is not easy, and many of the trips are in the form of a long day hike. There is also the possibility of a one night camping trip to start the hike to the summit at dawn which gives you more of a chance to enjoy the experience.
http://www.southerncrossings.com/cuzcoday-tours

A great selection of affordable and enjoyable day activities in and around Cuzco to get more familiar with the incredible region. Add any of these tours on to your Peru tour. Travel any day with friends, family, your partner or just by yourself!

29/02/2016

Semana Santa (Holy Week) which begins the week before Easter is a highly celebrated and revered week in Peru. In Cusco it is a great opportunity to experience the blend of Catholicism and the indigenous Andean culture. The week kicks off with a procession of El Señor de Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes) through the Plaza de Armas. This tradition started over 300 years ago. In March of 1650 a devastating earthquake demolished the city of Cusco. The only thing left standing was the Christ in the Cathedral. This black Christ, Señor de Temblores, is taken out every year to protect the city from such devastation. Every year the Peruvians flock to the city center to come pay their respects.