You would not want to travel all the way to Peru and miss out on seeing some of the wonders of the Ancient World? Of course not! The true Peruvian experience begins with an appreciation for the history of this amazing land and its seas:

The Inca of Peru were the last of many native civilizations along the Pacific rim of South America that lived in harmony with the ocean, drawing strength from its bounty and respect for its powers.  Quechua, the language of the Inca people, is still widely spoken in Peru.  Machapu is the Quechua word for wave, the purest form of the ocean's energy and a source of inspiration for Peruvians since ancient times.

   
Peru’s history is discovered in layers of civilizations, whose remains can be seen everywhere, if you know where to look. Nearly every fifteen miles along the coast are ruins of ancient cities and towns. The best-known sites, such as Cuzco and Machu Picchu are not to be missed. Yet, perhaps just as impressive are the ancient cities of the coastal plains, such as the Chimu civilization’s mammoth capital of Chan Chan located on Peru’s central coast, very close to the world’s longest left….
Lima, the nation’s capital, is a jewel of both colonial and pre--Colombian architecture, as it has been continuously populated for at least 2,000 years. Colonial Lima owes its unique architecture to the first Spanish Conquistadors who arrived from Seville, giving the old city center a definitive Moorish look and feel that is unique in all of the Americas.
 
Just south of Lima, and in close proximity to some of Peru’s best surf spots, are the remains of the largest pre-Colombian religious site on the coast of South America: Pachacamac. The amazing energy and aura felt at the top of the Pyramid of the Sun must be experienced, as one looks out towards the surf and Isla Ballena (Whale Island). The legend has it that Inca runners were tasked with carrying fresh seafood from Pachacamac, across the desert and the mountains, all the way up to Cuzco in less than 24 hours so that the Inca nobility residing high in the Peruvian Andes could enjoy the ocean’s bounty.
Calling upon the strength of our ancestors, Peru is reclaiming its connection to Quchamama, the Ocean Mother, through a resurgent pride in the surfing traditions stretching back thousands of years to the first people that rode the surf with planing hulls made of reeds (the world’s first SUP), known as caballitos de totora.  These singular surf craft were designed not only for getting past the stacking sets of breakers that roll onto the beaches, but more importantly for riding the mountains of water back to shore.  Ancient Peruvians used these vessels for fishing, but perhaps more importantly, to spiritually connect with the raw power of the ocean by riding the ever-present Machapu.  Simply put: the ancient people of Peru also loved to surf.
The spiritual connection of Peru's people with the ocean is best evidenced in the art and architecture of past civilizations that adorn temples, pyramids and objects with the precise patterns formed by the set lines of surf found on the shores.  Peru may have been the birthplace of surfing; it may have been one of the most important stops on the trade routes of ancient Polynesian and Asiatic sea-faring cultures.  There is plenty of evidence, though modern history and archeology has yet to reach a consensus.  

 
Book your trip now and explore the historical treasures of Peru.
We offer tours to all of Peru’s major archeological sites and colonial treasures that are designed to tie in with memorable surf sessions at the finest breaks in South America. The following are just a few of the wonders that you can visit on a Machapu Adventure:
 
• Machu Picchu
• Cuzco
• Old Lima, Colonial and Pre-Colombian
• Pachacamac
• Chan Chan
• Nazca Lines
• The Sacred Valley
• Trekking the Inca Trail
• Cerro Azul
• Incahuasi