The 8 best mystical tourism options in Peru

Mystical tourism is a new, different and special option in Peru. There are many options, among which the practice of yoga, spiritual retreats, ayahuasca and payment to the earth stand out. The Peruvian territory has religious temples and natural landscapes with a special energy that is worth knowing. Highlights: Huancaya in Lima, the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco, Huancabamba in Piura and more. Get to know the 8 best mystical tourism options in Peru!

The Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is in Cusco offers a wide variety of tourist options. This natural area was appreciated by the Incas for its agricultural fertility. There the Incas built temples and Inca buildings such as: Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. In addition, tourist attractions such as the Salineras de Maras and the circular platforms of Moray stand out. This is a great option on the trip to Cusco.

Lovers of mystical tourism like to stay in Urubamba hotels in the Sacred Valley. The temperate climate, the murmur of the river and the natural space allow a space for meditation. There are lodges to practice ayahuasca, San Pedro or yoga. Highlights include: the Pachatusan Retreat House Lodge, the Sapan Inka Retreat House and more. In the lagoons of Piuray and Huaypo -in Chinchero- you can practice sessions of paying the earth or meditation.

• Location: The town of Pisac, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, is located 34 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco.
• Price: The 1-day Ayahuasca tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas costs approximately $150 to $200 per visitor.

The Temple of the Moon in Cusco

The Temple of the Moon in Cusco is also known as the ‘Temple of Fertility’. It is located 3.7 kilometers from the city of Cusco. It is a cavern located inside a large rock formation carved by the Incas. In this cavern there is a ceremonial table and a hole through which a ray of sunlight enters. It is believed that the Incas performed fertility rituals (the cave has a shape of a uterus).

The Temple of the Moon can be visited on their own by any tourist. Admission is free. You only have to take a taxi or public transportation to the Qenqo sector where this Inca construction is located. Another way is to hire a mystical tourism tour at the Temple of the Moon. There the visitor can practice ceremonies of payment to the land or even ayahuasca. It is recommended to choose a serious tourism agency.

• Location: 3.7 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco (in the Qenqo sector).
• Price: Entrance to the Temple of the Moon is free for everyone.

Lake Titicaca in Puno

Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is located at an altitude of 3,812 meters above sea level, in the department of Puno in southern Peru. It covers an immense area of 6,450 square kilometers and a depth of up to 283 meters. There are important tourist attractions there, especially its islands with communities such as the towns of Uros, Taquile and Amantani, all surrounded by the blue waters of the lake.

Lake Titicaca is the scene of many legends and myths. One of the most famous is the myth of the Ayar Brothers, which mentions that the Inca founders Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo emerged from the depths of the lake. Because of this, very ancient religious rites are still performed there. In the lake communities you can practice yoga, meditation and even a payment ceremony to the land.

• Location: In the Andean plateau, border of Peru and Bolivia, at an altitude of 3,812 meters above sea level.
• Price: The 1-day tour of the island of Uros and Taquile costs between 30 and 60 dollars, depending on the tourism agency you choose.

Huancaya in Lima

Huancaya is an Andean region in the department of Lima. It is located 232 kilometers from the ‘city of kings’, at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level. This city is characterized by its beautiful Andean landscapes made up of rivers, lagoons, waterfalls, mountains and valleys. Much of this beautiful geography belongs to the Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve (a natural area of 221,268 hectares).

In the natural landscapes of Huancaya you can practice different mystical tourism options, such as: ceremonies of payment to the land, offerings to the mountains, coca leaf readings, healing and purification rituals with plants and more. The main tourist attractions of Huancaya are: the Cabracancha waterfall, the colonial bridges, the Huallhua lagoon, the Carhuayno waterfall, the Vilca forest of love and more.

• Location: In the Sierra de Lima, 232 kilometers by road from the city (at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level).
• Price: A 3-day, 2-night tour in Huancaya costs approximately $120 (in the Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve you can practice mystical tourism).

Marcahuasi en Lima

Marcahuasi is a stone forest located in the Sierra de Lima, at an altitude of 4 thousand meters above sea level. It is famous for the rock forms resulting from wind erosion for thousands of years. There it is worth highlighting shapes, such as: the valley of the seals, the toad, the sacred feline, the famous monument to humanity and more. In its difficult Andean geography, visitors like to camp and also practice mystical tourism ceremonies.

In the Marcahuasi lagoons (such as the Cachu Cachu or Huacracocha lagoons) visitors, in the company of specialized shamans, make payments to the land, offerings to the mountains, to the lagoons, readings of coca leaves, as well as Ayahuasca rituals . Marcahuasi is considered a special energetic place. It is even believed to be visited by aliens. To get there you must travel to the town of San Pedro de Casta from where an arduous 4 kilometer walk begins.

• Location: In the Sierra de Lima, about 87 kilometers by road from the city of Lima. The last part is an arduous 4 kilometer walk uphill.
• Price: Admission costs 20 soles for foreigners and 10 soles for Peruvians.

Yarinacocha Lagoon in Ucayali

Pucallpa in the department of Ucayali is one of the best places in Peru and the Amazon to practice ayahuasca retreats. Pucallpa is located in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, about 723 kilometers by road from the city of Lima. One of its most sacred and tourist spaces is the Yarinacocha lagoon, a special natural landscape full of greenery and stagnant waters fed by the Ucayali River.

The Yarinacocha lagoon, like many natural landscapes in the Amazon jungle, has a legend. This is about a mermaid in love with a human. Since this union was impossible, the mermaid cried until the beautiful lagoon of approximately 1,340 hectares was formed. In the lagoon and in the Ucayali region there are famous shamans. Ayahuasca retreats can last between 3, 4 or several weeks. The lagoon is also an excellent space for meditation.

• Location: The Yarinacocha lagoon is located in the city of Pucallpa, 20 minutes from the center, in the Amazon region of Peru.
• Price: The visit to the Yarinacocha lagoon is free for everyone.

The Amazon River in Loreto

The Amazon River is the largest on the planet. In addition, it has a length of 6,400 kilometers, of which 1,771 kilometers are part of the Peruvian Amazon. The department of Loreto covers the largest extension of the river. Its capital, the city of Iquitos, has important tourist attractions such as its lodges, lakes, the Pacaya Samiria Reserve and more. In this jungle region you can practice ayahuasca retreats and mystical tourism.

The Amazon River is considered a sacred place by dozens of Amazonian ethnic groups thousands of years old. That is why in its tributaries you can carry out spiritual retreats led by shamans specialized in concoctions such as ayahuasca, San Pedro and more. The best way to carry out these ceremonies is by hiring a multi-day tour. The lodges are the perfect setting for these practices.

• Location: The city of Iquitos is located on the banks of the Amazon River, in the department of Loreto, 1,012 kilometers by air from the city of Lima. Another way to get there is by river from the ports of Pucallpa or Yurimaguas.
• Price: Ayahuasca sessions of one or more weeks cost between 100 to 300 dollars depending on the shaman or tourist agency of your choice.

Huancabamba in Piura

Huancabamba is a city in the mountains of the department of Piura in northern Peru (214 kilometers from the city of Piura). This town is famous for the Las Huaringas lagoon, famous for its beautiful landscape and for the mystical tourism ceremonies that can be practiced there. The lagoon is famous for having positive energies where shamans can perform natural medicine ceremonies.

Huancabamba is recognized as the land of healers because there are many shamans there. It is believed that by bathing in the cold waters of Las Huaringas lagoon, the visitor can recharge with energy and even make wishes that will come true. It is even believed that the lagoon was worshiped since Inca times: Huari means ‘Bath’ and ‘Inga’ means ‘Inca’. This place can be visited on your own or with a tourism agency.

• Location: In the mountains of the Piura region (214 kilometers from the city of Piura), at an altitude of 1,929 meters above sea level.
• Price: The visit to the Huaringas lagoon is free for everyone.

By Machupicchu Terra – Last updated, January 17, 2024