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For anyone interested in history, Peru, with its remarkable Inca ruins
and
pre-Columbian artifacts, has long been the pre-eminent destination in
South
America. The country offers countless other pleasures as well: breathtaking landscapes, wonderful crafts, and very friendly people. |  High in the Andes, bewitching Machu Picchu was most probably a centre of the Inca religion Photo: Martin Sivek |
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Although there's no law against
homosexuality, the machismo principle still rules in Peru, and gays
and
lesbians tend to keep a very low profile. Discrimination against LGBTQ people was banned in 2017, but it is still a broadly conservative Catholic country, where attitudes towards LGBTQ people tend to reflect the Catholic teachings. There have been considerable political challenges to the anti-discrimination law, but the current president has vetoed any attempt to weaken or remove the law so far.
You are best to keep it discreet by, for example, accepting twin beds rather than a double or wearing gender-neutral clothes.
Where possible travel in a group, especially at night, and avoid bad neighborhoods.
There are some positive signs that things are changing. Notably, Lima Tours, the country's biggest travel agency, has been making a determined effort to attract gay and lesbian tourists, Among other things, it has produced a useful flyer, "Gay Life in Peru," listing bars and discos, gay bathhouses, and other meeting spots. | |
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Peru comprises three very different geographical regions, each with its
own
particular climate. This can make packing for and scheduling your trip
a
little complicated.
Lima lies in the narrow desert belt between the Andes and the ocean, with high temperatures and little rainfall. But don't expect blue skies; a dismal mist blankets the coast April through December. In the mountains, however, the dry season - May to September - is wonderfully sunny and warm, but evenings can get chilly. The rest of the year it's usually raining. Descending eastward into the jungle, it's hot and sticky year round, and there's nearly constant rain from October through March. All in all, the best time to visit Peru is from mid-April to June, when the rainy season has passed but the highlands are still verdant. With nearly 8 million inhabitants - about a third of the country's population - Lima is a sprawling, congested mish-mash of old and new, elegant and tawdry, rich and poor. Though its colonial center is preserved, it's a bustling metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities. | |
| Founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima soon became the wealthiest Spanish city in the New World. Something of that colonial splendour can still be felt amid the hubbub, especially around Plaza de Armas, the lovely main square overlooked by the Cathedral and its majestic yellow bell towers. | 
Plaza de Armas - Photo: W. Bulach CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
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Check out the gorgeous mosaics in the
chapel
housing Pizarro's sarcophagus; one surprisingly sexy picture shows the
conquistador sending faint-of-heart soldiers back naked to Spain. A
couple
blocks away is the 17th-century Monastery of Saint Francis, noted for
its
macabre catacombs, centuries-old library, and exquisite Seville
tilework. And
just off the main square is Casa Aliaga, a sumptuously furnished
colonial
mansion built in 1535 (visits must be arranged through Lima Tours).
Although Lima boasts some good public museums - especially the Museo de la Nación, which offers an archeological survey of Peru's 3,000-year history - the best collections of pre-Columbian art are in private hands. Best-known is the marvelous Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, which among its vast holdings has set aside a room devoted to pottery with an erotic theme - though none featuring homosexual matings are on display. Museo Enrico Poli, housed in the collector's own home, is in a class by itself. Over the past half-century, Poli has assembled a dazzling assortment of colonial silver and pre-Columbian ceramics. But most spectacular is his treasure-trove of gold artifacts discovered in ancient tombs in northwestern Peru in the 1980s. You need to make an appointment 24-48 hours in advance as the items are displayed in a private home. Most of the city's gay life is located in the fashionable Miraflores district, five miles south of downtown. Gay-friendly spots include trendy Café Café and the elegant sidewalk restaurant Haiti. Sample a Pisco sour, Peru's national cocktail of egg, lime juice, and brandy, as you trade glances with that adorable creature at the next table. | |
| High in the Andes, Cuzco, a short flight from Lima, seems worlds away. From here the Incas once ruled an empire that covered most of Peru and extended into Ecuador and Chile. Their civilization flourished for a century, then the Europeans arrived. The Spanish built churches and haciendas on top of Inca temples and palaces but couldn't erase the memory of Cuzco's former glory. |
Flag hoisted at a historic building in Cuzco Photo: pickypalla |
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In many colonial
buildings, you still see Inca walls with their remarkable polygonal
masonry.
The temple complex called Coricancha, once lined with precious metals,
was
stripped and looted, then incorporated into the foundations of the
Church of
Santo Domingo. Today, part of Coricancha is again visible, providing a
stunning example of Inca architecture. Other important ruins can be
found
just outside Cuzco; most impressive is the Inca fortress Sacsayhuamán
(pronounced "sexy woman"!), site of bloody warfare with the Spanish.
The great majority of Cuzco's 300,000 people are Quechua, descendents of the Incas. On first arriving, you might think Cuzco is the queerest city in the world; everywhere rainbow flags are flying. Actually, this colourful striped banner is the Inca Flag - what you are seeing is a display of Quechua Pride! At 11,000 feet above sea level, Cuzco is one of the highest cities in the world, so avoid strenuous activity until you've acclimatized. It's advisable to bring medicine for altitude sickness; the native remedy - drinking tea made from coca leaves - can help, too. You may also want to first spend a few relaxing days in the nearby Urubamba valley, about 2,000 feet lower than Cuzco. Also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the area is dotted with ruins, from picturesque farming terraces to the magnificent Ollantaytambo fortress. Here, too, are the markets of Pisac and Chinchero, where you can purchase colourful woven goods of fine alpaca wool - rugs, blankets, and sweaters. You'll be charmed by children in native dress posing for pictures with their llamas (be sure to give the children a sol, a coin worth about 20p). Activities such as rafting and horseback riding are great ways to admire the valley's extraordinary beauty. Further along the valley, enigmatic Machu Picchu climbs the side of a mountain in an intricate arrangement of ghostly plazas, terraces, and temples. Archeologists believe this was once a major Inca religious centre, but no one knows for sure why it was built or why it was deserted. Still awe-inspiring, the site is accessible by bus from the nearby town of Aguas Calientes. For the full effect, arrive early to see the mists lifting off the ruins. | |
| If you have enough time, you might consider exploring Peru's third region by spending a couple days at a rainforest lodge. There are several in the Tambopata-Candamo Reserve Zone in southeastern Peru, and they are reasonably priced. It's a wonderful opportunity for you to see something spectacular and develop a love of the Amazon Rainforest. |
Enjoying the love found in Peru Photo: filipefrazao |
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One of the best is the remote Sandoval Lake Lodge; getting there
requires a
40-minute boat trip from Puerto Maldonado, followed by a 1.5 mile
jungle
trek, then a half-hour canoe ride across a shimmering lake. The
facilities
are rustic but comfortable, the food excellent, and the guides
extremely
knowledgeable. Touring the lake at dawn and dusk, you're likely to see
monkeys, parrots, giant river otters and the bizarre-looking hoatzin
bird -
bring a good pair of binoculars. Less charming are the ubiquitous
mosquitoes,
so don't forget your insect repellant and malaria pills, and get a
yellow
fever vaccination before you arrive.
From fast-paced Lima, to the bewitching Andean highlands, to the teeming jungle, Peru offers a seemingly infinite variety of delights. And now more than ever, it's opening its arms to gay and lesbian travellers.
Martin Sivek has written extensively on international gay and lesbian culture.
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