Study Spanish in Lima, Peru and Enjoy These Four Top Weekend Excursions

Make the most out of your experience when you are attending a Spanish school in Peru. Your classes will take place during the week. Therefore, on the weekends, you can explore the amazing sites and rich history that the country has to offer.

A typical week when you learn Spanish in Lima includes 20 hours of classes. So there are still plenty of hours to partake in the city's various cultural activities. Make time to sample the country's famous seafood and drink Peru's traditional beverage, Pisco Sour.

During the week, you can also go hand gliding over the oceanside cliffs of Miraflores. Also don't miss surfing at Lima's beaches. If you don't know how to surf, there are lessons available for beginners.

But the weekends are also an integral part of your trip, and you really should consider taking proper advantage of living so close to some of the world's most famous tourist destinations. And you will not need to worry about lack of company. When you learn Spanish in Lima, it is easy to make new friends who are also traveling alone. These people will make great partners for excursions.

Here are four suggestions for weekend trips to places that you simply do not want to miss. If you attend Spanish school in Peru for eight weeks, these weekend trips would fit perfectly into a schedule where you leave Lima every other week.

1. Visit the Southern Beaches

It is easy to take a daytrip to the southern beaches in Peru, which are about 20-40 miles south. These sandy destinations include Punta Negra, Santa Maria and Pucusana. While, of course, Lima is on the ocean as well, these southern beaches are cleaner, less crowded and sunnier.

You can take the bus for less than $2 to these locations. If you are looking for a ride in a car, why not make some local friends who are interested in a day at the beach? You can let them drive and offer to buy gas and sandwiches.

2. Spend time at the Pre-Incan ruins

A second great idea for a daytrip is to visit the Pre-Incan ruins of Pachac'mac, which are located in the Lurin Valley. Pachac'mac was the god of fire and also son of the sun god. These pyramids and palaces date back from the 1st century, as Incans did not conquer the area until the 15th century. Budget under an hour by car. If you and three friends share a taxi, it will be about $10 each.

3. Explore the Jungle

Another trip that you should definitely consider is to go to Iquitos. Although it appears far from Lima, a short $150 flight makes it a quick weekend.

Iquitos is the cultural center of Peru's jungle. Once you are in this area you can take a rainforest tour or a riverboat cruise. There are plenty of exotic animals to behold. We suggest that you arrive in this area Friday and then head back Monday morning in time for Spanish class. Like everywhere in Peru, there is incredible local food to try in the jungle.

4. See One of the Great Wonders of the World

Another weekend trip not to be missed is one to Cusco. The flight to Cusco is only an hour and costs about $150 roundtrip. Ideally, you should plan to spend four days in Cusco, which means you will want to take one day off from school.

Cusco is a beautiful small city built over Incan roads and was once the capital of the Incan empire. You will need a few days to adjust to the high altitude, so focus on easy activities like museum visits. The next day, take the train to Machu Picchu. If you leave in 7am, you will be back by 6pm. This is a very comfortable ride that includes a meal.

You will definitely agree that Machu Picchu deserves to be ranked amongst the world's great wonders. The majesty of the sites that you will behold can only be compared to the great Pyramids of Egypt or Angor Wat in Cambodia.

The fact of the matter is that there is so much to do in Lima that many students will never leave the city. However, we strongly advise that you should consider taking short weekend trips. After all, when you are living in Peru, you have access to some of the most amazing locations on earth.


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ECELA's Spanish school in Peru is located only a few blocks from Larcomar, the ocean-side shopping complex in Miraflores. Classes are limited to a maximum of 7 students, with levels from Novice to Superior. To help plan your trip to learn Spanish in Lima => http://www.ecela.com/loc_peru.php