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Indie Traveller •

Ecuador Itinerary | 14 Days Exploring from Quito to Cuenca

Sandwiched between Peru and Colombia, little Ecuador often goes under the radar, yet it contains much of what makes its giant neighbours such travel favourites in a more compact country. 


My trip to Ecuador came about by needing to do a border run as my Peru visa was about to expire. It is fair to say that I got sucked in by Ecuador’s cultural charm and natural beauty. I ended up staying for five weeks and did a Spanish course, giving me something of an Ecuadorean twang when speaking. 


I r...
Indie Traveller •

Cuenca, Ecuador: Guide to South America's Most Liveable City

Cuenca is nice in the same way that Barcelona or the South of France are nice. It has a brilliant climate, beautiful buildings, kind locals and clean and functional streets. It is not just me saying this – the World Travel Index named Cuenca as the best city in South America to visit in 2026. 


Of all the places that I visited during my trip through Peru and Ecuador, I would live in Cuenca. In fact, I practically did. I stayed here for three weeks doing a Spanish school, and it is a joy to sha...
Indie Traveller •

Machu Picchu Guide: Tickets, Hikes & Transport Explained

We have all seen the famous photos of Machu Picchu. The ruined city cradled by emerald mountains is one of those rare places that you do not even need to prepare a sales pitch for. It is simply a given that people want to see it in their lifetimes, and probably one of the main reasons that you are even thinking of travelling to South America.


This guide will give you a comprehensive overview of how to plan your perfect trip to the Inca city lost in the clouds from a two-time visitor. Whether...
Indie Traveller •

Cusco: A Journey Into the Navel of the World

It is difficult to overstate just how interesting Cusco is. It rose as the capital of the Inca Empire, the largest indigenous empire in the Americas, and is now Peru’s undisputed tourism capital. Inca walls are built into the highest altitude Irish pub in the world, poncho-clad locals lead alpacas past Starbucks and all around the Andes loom. There is nothing like it in the world.


I visited twice, first staying for two weeks in 2023, and returning in 2026 to spend an entire month in the Inca...
Indie Traveller •

Arequipa Travel Guide: The Perfect Stop Between Cusco & Lima

Affectionately known as the White City by locals, Arequipa is maybe Peru’s most liveable city. It basks in eternal spring at the skirts of three huge conical volcanoes.


As well as an unforgettable skyline, the volcanoes provided Arequipa with sillar, a glowing white stone, with which to build the city. Humming with bars, galleries and with a perfect climate, you too will surely keep extending your stay.


Arequipa benefits a lot from sitting on the road from Lima and Huacachina to the top to...
The Broke Backpacker •

I Took a Trip to Lake Titicaca on a Budget: Here’s How I Planned It (2026)

Lake Titicaca’s natural beauty does not come straightforwardly, but it is one of the most beautiful places I visited whilst travelling around South America. At a height of 3800m, you will feel the altitude of this improbable lake. Even coming from Arequipa at a pretty high 2335m, each step felt harder than it should, and slight inclines required lots of rest breaks.

Fortunately, Titicaca does not require particularly strenuous exercise. Even if you are unaccustomed, a trip to the Uros islands w...
The Broke Backpacker •

The ULTIMATE Guide to Backpacking Northern Peru (2026)

Northern Peru has the most incredible array of environments; I really do not think that it would be an exaggeration to say that you can experience the whole world within this region. There are deserts, cloud forests, soaring snow-capped peaks, paradisical beaches, thriving cities and traditional Andean villages.

The mountains around Huaraz are the tallest you can find while backpacking Peru and contain some of the continent’s most sublime multiday hikes like the eight-day Cordillera Huayhuash,...
Indie Traveller •

Cajamarca & Chachapoyas Guide: Peru's Cloud Forest Detour

Cajamarca and Chachapoyas sit inland from the well-trodden backpackers’ route from Trujillo to Mancora and into Ecuador. Those who leave this path and venture up into the Andes are rewarded with two of Peru’s most underrated cities. 


I constantly had the sense that if these two towns were closer to backpacker hotspots like Cusco, they would be inundated with visitors and have wide recognition. Instead, you walk around and only see Peruvian tourists in the know, a sure sign of that great trave...
Indie Traveller •

Mindo or the Amazon: How to Experience Ecuador’s Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is unsurprisingly on many people’s bucket lists, it is the lungs of the world, a riot of colour and endangered animals.


That is until they are confronted with the costs to enter the Amazon, which as such a remote environment is without the independent travelling that enable you to cut costs elsewhere.


This is where Mindo comes in. It is a village in the cloud forest, just 2 hours from Quito, which contains much of the jungle experiences at a fraction of the cost....
The Broke Backpacker •

Backpacking Uruguay Travel Guide (BUDGET TIPS 2026) 

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.

Backpacking Uruguay felt very different to the rest of South America, even Argentina, its bigger but closely related cousin. There was...
Indie Traveller •

Lake Titicaca Travel Guide: The Lake at the Top of the World

It is hard to express the feeling one gets from visiting Lake Titicaca for the first time. By all logic it just should not be there. 3800m up, an inlet of the sea lies among bleached, drought stricken lands. 


These hypnotically blue waters were believed by the Incas to be the origin of all life, and remain sacred to indigenous communities today.


The waters are freckled with islands, some solid and home to important Inca ruins and others artificial, the home of the Uros people who have liv...
Indie Traveller •

Huayhuash vs Santa Cruz: I Did Both (Here's What I Think)

Huayhuash or Santa Cruz — this is the dilemma that grips anyone looking for a multi-day hike in Huaraz. Do you go for the shorter, more comfortable option, or push yourself to hike along the roof of Peru for a week? (Or even opt for a clever compromise between the two?)


I chose to answer this question by completing both hikes. 


On the tail end of my 6-month South America backpacking trip, I hiked the 4-day Santa Cruz trek, and was entranced by the crisp mountain air, the sunlight dancing o...
Indie Traveller •

Peru’s Southern Desert Route: Huacachina, Paracas & Nazca

Rather than rushing straight from Lima to Cusco or Arequipa, as some tourists do, why not explore the beguiling desert region on the capital’s doorstep? 


Of all my four months in Peru, one thing that really stuck with me was a sunset over the Huacachina oasis. This is not just because the iridescent purple glow over an ocean of sand dunes was such that I could not suppress a cry of wonder.


That morning I flew over the Nazca Lines, just a few hours away, enabling me to sit on that sand dun...
Worldly Adventurer •

Peru's Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit: The Complete Guide

If you’re planning a visit to Peru, chances are you’ve heard of the Inca Trail. However, the hike whose name you often hear echoing through bars and hostels when you get into the country isn’t this classic trek. No: those in the know are talking about the Huayhuash Circuit. 


With strict limits on permits and spiralling costs, the Inca Trail is not the easiest trek to get onto, and if you are seeking pure, sublime nature, it might not even be your best option. 


That’s where the Huayhuash Ci...
Indie Traveller •

Mancora: Peru’s ultimate chillout spot

While Peru has thousands of miles of coastline, it is not normally known as a beach destination. Why? Because the cooling Humboldt current makes its waters surprisingly chilly and brings a persistent fog known as La Garua.


The exception? The tiny Northern corner beyond the current, crowned by Mancora that enjoys constant sunshine and warm bath-like waters. Throw in surf, amazing nightlife and whale watching, you are onto a winner that stacks up against the best of Colombia’s Caribbean coast....
Indie Traveller •

Huaraz by Altitude | Guide From City Sights to Epic Treks

You’ve definitely seen the mountains of Huaraz before — even if you don’t realise it. Mount Artesonraju is actually what the iconic logo of Paramount Pictures is based on, so you’ve surely seen it countless times… but the real thing is even more dramatic. The jagged crests of the mountains surrounding this hiking Mecca easily deserve similar worldwide fame.


The beauty of visiting Huaraz is that you can see such sublime beauty as glaciers, soaring 6000m peaks and glittering azure lakes as day...
Indie Traveller •

Peru’s Sacred Valley | A Deeper Guide To Towns, Treks & Ruins

Most visitors will see the Sacred Valley through the window of a bus during a whistlestop day trip from Cusco or while darting for Machu Picchu.


Yet, this beguiling, ancient region has buckets of the magic that draws throngs of tourists to Cusco and Machu Picchu each year. Come for the ruins and nature, stay for the living Quechua culture and intangible enchantment in the air.


I had initially planned a five-day trip but I ended up staying for 12 days. Let me share the very best of my exp...
The Broke Backpacker •

The ULTIMATE 7-Day Sacred Valley Itinerary (2025 Guide)

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.

Dreaming of lost cities, surreal landscapes and vibrant living culture? Want to dive into Incan ruins, history and soak in the epic Andean mountains? Wanting to not just see, but experience this magical place but feel like Cusco and Machu Picchu alone will not satiate your wanderlust?Well, Just beyond Cusco lies a p...
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