est. 2017
The Cordillera Blanca mountain range located near Huaraz, Peru has been the highlight of my trip so far.
The most popular day trip in the area is Laguna 69. If short on time in Huaraz, it’s a must do! And if you’re opting to do any longer hikes including Santa Cruz, it’s a great acclimatizing hike.
When you think of hiking in Peru, probably the only thing that comes to mind is Machu Picchu. But if you’re in Peru, don’t miss the quaint city of Huaraz, located about 8 hours north of Lima, and the jumping off point for great hiking.
Making up the skyline of Huaraz is the beautiful Cordillera Blanca range. Located within Cordillera Blanca is Huarascán National Park, which is home to condors, pumas, as well as Peru’s tallest mountain, Huarascán.
After spending about a month and a half on the beach, I was so ready to head to Ecuador’s mainland and enjoy the mountains. It’s not that I didn’t love the beach, but the sun was starting to drain me and my hair could sure use a break from all the salt.
First stop? Cuenca. A city located in Ecuador’s Andes mountains. The plan was to hang out in Cuena for some time to take Spanish classes, however I was really excited to explore Cajas National Park, located less than an hour from the city. Coming in at over 70,000 acres (wut), over 4,000m/13,000 ft in elevation (wut), and over 700 lakes (wut), this nature lover could not wait to escape the city and explore the mountainous landscape of lakes, unique plants, and wild animals.
When I say I booked a last minute cruise, I mean I hopped on the cruise boat about three hours after I landed on the islands!
The Galapagos is one of those places you learn around in elementary school, but you never think you’ll actually end up there visiting. Well, that changed for me this past week. But with expectations set so high for such a place, you’re almost guaranteed to be let down right? Happy to tell y’all – that wasn’t the case!
Now, this isn’t going to be a post on how to do the Galapagos on a budget because well, I didn’t really do that (though I mean, I wasn’t throwing money in the air either). After I booked my ticket to the Galapagos (about two weeks before I left), I started looking at blogs on what to do while there. Turns out, no matter what, the islands are super expensive (okay, wasn’t THAT surprising to me). Just some numbers for you: $30 transfer each way between islands, $25 minimum hostel cost per night, $15 average cost of a lunch/dinner, $100-200 for a day trip for a snorkel/dive… I had 9 full days and I started to feel overwhelmed with the amount of planning and time wasted every day trying to do everything on my own.
