Bad bug bite? A spat of traveler's disease? Just get dumped by your significant other? Visit one of Peru's curanderos (medicine men), who continue to play a part in Peru's culture. Often associated with Amazon Indian groups, Peru's most famous curanderos are found in the remote northern Andean lake region of Huaringas, at about 13,000 feet above sea level and accessible only by foot (or mule) from the small town of Huancabamba. Believers from all walks of life visit the curanderos for medical or personal relationship reasons, and a visit can cost several months' wages for local people, who take these traditions seriously. Foreign visitors are welcome only if they are equally respectful of the medicine men.

Peruvian medicine man

Trip Facts
Difficulty rating: Difficult
When to go: Year-round, though extra difficult in the wet months of January through April