Outside of Egypt, Latin America is home to the most and the most incredible ancient ruins. In fact, Peru is nicknamed the Egypt of the Americas. Many are lost amid jungles and have been overgrown with foliage. Some ruins are also wildlife reserves. In Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras the Maya left their mark. Further south the Incas dominated, but also the Moche and several other cultures.

  1. Machu Picchu, Peru

    Recently named one of the world’s new seven wonders, this remote Inca citadel has perhaps the most dramatic setting of any ruin in the world. Absolutely breathtaking.

  2. Tikal, Guatemala

    Screams of Howler monkeys fill the air in the national park surrounding one of the most important and largest Mayan cities.

  3. Altan Ha, Belize

    More than 500 visible structures make up this ceremonial center 30 miles north of Belize City.

  4. Copan, Honduras

    The Maya’s most advanced city. Proud with art and architecture. Several large pyramids, a ball field, and a hieroglyphic staircase are among the draws of this vast complexes lost in lush jungle.

  5. Ciudad Perdida, Colombia

    Lost amid the vast forests of northeastern Colombia, this small ancient site is only reached via a four day hike in one of the most unspoiled and bio-rich regions of the earth.

  6. San Agustín, Colombia

    This nearly 2,000 year old archeological site is home to hundreds of mysterious stone statues, many of them with bizarre smiles.

  7. Cusco, Peru

    The Incan capital is a historical dynamo. The finest examples of Incan walls, the fort of Sacsayhuaman, stunning cathedrals, hotels built over Incan palaces, and fantastic museums.

  8. Trujillo, Peru

    The world’s largest adobe city of Chan Chan, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, and other relics of the Moche civilization are here, as are the ancient fishing boats made out of Tortora reeds.

  9. Nazca Lines, Peru

    These mysterious lines, seen best from the air, go on for hundreds of miles and forms geometric shapes, animals, and human figures in the arid Peruvian desert. Some believe the lines were landing sites for aliens, while others believe the lines represent Pre-Colombian rituals.

  10. Kuelap, Peru

    The massive walls lost amid the clouds near Chachapoyas in Peru’s central high jungle are just one example of the many little known ruins still waiting to be uncovered in Peru.