Interesting article about islands around Paracas
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/noti...rs-643072.aspx

Fear of crowds at MP might be overblown; my daughter and I visited in early December two years ago, and the only time we ever felt part of a "crowd" was on the bus from Aguas Calientes to MP itself.

The town of Aguas Calientes didn't feel crowded at all, just a normal town. Cuzco was a bustling busy city but easy to get around and not nightmarishly crowded.

If you're looking for an entirely rural experience, without tourists, then sure, avoid MP and Cuzco. But don't elevate either to the status of a tourist trap or Disneyland sort of place. They're not. Their uniqueness and the reasons to visit are not, in my opinion, spoiled by big crowds. My opinion, your mileage may vary.

Compared to Thailand and certain other parts of SE Asia, MP and Cartagena are a walk in the park as far as foreigner presence goes.

One factor that can mess things up in some places is CRUISE SHIPS, as they can have a short-lived but severe effect. Thankfully Peru isn't user-friendly for them.

On one of my Peru trips I did the Iquitos sidetrip, which was interesting. The limited backpacker presence is split between the town (a few popular guesthouses) and the lodges (bring a stack of books to read).

Isn't early December low season? I thought that the "wet" season started in November. I think most have pointed out that you can get an idea of what the attendance will be like by seeing how many tickets are still for sale for a particular day.

Iquitos is really interesting, and the largest city in the world on a continent but with no road linkage to the outside world. Amazon boat tours are easy to get, and there's the ayahuasca thing for some, plus food specialties. Dunno how zika is affecting. The first night I was there had a really beautiful sunset and moonrise.

There are some---Chavín de Huántar is probably the best known---but nothing like MP. Huaraz is best known for trekking. May is a good month as the rainy season tapers off in April so you can expect dry weather with some green left over from the rains.

If you want culture without the MP crowds, consider Kuelap. It's getting more popular and will some day be over-run, but it hasn't reached that point yet. It's in the north; the nearest major population center is Chachapoyas.