About Peru

Experience Peru and discover a wealth of different worlds, all with their own individual landscapes, sounds, colors and tastes; travel back in time to ancient civilizations and share the great cultural heritage of the Peruvian people. Many destinations and experiences such as Peru’s coast and mountains can only be explained by seeing them in the flesh. The beating heart of its roots and destinations.

Caral, the first civilization in the Americas; pre-hispanic cultures; the Inca Empire; the fusion between the Inca and hispanic worlds; Peru and its Western, East Asian and African influences; deserts, mountains, forests, the Amazon and the sea; flora, fauna and a wide variety of cultural expressions. Peru is all of this.

Geography

Peru is an extremely diverse country, with 11 ecological regions and 84 of the world’s 117 different types of “life zone”. It has a huge variety of scenery thanks to its geography, which also provides it with a wide range of natural resources. The country has 3 main regions according to the traditional method of dividing the country by altitude: coast, mountains and jungle.

Coast

Characterized by a narrow band of deserts and fertile valleys alongside the Pacific Ocean. The fertile valleys spring from the rivers that flow down from the Andes mountain range itself, as opposed to the lower-lying sierra, and into the sea. The coast has a warm-temperate climate, without extreme heat or cold but with high humidity and dense fog that makes it feel extremely cold in winter. In the summer there is very little fog and temperatures reach 30°C. In the north, the coast is hot almost all year round, with a short rainy period in November and December. The central and southern coast has two distinct seasons, winter (April to October) and summer (November to March).

Highlands

This is the mountainous region of Peru, where the Andes mountain range dominates the landscape and contains various ecological regions and altitudes. The northern Andes are lower and more humid than the rest, while the central Andes are the tallest and steepest, and it is here where you find the country’s highest peak, Huascarán, at 6,768 meters above sea level. The southern Andes are wider, and are also known as the altiplano, or high Andean plateau. The sierra has two seasons: summer (April to October) with sunny days, cold nights and little rain – this is the perfect time to visit; and winter (November to March), when it rains heavily. During the day, temperatures can reach 24°C, and at night they can fall to -3°C.

Jungle

Located in the east, this is a vast region of plains covered by vegetation in the Amazon River basin, which begins at the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. It is Peru’s largest region, and consists of highland jungle, or ceja de montaña – the mountain’s eyebrows, (over 700 meters above sea level), which is characterized by its cloud forests, and lowland jungle (less than 700 meters above sea level). Like the sierra, the jungle has two distinct seasons. From November to March it rains frequently, while from April to October it is fairly dry, making this the ideal time to visit as the rivers subside and the roads are easily accessible. There is high humidity all year round. Occasionally, between May and August, there are "friajes" or "surazos", cold snaps caused by winds from the extreme south of the continent, during which the temperature can fall to between 8 and 12°C. Information about the weather of the country’s different regions can be found here.

Clothing

Regardless of the season and the area of Peru you are visiting, it is advisable to carry warm clothes, loose pants, cotton tops, hiking footwear, good sunblock and a hat (to protect you from the sun and the cold).

Safety

Don't let your personal belongings out of your sight.
Avoid using unofficial or unmarked taxis during the night.
Avoid exchanging currency in the street or carrying large sums of money. Currency exchange agencies are safe.

Health

In case of altitude sickness, rest well during the first days avoiding physical strain; drink mate with coca leaves or take coca pills.
Drink plenty of fluids, particularly in high altitude zones, using only bottled or previously treated water.
Purchase your food at restaurants, avoiding street food.

Others

Peru's electricity runs on 220 volts and 60 cycles (except for Arequipa where it is 50 cycles)
There is no preestablished amount for gratuities, it depends on the customer's level of satisfaction with the service. 10% of the check is usually considered adequate.

PERUVIAN EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Emergency services can be reached on the following numbers:

  • Police: 105
  • Ambulance: 117
  • Fire: 116