Departure dates

About Peru

Many great civilizations that left their mark in architecture, ceramics, textiles and carvings make Peru a fascinating and diverse country. These ancient cultures remain alive in the people of today through their traditions, language, music and dances.

The diverse and dramatic geography that combines the natural regions of the coast, the highlands, reaching areas above 6768 m/ 22 004 ft. and the rainforest region with its ecological mega-diversity makes Peru an exceptional and unique place. Here you can find 84 of the worldwide recognized 104 global climates.
If you want to visit Cusco, the navel of the Inca world with its access to the fascinating ruins of Machu Picchu, hike one of the many Trails over the extensive street system the Incas have left, explore abandoned archeological sites in remote areas, visit the highest navigable lake in the world: Lake Titicaca or discover the mysteries of the dense rainforest region, Peru has something to gather to every ones taste. Choose your own adventure and life the experience of a lifetime in Peru.

ClimateNobody can imagine how diverse this country is, Just to know that Peru is one of 7 mega diverse countries on earth. Each of Peru’s geographical zones has its own climate.

The Coast -11 % of the country: Summer; December-April with temperatures from 25-35 C°, warm and dry. These are the best months for swimming. Winter; May-November when temperatures drop a bit and it is cloudy in the Lima area. The northern beaches are sunny all year long.

The Sierra -28.1 % of the country: Dry Season; April-October, warm and dry during the day with temperatures around 20-25 C°, cold and dry at night, often below freezing. Rainy Season; November-April, dry and clear most mornings, some rainfall in the afternoon, with a small temperature drop (18 C°) and not much difference at night (15 C°).

The Rainforest -60.9 % of the country: Dry Season; April-October with temperatures up to 35 C°. Cold fronts from the South Atlantic (friajes) are characteristic of the dry season and temperatures may drop to 15 C° during the day and 13 C° at night.
Rainy Season; November-April with heavy rainfalls at any time, humid and hot. During the wet season, it only rains for a few hours at a time, which is not enough to spoil your trip, but enough to make some roads virtually impassable.

Peru can be visited all year long even though its high season is from May to November, which is the best time for hiking the Inca Trail or trekking and climbing elsewhere in the country. At this time the days are generally clear and sunny, though nights can be very cold at high altitude.

Animal & Plant LifeThe Pacific Ocean is one of the richest in the world with Orca and Humpback whales, dolphins and sea lions.
Humboldt Penguin, Guanay Cormorant and Inca Tern among other million birds.

The Coast is one of the world’s most arid regions. A sand strip only irrigated by the Andean streams that flush down enough nutrients to create some oases where different bird species such as: Chilean Flamingo, Cinnamon teal, Pied-Billed Grebe, Peruvian Pelican, Petrels, Peruvian , Nazca and   Blue footed Booby.  In the coastal areas we find fruit trees, Cotton, Asparagus, Paprika, and Corn.

The Andes, with its baroque geography offers a parade of beautiful snow covered mountains, waterfalls, lakes, canyons, plateaus, valleys and also cloud forest. In the highlands, the vegetation tends to be bushy, with native trees and shrubs such as willow, walnut, chachacomas, molles and retamas, though high up in the mountains, it is very sparse, with only puna grass or ichu. In some areas we find the highest tropical forests in the world: The Polylepis (Queuñas) forests are inhabited by pumas, foxes, deer, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and chinchillas.
Birds: Condors, Black-chested Buzzard Eagles, Giant hummingbirds, Marvelous Spatuletail, Silvery Grebe, Andean goose.

The Rainforest covers the biggest extension of Peruvian territory, with its ecological diversity considered one of the last lungs of the world. The flora and fauna is composed of thousands of tree types, medicinal plants and animals including: Jaguar, Sloths, Anteaters, Monkeys, Giant river Otters, Caimans, Snakes, piranhas, an incredible variety of birds, like the Amazonian Royal fly-catcher, Andean Guan, Versicolored Barbet, Golden-Headed Quetzal, Emerald Toucanet, Cock of the Rock, Masked Fruit eater, Rufus-crested Coquette, Booted Racket-Tail, Red and Green Macaw, Blue and Yellow Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, among other hundreds.  Thousands of insects that astonish biologists from all over the world.

Approximate number of species in Perú

Population30 135 875 million (June 2012) as many as 9 million live in the greater Lima area. The highest density is in the coastal areas (55% of the total). Close to 45% of Peru’s population are Native Americans, some descendants of the Incas and Quechuas who established a great civilization in the XV century. Practically 37% of the population are mestizos, of mixed Spanish and Andean roots. 15% are direct descendants of the Spanish and the rest are Japanese, Chinese and Afro-American. 75% of the population lives in urban areas.

Languaje & ReligionSpanish and Quechua are the official languages of the country but Aymara and other dialects are also spoken. 90% of Peruvians are Catholics and the rest are Protestants and other religious followings.

CultureThe ancient Peruvians left us one of the richest cultures in all of South America. The Spanish later brought their language, religion and new laws, superseding the Inca civilization. Nowadays we have a strange fusion of Inca mixed with Spanish culture. The Andean culture remains strong through language, music, dance and tradition.
The Quechua and Aymara people that live very high up in the mountains often do not speak Spanish and maintain many of their original customs and traditions.
The coastal inhabitants tend to live a modern life style compared with the highlands and jungle areas.

Departament Description

Tumbes

Tumbes is the most northerly of Peruvian departments at the border to Ecuador. This was the area where Pizarro landed in 1532.  Some of the finest sandy beaches with nice resorts can be found here and besides relaxing and swimming there is a lot of surfing, diving and deep sea fishing going on. Tumbes is also home to the National Sanctuary of Mangroves that protects 3000 of Peru’s remaining 4750 ha of mangrove forest. It contains examples of all five species of mangroves as well as being home to over 200 bird species, especially pelicans.

Loreto

The Loreto department represents 29% of the Peruvian territory. It is home to the national reserve of Pacaya-Samiria, one of the largest natural reserves of the country that lodges a great diversity of species of flora and fauna like the jaguar, pink river dolphin, anaconda, river wolf, macaw, black alligator, etc. There are many native tribes like the Boras, Aguarunas and others that can be visited in their traditional villages. It is also the confluence of the main streams giving birth to the mighty Amazon River with a volume of more than 50% of the drinkable water on earth. During the second half of the 19th century, the capital Iquitos experienced an economic boom linked to rubber exploitation in the area.

San Martin

San Martin was the first metropolis from where the Spanish organized expeditions into the rainforest in search of El Dorado and offers many natural attractions like waterfalls, lakes and tributary rivers of the Amazon. It holds10% of the world’s total population of orchids and is a fantastic place for bird watching. The different ethnical groups like the Lamas still practice some of their ancestral traditions.

Ancash

The department of Ancash is home to the spectacular Cordillera Blanca with some of the highest mountains in South America and the largest concentration of glaciers found in the world’s tropical zone. With its jeweled lakes and snowy mountain peaks, it attracts mountaineers and hikers in their thousands and offers an infinite range of trekking and climbing routes. The National park Huascaran includes the entire Cordillera Blanca above 4’000 mt/13’200 ft., with an area of 3’400 sq. km and is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. In Ancash we also find one of Peru’s most important pre-Inca sites: The fascinating temple of Chavin de Huantar (1000 BC) designated by UNESCO a World heritage trust site.

Lima

Since 1535, Lima was the center of the Spanish presence in South America. As the first capital of the Government of Nueva Castilla, it was named Ciudad de Reyes – City of Kings – and the streets, squares and colonial houses in downtown Lima still show the pomp and luxury of the viceroyalty period. The earthquake of 1746 destroyed most colonial buildings and ended its pre-eminence. Nowadays, Lima is the starting point for any visit in Peru and has a good number of museums where pieces from pre-Inca and Inca cultures are preserved such as paintings, sculptures and diverse Spanish colonial and republican art objects. In summer (December-April) the city’s beaches get very crowded and lots of activities are organized.

Ica

The desert south of Lima is home to the enigmatic Nazca Lines, mammoth geometric and zoomorphic designs etched onto the desert floor by pre-Inca cultures. Another attraction are the Ballestas Islands, where the meeting of the warm El Niño ocean current with the cold Humboldt current has created the world’s most fertile seas – rich in marine fauna. Ica is a city with a large tradition linked to the grapes. The Pisco (grape brandy) –who has international prestige because of its body and bouquet – was born there. Since the time of the great haciendas, vintage season is very important in the region.

Arequipa

Surrounded by volcanoes and desert, the city of Arequipa lies in a fertile, irrigated valley between the Andes and Peru’s Pacific coast. The city has fine Spanish buildings and many old and interesting churches built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic material almost exclusively used in the construction of Arequipa. Known as “The City of Eternal Spring”, Arequipa receives less than 150mm of annual rainfall and the sun shines all year round. The close by canyons of Colca and Cotahuasi can be reached easily from Arequipa. At more than 3’400 meters deep (11’220 ft.), they are considered the deepest canyons in the world, where condors rise above ancient Inca terracing and the whitewashed colonial churches of picturesque villages.

Puno

Puno is rich in history and local indigenous culture. Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in the tropics and the highest navigable lake in the world, attracted the first human settlers thousands of years ago with its fertile shores, green islands and bountiful waters. The countless archaeological sites scattered across the region are testament to this great history. Here you can wander through traditional villages where Spanish is a second language and where ancient myths and beliefs still hold true.

Cusco

The former political and religious capital of the Incas: Qosqo (the “Navel of the Earth”), once the hub of the greatest empire ever seen in the Americas. Today, colonial churches, monasteries and extensive pre-Columbian ruins are interspersed with countless hotels, bars and restaurants and almost every central street has remains of Inca walls, arches and doorways. With uncountable ruins in the neighborhood to explore, infinite trekking routes like the famous Inca Trail to Machupicchu, Mt. Salkantay, the remote areas of Choquequirao and Vilcabamba and of course its access to the most important archaeological site in South America:  The enigmatic ruins of Machu Picchu, Cusco has a wide range of attractions for every ones tastes and still is the center of the Incan world.

Madre de Dios

The Madre de Dios department is home to the southeastern jungle of Peru and contains the Manu National park (2 million. ha), the Tambopata National Reserve (255’000 ha) and the Bahauja-Sonene National park (1, 1 million. ha). This region inhabits some of the most important flora and fauna on earth and offers an uncompared bio-diversity of life forms; Only the Manu National park holds over 1’000 species of birds and covers an altitudinal range from 200 to 4’100 mt/ 660-13’530 ft. Some of the rare species living in the forest are jaguar, puma, ocelot and tapir and there are howler monkeys, macaws and the giant harpy eagle to be found. Some former river channels have become isolated oxbow lakes, fostering black caimans and giant river otters.