Traveling to Peru has been a dream come true, which we have been pursuing for a long time. Seeing Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the city of Cuzco, the Mountain of Colors, and knowing its culture and gastronomy, has been one of the best experiences that we have had while traveling.
Peru can also boast of being the third largest country in South America and one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, with a geographic complexity that prints postcards on the retinas of those who visit its urban or natural landscapes.
In addition, its gastronomy has earned a little place among the Guinness records for the great variety of national dishes it has. Bathed by the Pacific Ocean to the west, crossed from north to south by the Andes mountain range and sheltered under the Amazon jungle, the geography of the country is absolutely wonderful and without a doubt a country to explore. Discover it with our Perú Guide and live it… Peru will not leave you indifferent.
Historical, enigmatic, cultural and natural, this is Peru. This country concentrates much of the legacy of the powerful Inca empire and has managed to amalgamate it with the native idiosyncrasies and those imposed later by the Spanish colonization, thus giving rise to a country with a unique and fascinating identity. In this comprehensive Perú Guide I tell you what to do and what to see in Peru so that you can organize the trip on your own.
General information
- Capital: Lima
- Official language: Spanish (other co-official native languages: Quechua and Aymará)
- Religion: Mainly Catholic (almost 90%)
- Currency: Nuevo sol
- Climate: Due to its great diversity, the climate changes dramatically from one area to another -especially due to altitude.
- Telephone code: +51
- Emergency telephone number: Medical emergencies: 117 – Police: 105 – Firefighters: 116
Visa for Perú
Visas in the passport Inform yourself at the Peruvian consulate or embassy in your country if you need a visa, since the requirements vary depending on multiple factors such as: your nationality, length of stay, reasons for travel, etc.
If you need a visa, take into account when buying the plane ticket how long it takes the embassy to carry out this procedure.
Vaccines needed for Perú
According to the official website of the Peruvian embassy, ??vaccines are not required to enter the country, except for people from endemic or affected areas in the last 6 days prior to their trip, who will be asked for the yellow fever vaccine.
Still, check with the international vaccination center in your city for recommended inoculation; such as: chickenpox, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. You can consult the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Recommendations section for traveling to the country, in the Documentation and Visa section, when you display it you will see the vaccination recommendations to go to country.
Weather in Perú
Weather Image The climate * in Peru is as varied as its rich geography… from the Pacific coast area, the Andean highlands and part of the Amazon rainforest, each area has its own particular climate. Broadly speaking, the climate by areas is as follows:
Coast: The climate is usually mild and humid. As it is a «long» country, we can divide it into a north coast and a south coast. The north coast offers warm temperatures all year round. Rainy season: November and December. The southern tip of the Peruvian coast has two distinct seasons, summer from November to March and winter from April to October.
Sierra: Depending on the altitude of the city to which you travel, the temperature will vary. In the mountains you can find two well-differentiated seasons: summer with warm days and cool nights, with little rainfall (April to October) and winter with warm days and cold nights (even reaching sub-zero temperatures) with abundant rains (November to March).
Amazon: It has a high humidity rate throughout the year. Even so, we can distinguish two well-differentiated seasons: the dry one that goes from April to October and the rainy one that goes from November to March. We must also bear in mind that between the months of May and August there are sometimes cold winds that can make the temperature drops to 8ºC.
The best time to travel to Peru can be considered the months of April to October, where you will find less rainfall (although more tourists!).
Religion in Perú
Formerly the natives practiced religions as animists or polytheists, but the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, and the strong indoctrination, have imposed the Catholic religion and it is the current predominant religion in the country (and official religion since the beginning of the 20th century).
Although to a lesser extent, other religions such as Judaism, Protestantism and Buddhism are also professed. Finally, Christian beliefs have been mixed in a complex way with Inca traditions and beliefs in what is known as syncretism.
Where to stay in Perú
Both in large cities and in smaller towns there are accommodations for all budgets and requirements. The range of possibilities is wide and you can choose from hostels where you share a bathroom and room (with 4, 6, 8, 10 or more people) to luxury hotels. Even many lodges offer exclusive dorms for girls.
The average price of accommodation in hostels, sharing a room and bathroom is around 30 new soles per night (€ 8). Still, everything will depend on your choice of hotel and room, but it is possible to find a bed from € 5 (information as of December 2019).
Peruvian Gastronomy
food falafel kebab burrito Peru’s gastronomy is considered one of the most diverse and rich in the world, so much so that it holds the Guinness record for the greatest variety of «typical dishes» in the world. In addition, since it is a large country, its gastronomy varies a lot depending on the region in which you are: coast, mountains or jungle.
Although meat dishes abound, for a vegetarian it will not be very difficult to find animal-free culinary options.
The basics -and classics- of Peruvian cuisine include: cebiche (raw fish) considered even cultural heritage of the nation, grilled chicken, Olluquito with charqui (dried meat and potatoes), spicy guinea pig, stuffed hot pepper, potato a la huancaína (suitable for vegetarians!), pachamanca, juane (they eat a lot at the San Juan festival and there is a vegetarian version) and arroz chaufa (the original version has meat -generally chicken- but you can order the vegetarian option).
Peru is definitely a country that you should also experience with your senses, especially with the taste bud!
For vegetarians there are varied options, although almost all include rice! The country offers a wide variety of legumes and vegetables.
An option to eat rich, abundant and quite inexpensive is to go at lunch to local markets, which usually have one in each town or city. The menu is generally fixed (although if you are a vegetarian you can ask for a variant of the main course) that includes soup for the first course, a main course and the drink. The average price is 10 nuevos soles (less than € 3.50).
Security in Perú
Some cities are safer than others, being the capital of the country, Lima, considered one of the most «dangerous», so it is recommended not to walk alone at night, and even return to the hotel before dark.
If you go out at night try to be in a group and make the trips by taxi
Perú Highlights
Lima
Lima is usually the gateway to the country and offers a variety of tourist attractions; among them the colonial churches, museums and art galleries, archaeological centers and, of course, its hectic nightlife. Some of the main attractions of the city are: the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the church and convent of San Francisco, the Casa de la Gastronomía museum, the Malecón or the Parque de la Amistad.
Ica
The city itself has many attractions, and travelers also use it as a «base camp» to explore and enjoy an afternoon of buggies and sandboarding in the oasis of Huacachina, go to visit the spectacular Ballestas Islands from where you can also see the «Candelabro» -similar to the Nazca lines but made in sand! – or the formidable Paracas National Reserve.
In the city itself you can also visit some tourist attractions such as its Cathedral, the Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins Regional Museum that shows collections of the cultures of the area, the Colonial-style Casona del Marqués de Torre Hermosa or a tour of different Wine Cellars.
Cusco
In the city, in addition to walking through it and enjoying every step, you can see: the imposing Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the temple of the Company of Jesus, the Barrio de San Blás and its temple and its market, the Casa del Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the Archbishop’s Palace and Stone of the 12 Angles, the Museum of the Qoricancha Site, the Museum of Popular Art, the Inca Museum among many other activities.
In the surroundings of the city you can visit: Pisaq, Moray (the agricultural laboratory of the Incas), the salt flats of Maras, Chinchero, Tipon, Pikillacta, Q’enqo, Pucapucara, Tambomachay, Saqsayhuamán (where it is believed that the temple was located most important of Cusco de Arriba, dedicated to Andean cosmology) among other Inca archaeological remains in the Sacred Valley. The recommended time to see Cusco and its surroundings – including Machu Picchu – is at least 5 days.
Touring Peru is discovering endless mysterious places, with hidden stories in corners that you may have never seen before stepping on this country. We recommend you to visit another impressive destinations in Cusco like the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Perú, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
