Peru travel guide

Peru has three main climatic regions - the Amazon Jungle in the east, the desert coastline to the west and the highlands and Andean mountain range running right down the center of the country. Peru can be comfortably visited all year round and does not experience extremes of temperature. It is more useful to look at the climatic regions of Peru rather than to think in terms of the four seasons.

The Andean Highlands
The Andean Highlands have two typical seasons – rainy season and dry season. Dry season falls roughly from May-Oct, with the best, but also busiest, time to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu being June-Aug. Rainy season is roughly from Nov-April, when rainfall can be heavy and temperatures can plunge after the sun sets. Nonetheless, traveling through the region during this period is perfectly possible as there are still many clear days and the whole area is quieter.

The Coast
The Peruvian Pacific coastline stretches over a thousand miles north to south and is an area of dry coastal deserts. The hottest months in this region are Dec-March, and this is usually seen as the best time to head to the beach. During the rest of the year the southern coastline is often cloaked in a coastal fog. It is still possible to visit the coastal cities during this time, and the Northern beaches in general tend to see more sun year round.

The Amazon Jungle
The jungle is divided into cloud forest (above 700m) and lowland jungle (below 700m). The cloud forest features a subtropical climate, with heavy rainfall Nov-March, and sunshine April-Oct. It is always cool at night. The lowland jungle region is tropical and has a warm and humid climate throughout the year, with abundant rainfall Nov-April. The average temperature is 26°C (78°F), although it can reach 36°C (97°F). The dry season runs April-Oct when daily temperatures can reach as high as 35°C (95°F). From time to time there are cold fronts from the South Atlantic that can drop temperatures as low as 15°C (59°F), during the day and 13°C (55°F) at night. It is often thought that the dry season is the best season to visit the rainforest as the rivers are lower exposing the beaches, and the jungle routes are more accessible.

Population:  29,496.000

Size:  1,285,216 km²

Capital city: Lima.

Languages: Spanish, plus fifteen indigenous languages.

Famous for: The Incas, excellent cuisine, the Andes.

Popular cuisine: Peru is well known throughout South America for its outstanding and creative cuisine. The national dish is ceviche (raw fish marinated in lemon juice and chili) and seafood in general is excellent. There is a strong traditional Andean influence, featuring a staggering number of different types of potato as well as corn and guinea pig. There is also a significant Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine and the combination of Chinese recipes prepared with Peruvian ingredients is referred to as chifa.

Popular drinks: The national drink is the pisco sour (a blend of the pisco spirit with lemon juice and egg white). Beer is also very popular in Peru and there are a number of good brands.

National music: There is a rich tradition of folk music and dance.

Famous Peruvians: Mario Vargas Llosa (writer).

For information on visas and general travel in Peru visit our FAQ section
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