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Travel Information on Peru
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Peru (PE)
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| Continent: |
South America |
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| Area: |
1,285,220 km² |
| Population: |
288,634 |
| Capital city: |
Lima |
ISO code: |
PE |
| National language: |
Spanish, Quechua, Aymara |
International dialling code: |
+51 |
| Currency: |
Nuevo Sol |
Licence plate number: |
PE |
| Flight routes from Peru: |
473 |
Flight routes to Peru: |
685 |
| Popular airports: |
Lima (LIM),
Cusco Astete (CUZ),
Puerto Maldonado (PEM),
Arequipa Ballon (AQP),
Rodriguez De Mendoza (RIM),
Tarapoto (TPP),
Anta (ATA),
Trujillo (TRU),
Tumbes (TBP),
Juliaca (JUL)
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| Large cities: |
Lima,
Arequipa,
Trujillo,
Chiclayo,
Iquitos,
Huancayo,
Piura,
Chimbote,
Cusco,
Pucallpa,
Tacna,
Ica,
Juliaca,
Sullana,
Chincha Alta
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| Airlines based in Peru: |
Lan Peru,
Aero Condor Peru,
Star Peru,
Cielos Airlines,
TACA Peru
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The third largest country in South America.
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The Republic of Peru borders on Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the Pacific.
Geography: there are three entirely different geographical regions in Peru: Costa (coast), Sierra (Andes), and Selva (rainforest).
The Costa is influenced by the Humboldt stream and is to a large extent a coastal desert. Agriculture is only possible in areas around rivers coming from the Andes: the river oases. In the south near the border to Chile the Atacama Desert begins. Here rainfall is sparse. The temperatures on the coast range between 12° C in the winter and 34° in the summer.
The sierra begins behind the narrow coastal strip. It consists of mountain ranges (cordilleras) that belong to the Andes, interrupted by valleys. Peru’s highest elevation is also located here. The highest of these mountains is the Nevado Huascaran with an altitude of 6,768 metres (22,244 ft) followed by the Yerupa (6,634 m; 21,765 ft), Coropuna (6,425 m.), Ampato (6,310 m.), Chachani (6,075 m.) and Misti (5,822 m.). The average annual temperature at an altitude of 3,000 m is 11 °C. This region tends to have little precipitation but heavy rainfall is possible between October and April.
The Selva begins east of the mountain range. Due to the tropical mountain forest, the transition from the Costa to the Selva is gradual. The rainforest of Peru is dense, lush and hard to traverse, the rivers from the Andes that flow into the Amazon are often the only transport routes in the region. The longest of these rivers and also the longest in Peru is the Rio Ucayali with a length of 1,600 km (994 miles).
Mountains and rivers: the highest mountain in the region is the 6,768 metre (22,204 ft) high Nevado Huascaran. It is in the Andes and is the fourth highest mountain on the South American continent. The most important river of Peru is the Amazon with its tributaries Apumirac, Urubamba, Ucayali and Maranon.
Climate and best time to travel: there is no ultimate time to travel in Peru as the climatic conditions in the different regions vary so greatly. For visitors to the coast the months between December and May are the most convenient as the remainder of the year the coastal regions tend to be a little cool. The most attractive time to explore the Andes or the Amazon region is between May and September as there is hardly any rainfall in the mountains and in the jungle areas during this time.
National language and communication: the official languages are Spanish and Quecha. English is understood in all the major cities as well as in the tourist regions.
Health and immunisation: travellers are recommended to have themselves vaccinated against hepatitis A, typhoid, diphtheria and tetanus. Long clothing should be worn and an insect repellent purchased locally in order to prevent infections spread by mosquitoes. Medical care is available in all large cities and the tourist regions. Travellers should obtain a valid and comprehensive travel and medical insurance. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled or boiled before eating.
Entry requirements: passports should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry. Visitors are normally given permission to stay for 90 days on arrival. Overstaying may result in heavy penalties. Immigration papers should be guarded safely as travellers will be required to show these on departure. The Peruvian representation in the UK will give further information on entry requirements especially for single parents and those travelling alone with children.
Arrival and onward journey: best deals and connections are currently offered by Iberia ( IB) from Madrid as this is the only airline that offers direct flights to Lima (LIM). Other airlines offer flights from Europe to Lima via the USA or via another South American airport. In Peru numerous airlines are in competition such as the Taca Peru (T0), Aero Cóndor (Q6) or Lan Peru (LP) and link the capital with various airports in the country.
Capital City: Lima is the capital of Peru and with 6.5 million inhabitants is by far the biggest city in the country. The city is Peru’s transport hub and host to numerous universities, museums and listed buildings. UNESCO declared the old town with its grand buildings dating from the colonial era a World Heritage Site in 1991. The Museo de Oro is especially worth a visit as it has a unique collection of golden ornaments from different indigenous peoples from the Andes. The Museo de la Nación provides an overview of the history of Peru; here visitors may see archaeological finds along with a 3-D model of the Inca town Machu Picchu.
Sights: Cusco, the capital of the last Inca Empire is situated at an altitude of 3,416 metres in the Peruvian highlands and is the last town for visitors heading for Machu Picchu. The breathtaking landscape in the Andes and the countless sights from vanished indigenous civilisations all render this place the most important tourist attraction in the whole of Peru. The ruins of the Incas and the wonderful colonial buildings in the old town were declared UNESCO world heritage sight in 1983. Other ruins in the vicinity of Cusco should also be visited, these include: Sacsayhuamán, Tambo Machay, Puca-Pucará, Kenko, Tipón, Pisac and Ollantaytambo.
Lake Titicaca is another of Peru’s attractions. The Lago Titicaca is at an altitude of 3,810 m (12,500 ft) and is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The main attraction is without doubt the 42 swimming islands of Uros. The Uros are indigenous peoples that have been living on the reed islands for centuries in order to defend themselves from the attacks of enemies. The Uros still refuse to move to the mainland.
Another attraction is the massive Geoglyphs that are about 50 km from the south Peruvian port town of Nazca. On an area of about 500 km² animal figures and trapeze forms with a length of between 10 and 100 metres were scratched into the ground. Due to their size, the figures are only discernible from the air. The UNESCO added the entire area to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1995.
Highlight: Machu Picchu is the best-known site and the most visited attraction in Peru. The ruins are at an altitude of 2,360 m (7,742 ft) on the summit of a mountain, in the highlands of the Andes. As the Inca city is so hard to reach, the Peruvian government built a train line from Cusco, which is at a distance of 112 km (69 miles) to Aguas Calientes, a village at the foot of the mountain. This enables more than 2,000 people to visit the archaeological masterpiece every day.
Religion: due to the missionaries during the Spanish conquest 98% of Peruvians are of roman catholic faith..
Large cities and accommodation: Lima, Trujillo, Arequipa, Callao, Chiclayo und Iquitos.
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Favourite Flights and Cheap Flights from and to Peru / PE
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Flight London Lima (LON LIM)
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Flight Madrid Lima (MAD LIM) 31 Flights per week with IBERIA, Lan Peru, Air Comet, British Airways
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Flight Mexico City Lima (MEX LIM) 27 Flights per week with Aeroméxico, Delta Air Lines, Lan Peru
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Flight Paramaribo Lima (PBM LIM)
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Flight Vancouver Lima (YVR LIM)
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Flight Amsterdam Lima (AMS LIM) 22 Flights per week with Air France, Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane, KLM, Martinair
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Flight San Jose Lima (SJO LIM) 35 Flights per week with United Airlines, LACSA, Taca International
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Flight Santiago de Chile Lima (SCL LIM) 67 Flights per week with American Airlines, United Airlines, LACSA, Taca International, Lan Chile, Lan Peru, Korean Air
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Flight Buenos Aires Cusco Astete (BUE CUZ)
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Flight Frankfurt Lima (FRA LIM)
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