| 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 Ecosystems. |
| If you want to visit Cusco, the navel of the
Inca world with its access to the fascinating ruins of Machupicchu,
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 everyones taste. Choose your own adventure and life the experience of a lifetime in Peru. |
| CLIMATE |
| Each of Peru’s geographical zones has its own climate. |
| THE COAST |
| 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 HIGHLANDS |
| 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 JUNGLE |
| 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 eventhough 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 AND PLANT LIFE |
| The Pacific Ocean is one of the richest in the world with whales, dolphins, penguins and sea lions. |
| 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 ducks, hummingbirds and falcons nest during the entire year. In the coastal areas we find fruit trees, bushes and grass. |
| The Andes, with its dramatic geography offers a wide variety 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 Andean 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, chinchillas, condors, eagles, ducks and hummingbirds. |
| 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 and thousands of insects that astonish biologists from all over the world. |
| POPULATION |
| Of a population of more than 27 million (July 2005 est.), 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 descendents 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 descendents of the Spanish and the rest are Japanese, Chinese and Afro-American. 75% of the population lives in urban areas. |
| LANGUAGE AND RELIGION |
| Spanish 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. |
| CULTURE |
| The 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. |
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