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| Peru Holidays - Destinations |
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| Temperature: |
Live Forecast |
Population: |
26 million |
| Time Zone: |
GMT –5 hours |
Driving side: |
Drive on the right |
| Languages: |
Spanish
Quechua |
| Religion: |
Roman Catholic
local Indian religions |
| Emergency #: |
Police: 105
Fire: 116
Medical: 225-8698/8699 |
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Cuzco – the centre of tourism for South America; thousands of visitors come to see and stay in this archaeological capital of the Americas. It’s 3326 metres high so beware of altitude acclimatisation. The main square is Plaza de Armas,. Do visit the Catedral, a beautiful building in the square, also La Compania, a church built on the remains of the palace of the last Inca ruler. There are many Inca walls in and around Cuzco, their construction is awe-inspiring; you sometimes don’t realise that you’re walking down a street whose walls are all Inca-made.
Machu Picchu – who hasn’t heard or seen an image of this magical Inca site high up in the Andes and shrouded in cloud? A train, (or the famous Inca Trail), takes you through winding and spectacular Andean scenery, following the river, and eventually arrives at the fairly modern town of Machu Picchu lying in a deep steep-sided valley. Buses take you up through hairpin bends until you reach that famous vision. Spend at least 2 days here, feel the atmosphere, wonder at the Sun Gate, marvel at the location and how it was built, and look out for the fabled Condor, they can be seen here. An absolute must to do when in Peru.
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| Peru Trekking , climbing and Expeditions - by Hisao Morales from Peru - 2006-01-16 | | Peruvian Andes Adventures (peruvianandes.com) The Cordillera Blanca is a mountain range extending almost 120 km. from north to south, and is about 20 km. wide. The Blanca is largely included within the Huascaran National Park, and contains more than 50 peaks higher than 5,700m, 269 lakes and 41 rivers.
There are countless trekking trails passing through beautiful valleys with lakes and impressive waterfalls and vertical rock faces, and crossing passes that reach 4850m in altitude.
There are also countless climbing peaks – from easier options for acclimatization climbing in the Ishinca valley – Urus (5,495m), Ishinca (5,530m) Tocllaraju (6,034m), to Pisco (5,752 m), to Huascaran south (6,768m) and north (6,654m), to the technically difficult Alpamayo (5,947 m) and Chacraraju (6,112m). |
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| Mountains vs the Coast - by Michael Fewer from United Kingdom - 2005-12-31 | | June to August is only 'summer' in the mountains (where the rainy season runs from November-March). On the coast it's summer from November-March and June to August can be cloudy! |
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Cordillera Blanca – this beautiful area is ideal for those of you who like mountaineering; it has dozens of peaks over 5000 metres in altitude – be aware of altitude sickness and the importance of acclimatisation. Fly from Lima to Huarez, where you’ll find guides, climbing equipment and information relating to climbing difficulties and weather conditions.
River Running – Cuzco is the centre for this activity; raft down the Urabamba river from here, it only has a few minor rapids, but if you fall out be warned, the water is ice cold. This river is the most popular one in Peru and guides and equipment are always readily available.
Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world; here, from the town of Puno, arrange a boat trip to visit the Uros Indians who live on reed islands in the middle of the lake. They are very organised, having a school for their children to attend, all made from reeds. Once on one of these reed islands, look out for the beautiful hand-made gifts the Indian women make. Look out for their swimming pigs!
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Air – there are numerous internal flights in Peru, linking all the major towns and cities, most of which are tourist orientated. Aero Continente has most of the share of these flights and there is also Lan Peru airline. Small aircraft can take you to the more remote areas and remember, there’s a US$4 departure tax on all domestic flights.
Bus – these are cheap, fairly comfortable, and are mainly used over long distance travel routes. Always remember to carry your passport on buses, they often cross police checkpoints. In the more remote areas, buses are replaced by trucks, which seem to have the ability to access places you would never have dreamed existed.
Train – these travel from the highlands to the coast and also run north to south. The Southern Railroad runs between Cuzco, Lake Titicaca, and Arequipa, which is especially useful for visitors. Most of the rail services in Peru are fairly comfortable and cheap, but always remember, be on guard, pickpockets can and do travel on these trains, so be warned.
Boats – a huge area of Peru lies in the Amazon Basin so river travel is the main form of transport when you travel to these parts. Boats are generally reliable and fast, whipping through the tropical jungle at speeds you would never believe!
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Carnaval – February/March. It’s very popular in the highlands and water fights are often seen.
Inti Raymi – 24th June. The biggest and best of Inca festivals, with superb parades and spectacular dances.
Peru’s Independence – 28th July. Generally, a public holiday.
All Souls Day – 2nd November. Peruvians celebrate this day when flowers, food and drink, are taken to their family graves.
Puno Day – 5th November. Here, you can see colourful costumes and dancing in this town on the edge of Lake Titicaca.
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