World Guide

Peru

Country · Americas, South America

Peru
Photo: Ministerio de Defensa del Perú, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located in South America, Peru shares borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. The country covers an area of over 1.28 million square kilometers and has a population of about 34.6 million. Its capital city is Lima.

Highlights

This site covers 17 major sights across the country. Many locations focus on history and archaeology, including the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Lima, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu itself, and Sacsayhuamán. Other notable archaeological sites include Caral, Chan Chan, Chavín de Huántar, Pachacamac, Chanquillo, and the Twelve-angled stone. For those interested in landscape and natural features, the country offers the Nazca lines, the colorful mountain of Vinicunca, Colca Canyon, the ruins of Choquequirao, and the protected areas of Manu National Park and Huascarán National Park, which contains the country's highest point, Huascarán. The cities of Lima and Cusco serve as primary hubs for accessing these locations.

Food and drink

Peruvian cuisine includes dishes such as ceviche, lomo saltado, ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, carapulcra, chorrillana, causa limeña, and anticucho. For snacks or sweets, picarones and salchipapa are available. The country is also known for pisco and the cocktail pisco sour.

When to go

The climate data provided is for the capital, Lima. The warmest months are January through March, with daily highs around 24 °C to 25 °C and lows of 20 °C to 21 °C. Rain is minimal throughout the year, with the highest frequency of rainy days occurring between January and March. From June through October, temperatures are cooler, with daily highs ranging from 18 °C to 19 °C and lows around 15 °C to 16 °C. During these cooler months, rain is almost non-existent.

Practical notes

The currency is the Nuevo sol. The official languages are Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua. The country uses the UTC−05:00 time zone and drives on the right side of the road. Electrical power is 220 volts, using plug types A, B, and C. The international calling code is +51.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Peru

  • Ceviche
  • Pisco sour
  • Pisco
  • Salchipapa
  • Anticucho
  • Lomo saltado
  • Picarones
  • Ají de gallina
  • Papa a la huancaína
  • Carapulcra
  • Chorrillana
  • Causa limeña

Top sights in Peru

  1. Machu PicchuMachu Picchu
  2. Nazca linesUNESCONazca lines
  3. SacsayhuamánSacsayhuamánCusco
  4. VinicuncaVinicunca
  5. CaralUNESCOCaral
  6. Inca Trail to Machu PicchuInca Trail to Machu Picchu
  7. CoricanchaCoricanchaCusco
  8. Chan ChanUNESCOChan Chan
  9. Colca CanyonColca Canyon
  10. ChoquequiraoChoquequirao
  11. Chavín de HuántarUNESCOChavín de Huántar
  12. Twelve-angled stoneTwelve-angled stoneCusco
  1. Pachacamac · LimaUNESCO
  2. Cusco Cathedral · Cusco
  3. Ransom Room · Cajamarca
  4. Chanquillo · CasmaUNESCO
  5. Historic Centre of Lima · LimaUNESCO
  6. Manu National ParkUNESCO
  7. Huascarán National ParkUNESCO
  8. Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena, Arequipa · Arequipa
  9. Casa de Fierro · Iquitos
  10. Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa · Arequipa
  11. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve · Iquitos
  12. Cumbemayo · Cajamarca

UNESCO sites in Peru →

Weather by month

The warmest month is February, with an average high of 25 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C242525232119181818192022
Average low, °C202121191716151515161718
Rainfall, mm344322343233
Rainy days123000000001

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Lima (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

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