Peru covers an area of 1,285,000 square kilometres (about 5 times the size of the UK) and is the third largest country in South America. It is one of the most spectacular countries in the world and its extremes of geography and variety and friendliness of its people is quite astonishing. Scientists have categorized 103 ecological zones on earth, of which Peru has an incredible 83 of them within its borders. Geographically it is divided into three very different regions: the coast, the Andes mountains and the Amazonian lowlands. It has a population of about 25 million. 43% of the population are indigenous Indians who mainly inhabit the highlands and speak Quechua although a few speak Aymara in the Lake Titicaca region. Although the Amazonian lowlands make up more than half of Peru only about 6% of the population live there. People of mixed indigenous and Spanish blood (known as metizo) make up about 38% of the population, 15% white and the remaining 4% are black, Asian or from other backgrounds.
      

The Best of Peru (Editor's Pick)

Destinations
(1). Machu Picchu (2). Cusco & The Sacred Valley (3). Amazon Jungle (4). Lake Titicaca (5). Arequipa & Colca Canyon (6). Lima (7). Nasca Lines (8). Pisco & Ballestas Islands (9). Huaraz, Cordillera Blanca (10). The North Of Peru (Trujillo, Mancora)
   
Historical Sites
(1). Machu Picchu (2). Sacsayhuaman (Cusco) (3). Cantalloc Aqueduct & Chauchilla Cemetery (Nasca) (4). Qoricancha - Temple of the Sun (Cusco) (5). Pisac Ruins (nr Cusco) (6). Ollantaytambo Fortress (nr Cusco) (7). Choquequirao (8). Huacas de Moche (9). Chan Chan (10). Chavin de Huantar
  
Museums
(1). Museo de la Nacion (Lima) (2). Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herrera (Lima) (3). Convento y Museo de San Francisco (Lima) (4). Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Arequipa) (5). Museo Maria Reiche (Nasca) (6). Museo Inka (Cusco) (7). Museo de Arte Precolombino (Cusco) (8). Museo Sancuarios Andinos (Arequipa) (9). Museo Arqueologico Bruning (Lambayeque) (10). Museo Antonini (Nasca)
 
National Parks
(1). Manu National Park & Biosphere Reserve (2). Huascaran National Park (3). Tambopata-Candamo National Reserve (4). Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (5). Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary (6). Paracas National Reserve (7). Titicaca National Reserve (8). Bahuaja Sonene National Park (9). Pampas Galeras Barbara D'Achille (10). Tumbes Mangroves
 
Trekking
(1). Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (Cusco) (2). Salkantay to Machu Picchu (Cusco) (3). Santa Cruz (Huaraz) (4). Ausangate (Cusco) (5). Climbing Volcan El Misti (Arequipa) (6). Lares Valley (Cusco) (7). Alpamayo Base Camp (Huaraz) (8). Choquequirao (Cusco) (9). Colca Canyon (Arequipa) (10). Santa Teresa to Machu Picchu (Cusco)
 
Jungle Experiences
(1). Manu (2). Tambopata (3). Iquitos
 
Mountain Biking (see Mountain Biking section)
(1). Callejon de Huaylas (Huaraz) (2). Paucartambo - Cloud Forest - Manu (3). Colca Canyon (4). Colquepata - Paucartambo (5). Abra de Malaga to Ollantaytambo (6). Chinchero - Maras - Moray - Urubamba (7). Abra de Lares to Lares Hot Springs (8). Abra de Malaga to Quillabamba (9). Abra de Lares to Calca (10).
 
Rafting (see Rafting section)
(1). Apurimac (2). Tambopata (3). Cotahuasi (Colca Canyon) (4). Urubamba Rivers (Sacred Valley) (5). (6). (7). (8). (9). (10).
 
Small Towns & Villages
(1). Ollantaytambo (2). Pisac (3). Chinchero (4). Cajamarca (5). Colca Valley villages
 
Traditional Indian Markets
(1). Chinchero (2). Pisac (3). San Pedro (Cusco)

 
Cultural Experiences
(1). Stay with a local family (2). Take a local bus (3). Eat out at a Quinta (4). Visit a traditional market (5). Learn Spanish (6). Learn Quechua (7). Visit a local school (7). Visit a mountain village (8). Chew Coca leaves (9). Volunteer work (10). Make an offering to Pachamama
 
Architecture
(1). Cusco's Inca stonework (2). Colonial Lima (3). Ollantaytambo's Old Town (4). Machu Picchu (5). Colonial Arequipa (6). Trujillo's Old Houses (7). Iquitos (8). Colonial Cusco (9). (10).
 
Festivals
(1). Easter Week (Ayacucho) (2). Inti Raymi (Cusco) (3). Virgen del Carmen (Paucartambo) (4). Virgen de Candelaria (Puno) (5). Qoyllur Rit'i (Ausangate) (6). Reyes Magos (Ollantaytambo) (7). Corpus Christi (Cusco) (8). El Senor de los Milagros (Lima) (9). Puno Week (10). Santuranticuy Fair (Cusco)
 
Local Dining Experience (currently being written)
(1). Cuy (guinea pig) (2). Ceviche (3). Pachamanca (4). Pisco (5). Recotto Relleno & Papa Rellena (6). Mate de Coca (7). Aji de Gallina (8). Lomo Saltado (9). Juanes (10). Lechon
 
Handicrafts (currently being written)
(1). Textiles (2). Gold & Silver (3). Alpaca clothing (4). Hats (Chullos) (5). Paintings (6). Ceramics (7). Retablos (8). Dolls (9). Wood carvings and picture frames (10). Antiques
  
Hotels (currently being reviewed and updated)
(1). Hotel Monasterio (Cusco) (2). Miraflores Park Hotel (Lima) (3). Country Club Lima Hotel (Lima) (4). Hotel Libertador (Cusco) (5). Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel (Aguas Calientes) (6). JW Marriott Hotel & Casino (Lima) (7). (8). (9). Hotel Sol y Luna (Urubamba) (10).
  
Small Hotels & Hostals (currently being reviewed and updated)
(1). Ninos Hotel (Cusco) (2). Hostal Marani (Cusco) (3). (4). (5). (6). (7). (8). (9). (10).

Overseas Tour Operators
(1). GAP (2). Widland Adventures (3). Tropical Nature Travel (4). Adventure Life Journeys (5). Abercrombie & Kent (6). Myths & Mountains (7). Overseas Adventure Travel (8). (9). (10).

Local Tour Operators
(1). Peruvian Andean Treks (Cusco) (2). Explorandes (Cusco & Huaraz) (3). SAS (Cusco) (4). Peru Treks (Cusco) (5). Condor Travel (Cusco) (6). Manu Expeditions (Manu) (7). Pantiacolla (Manu) (8). Rainforest Expeditions (Tambopata) (9). Pony Expeditions (Huaraz area) (10). Zarate Expeditions (Arequipa)
  
Restaurants
(1). Las Brujas de Cachiche (Lima) (2). La Hamaca (Lima) (3). Restaurante Illary (Cusco) (4). MAP cafe (Cusco) (5). Astrid y Gaston (Lima) (6). Huaca Pucllana (Lima) (7). Inca Grill (Cusco) (8). Sol de Mayo (Arequipa) (9). Zig Zag (Arequipa) (10). Granja de Heidi (Cusco)
 
Shopping
(1). Mercado del Indios - Miraflores (Lima) (2). San Blas (Cusco) (3). Chinchero market (4). Pisac market (5). Centro de Artesenia (Cusco) (6). Jockey Plaza (Lima) (7). Alpaca 111 (8). Isla Taquile (Lake Titcaca) (9). Larcomar - Miraflores (Lima) (10). El Molino (Cusco)

Travel Tips
(1). Buy a guide book (2). Decide when to go (3). Plan your trip itinerary (4). Book your tour direct (5). Learn some Spanish (6). Stay healthy (7). Get kitted out - what to bring (8). Make copies of your important documents (9) Stay safe
 
Responsible Tourism
(1). Do your research (2). Where's your money going? (3). Learn some Spanish (4). Plan your budget (5). Responsible Tourism Policy (6). Pay a fair price for handicrafts (7). Interact (8). Don't show your wealth (9). Be considerate when taking photos (10). Give a little back

Home *About Us * Peru Highlights * Volunteer Work & Community Projects * Travel Info * Photo Gallery * Ecotourism Guide * Travel Stories * Language Schools * Books * Handicrafts * Links * Search * Contact Us Tour Operators in Peru * Overseas Tour Operators * Mountain Biking * Rafting * Climbing * Birdwatching TREKKING IN PERU: Classic Inca Trail / Short Inca Trail / Salkantay / Ausangate / Lares / Choquequirao / Vilcabamba / Huaraz  DESTINATION GUIDE: Lima / Cusco / Machu Picchu / Sacred Valley  / Arequipa / Puno / Huaraz / Nazca / Iquitos / Manu / Tambopata RECOMMENDED HOTELS: Lima / Cusco / Machu Picchu / Sacred Valley / Arequipa / Puno / Huaraz / Nazca / Iquitos / Jungle Lodges

Andean Travel Web Guide to Peru  www.andeantravelweb.com/peru

Office Address: Calle Garcilaso 265, interior patio 2nd floor, Cusco, Peru (just 2 minutes walk from the main Plaza de Armas). If you are coming to Cusco please bring a couple of second hand clothes, toys, school equipment and drop them off in our office. We will help distribute the items to people who really need them in small village schools and communities in the Andes. For more details visit our web page www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/projects  A map of our office can be found by clicking here.

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