Peru Facts

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

* The most arid desert on earth is found in Peru.
* Colca is the deepest carved canyon in the world.
* Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable lake at 3,856m.
* The astounding Cordillera Blanca has 33 peaks over 6000m.

Perú is South America's third largest country covering 1,285,215 sq. km. and divided into three distinct geographic regions. The best known of these is the central high sierra of the Andes, with its massive peaks, steep canyons and extraordinary pre Columbian archaeological sites.

Lima

Centuries before it was founded as the City of Kings, the territory of Lima, capital of Peru and of the department of Lima, was inhabited by civilizations that had gauged its wealth and strategic location. Proof of that can be seen in the countless huacas or temples that dotted the valley, particularly the Pachacamac shrine, a major pilgrimage center during the Inca empire. This spurred Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro in 1535 to choose the Rímac River Valley to found the capital, as its location by the sea provided a link with sailing routes.

Lima is the main gateway to Peru, a major city bustling with living history and movement. It is an ethnic melting pot, featuring pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern elements. The metropolis is also surrounded by every aspect of Nature: the sea, islands, mountains, desert and plant life. Its various quarters feature an active nightlife and well-endowed cultural scene, as well as plentiful public transport and non-stop activities, a city of more than 8 million souls.

Before exploring Lima, the visitor should map out a route. The old city center harbors churches and mansions brimming with colonial and religious art, including such superb architectural examples as the Casa Aliaga or Palacio de Torre Tagle mansions. Colonial Lima also features many fine churches and convents such as Santo Domingo, San Agustín, San Francisco and La Merced.

Northern Peru

It is full of hidden treasures; its diversity will amaze you. The Utcubamba River takes you through some of Peru's most breathtaking sceneries. As you descend you find yourself passing through rice fields. As the coast approaches, you are stunned by the Atacama dessert, the driest region in the world. The journey from Chachapoyas to Trujillo can only be described as a montage of magnificence.

Most of us affiliate Peru with the great city of the clouds Machu Picchu, however there were several other civilizations thriving way before the Inca´s God was born from the waters of Titicaca lake. The Chachapoyas roamed from 800AD until the Inca´s arrival in 1470's when they left behind Kuelap, the largest standing stone structure in South America. Kuelap is a fortress made of gigantic walls with over 400 stone houses found inside.

In the coastal city of Trujillo we find the great Chan Chan city of the Chimu Empire (XII Century). Chan Chan, located in the middle of the Atacama dessert, is the largest adobe complex in the world. You will be amazed at the craftsmanship engraved on the walls of this great city.

Sipan

Is an archeological site located in the valley of the pyramids where the wealthiest royal tomb was recently excavated. Another point of interest is Cajamarca , famous city where Atahualpa, the last Inca king, was held captive by el conquistador Francisco Pizarro. You can see the cell, which had to be filled with gold and silver for his ransom.

Nazca

Just two hours from Ica, 50 square km of desert floor were covered centuries ago by vast drawings, figures of mammals, insects and deities. The Nazca Lines, discovered in 1927 and now declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO, are the most extraordinary legacy left by a culture that flourished in 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 meters long which can only be seen in their true dimension from the sky. Theories abound regarding these mysterious etchings, ranging from landing strips for aliens to a giant seismograph. The most probable theory is that of María Reiche who believed that the lines were part of a vast astronomic calendar whose figures marked different solar phases. A hummingbird, the spider, the condor and the monkey, are among the more than 30 figures etched into the plain.

Huascaran

Wedged between two soaring mountain chains —the Cordillera Negra and Cordillera Blanca— the Callejón de Huaylas gave raise to the ancient Chavín civilization, which have left a legacy in the Chavín de Huántar temple just hours from the city of Huaraz, the capital of the department.

Ancash, however, is a vast department that includes not only the highlands, but also stretches as far as the coast where one can find cities like the fishing port of Chimbote or Casma, a tranquil town by the shores of the Pacific. Possibly Ancash's geographic and climactic diversity has made it one of Peru's premier tourist destinations. Huascarán National Park, named after the 6,768 meter-high Mount Huascarán, offers opportunities to practice just about every adventure sport under the sun, from rafting down the Santa River to climbing up the Pastoruri snowfields. Mountaineering Week is one of the major events in the region.

Cuzco & Machu Picchu

Inca walls, colorful costumes, churches built on top of palaces, citadels lost in the Andean heights, legendary roads all the beauty of a glorious past that enfolds the visitor who arrives in Cuzco, the sacred city of the Incas and archaeological capital of the Americas. Ever since US archaeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the citadel of Machu Picchu for the world, Cuzco has fired the imagination of thousands of travelers from all over the world who venture down the Inca Trail every year headed for the summit of one of the world's most extraordinary monuments.

The city of Cuzco, however, features many other attractions which by themselves would be enough to attract visitors: the main square, which the Incas called Huacaypata, the artisans quarter of San Blas, the Convent of Santo Domingo, built on top of the Temple of the Sun or Korikancha, the palaces of the Inca and his court, part of a long list of archaeological wonders.

There are also several circuits on the outskirts of town, which usually include the imposing ruins of Sacsayhuaman or Tambomachay. Visitors can also take part in all kinds of adventure sports and participate in the most spectacular religious festivals on the continent. Celebrations include Qoyllur Rit´i, which is held at 4,000 meters, the Corpus Christi procession and the famous Inti Raymi spectacle.

With its bustling nightlife, Cuzco is also a magical city of dizzying excitement. Together with its rich archaeological legacy which is to be found on practically every street corner, its cultural scene makes the sacred city of the Incas the most spectacular destination in the Americas.

Inca Trail

Located in the department of Cuzco, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is Peru's most popular trekking route and possibly one of the most spectacular walks in the Americas. It forms part of the more than 23,000 km of roads built by the Incas across South America. Each year, some 25,000 hikers from all over the world walk the 43 km stone-paved trail, built by the Incas to get to the impregnable citadel of Machu Picchu, deep in the Cuzco cloud forest.

Manu

Located in the tropical rainforest of the departments of Cuzco and Madre de Dios, the Manu National Park is Peru's greatest natural reserve, both for the number of species that it harbors as well as the diversity of eco-systems to be found there. It was established as a national park in 1973 across a surface of 1 716 295.22 hectares and declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

The reserve covers the entire watershed of the Manu River, running across an extraordinary range of altitudes, running from 4,300 meters in the high Andean plain down to 200 meters in the Amazon Basin. The area is home to dozens of tribes —Amahuaca, Huachipaire, Machiguenga, Piro, Yora and Yaminahua— as well as others that have yet to make contact with the outside world. The park is also a haven for more than 20,000 plant varieties, 1,200 butterfly species, 1,000 bird species, 200 species of mammals and an unknown quantity of reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Titicaca

Located in the department of Puno, with a surface area of 36 180 hectares, the national reserve in practically its entirety covers the world's highest navigable lake.

The Titicaca Reserve is split into two separate sectors: the first, which lies in the Bay of Puno itself, protects the totora reed clumps which provide sustenance to the Uros-Chulluni communities; the second, which is located in the Huancané area, features less-visited totora marshes, but which are equally rich in species and just as interesting. In the area there are 60 bird species, including the Titicaca grebe, 14 native fish species and 18 types of amphibians, including the giant Titicaca toad.

Arequipa

Misti volcano is slept, whoever Arequipa is a vibrant city where its people still invites the tourist to visit their traditional squares and streets. Their characteristic color of their houses is due to the sillar, volcanic origin stone. Established as Villa Hermosa, it was promoted to the category of city in 1541. In Arequipa, the visitor finds spectacular neo renascent cathedrals, impressive monasteries as Santa Catalina and many colonial houses and museums, reasons enough to visit the city.

Colca

Four hours north of Arequipa lies the impressive Colca Valley. The road to the valley crosses the lower slopes of Mount Chachani and runs along plains studded with ichu and yareta (plants used for fuel) and which are home to alpacas and vizcacha rodents. The road crosses a high point of 4,350 meters before dropping down to the valley, an area of breath-taking landscapes surrounded by terracing and snow-capped peaks. Far below, at a depth of 3,400 meters, the Colca River winds along the bottom of the canyon, one of the world's deepest.

Some 40 km from Chivay, the first of the towns along the way, stands a superb natural lookout point from where one can watch the condors wheeling over the valley, while in the distance one can spot the Coropuna and Ampato volcanoes. Several towns in the valley provide lodging, but one can also camp out and go trekking. The area is ideal for adventure sports.

Iquitos

Iquitos, capital of the department of Loreto, is Peru's main port along the Amazon River. Founded in 1757, the city began to boom from 1880 onwards as a result of the rubber tapping industry. One can still see signs of that economic bonanza in buildings such as the old Hotel Palace, built in Art Nouveau style with materials brought from Europe, and Casa de Fierro, designed by French architect Gustave Eiffel. These constructions contrast with the rustic homes that line the Belén quarter, where all constructions rest on pilings due to the fact the river rises several meters during the rain season. A boat ride along the major rivers and lakes around Iquitos is particularly bewitching for visitors. Native tribes mainly live along the banks of the Amazon, Napo, Ucayali, Marañón and Nanay Rivers.

Some 150 km from Iquitos lies the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest reserve in Peru, the second-largest in the Amazon Basin and the fourth-largest in South America. The area is home to an astonishing biodiversity of fauna and flora.