Peru

Enjoy the Diversity of Peru

The Incan city of Machu Picchu high up in the Andes is not Peru’s only attraction. Other adventures here include sailing down the Amazon River…hiking through tropical rainforest…and visiting Lake Titicaca--so big that there are small floating islands within its great expanse. You should also take a stroll through the preserved Spanish colonial city of Arequipa (the “White City”), found in a land of volcanoes, hot springs, canyons and deserts. The diversity and intensity of the landscape here will take your breath away. The city of Cuzco is the center of Quechua indigenous culture in the Andes and is also worth a visit.

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Peru Fast Facts

Population: 29,549,517

Capital: Lima

Language: Spanish, Quechua

Location: Western South America, bordering Ecuador and Chile

Coastline: 2,414km

Climate: Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; frigid in Andes

Country Code: 51

Time Zone: GMT-5

Read more articles about Peru below

Peru Articles

Arequipa: Off the Beaten Path in Peru’s “White City”
Posted on January 24, 2013 by Glynna Prentice

I first visited Arequipa more than 20 years ago. Since then, Peru’s “white city” has lingered in my memory. I vividly recall the taxi drive into town from the airport back then. The day was warm, dry and sunny, and I saw the perfect cone of El Misti rising in the distance. Alone on a vast plain, the volcano dominated the skyline of the city’s Spanish-colonial heart.
Voodoo, “The Great Clamor,” and Vikings
Posted on December 20, 2012 by International Living

Take to the streets in Santiago, Chile, from January 3 to 20 for the Santiago a Mil international theater festival. You’ll find large-scale spectacles like “the noise of colors” extravaganza, a forest of paper giraffes, and outdoor performances of Romeo and Juliet.
Piñatas, the Sphinx and Waltzing in Vienna
Posted on November 26, 2012 by John Joe Worrall

Begin your holiday season in earnest in Mexico City with a huge Christmas Market running throughout December. In amongst the stalls, piñatas and ice rinks you’ll find the world’s tallest Christmas tree. In Europe, Christmas markets large and small brim with handicrafts, mulled wine and seasonal fare, but Germany is king of them all.
We Left Our U.S. Jobs for South America…
Posted on June 7, 2012 by Danny Warren

I squeeze the brakes of my handlebars and skid to a stop at the edge of the plateau overlooking Peru’s Sacred Valley. More than 2,000 feet below us is the Urubamba River. A small town nestled on its banks was our destination for the evening. My wife and I were at the start of six weeks of unpaid leave from our jobs to travel in South America. That brief moment in time epitomized what we were seeking.
Blooms, Tango and Horseback Patrols
Posted on April 25, 2012 by Darius Fisher

Europe’s buzzing boho center, Berlin, bursts into life this month with the Carnival of Cultures. Thousands of performers will take to the streets and stages of the German capital to entertain over a million revelers. The party starts May 25.

Earlier in the month, Cinco de Mayo (May 5) takes place all over Mexico, especially the U.S. border towns. The day commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Puebla, a city and state in the south, has the best parades in the country.
News and Notes from Around the World
Posted on March 27, 2012 by International Living

On the Cover This Month… Surrounded by picturesque farms, orchards and towering mountains, Vilcabamba …
From Snake Gods to Incan Waters: Magical Places, Healing Powers
Posted on June 1, 2010 by Robert Scheer

I had to crane my neck to look up at the snake god. Nearly 15 feet tall, the cobra-shaped stone was almost brushing the roof. I was in Naag Mandir, a Hindu temple about 10 miles outside Labasa, on the Fiji island of Vanua Levu.
5 Top Spots to Soak Up March’s Holy Week Celebrations
Posted on March 1, 2010 by International Living

Easter is the most important holiday of the Christian calendar. And in Spanish speaking Roman Catholic countries one day just isn’t enough.
Five New Retirement Havens We’re Scouting in 2010
Posted on January 1, 2010 by International Living

We survey 194 countries in our annual Quality of Life Index. How do we decide which of them should be on your radar screen for retirement? With an eye firmly on places where your dollars are likely to stretch, we send a scout to take a look.
How to Buy Quality Gems for Less in Latin America
Posted on September 29, 2009 by Renee Newman

Five hundred years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadores were exploring Venezuela and Panama, they discovered extensive pearl beds off the coastline.
Your Dollar Still Goes Far in Ecuador
Posted on November 25, 2008 by International Living

When my wife Merri and I first arrived in Ecuador in 1997, one U.S. dollar bought about 3,000 Ecuadorian sucres. Then Ecuador’s currency took a disastrous nosedive. Within a year, 7,000 sucres equaled one greenback.
Uncovering Peru’s Inca Past
Posted on February 25, 2008 by William Chamberlayne

I discovered this unpleasant fact on last year’s jaunt to Peru, where I holed up in Lima’s venerable Country Club Hotel. This colonial institution—vastly improved, by the way, since my last visit to San Isidro more than 20 years ago—overlooks a charming golf course, but the rigors of my travels had taken away all desire for even the simplest of swings. Instead I took to having a late breakfast in my spacious quarters (the eggs Benedict are perfectly comme il faut), rereading Shackleton’s Arctic hardships, and gazing wistfully over the fairway.
Choose Your Ideal Retirement
Posted on January 13, 2008 by Paul Terhorst

My French friend Etienne doesn’t drink alcohol. He never had a drinking problem, he just saw the harm alcohol does–car crashes, destroyed marriages, early death, and so much unhappiness. So he decided not to drink.
Apartments from $26,000 and a century-old mansion for $160,000—Peru: Property for a pittance
Posted on May 3, 2007 by Lee Harrison

From the ancient Incan cities to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, from the miles of sandy coastline to the jagged peaks of the Andes, Peru is a diverse, exciting, and historic country.