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Travel to Peru

     Peru is South America's third largest country, covering 1,285,215 sq. km., and can be 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.

Capital: Lima

Location: Peru is a country in western South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the south-east, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Climate: On the coast summer is hot and dry, winter is often cool and grey - the exception of this is the northern coast where it is quite warm and sunny all year round. Summer in the mountains means the rainy season as it does in the jungle, in both cases it is the warmer season despite the rains. The best time to go to Peru’s coast is their summer, and the best time to go to the mountains in my opinion is September or May when you get a bit of both worlds. The nights aren’t as cold as in June or July but it still tends to be dry.

Terrain: Peru's terrain is divided into coastal plain, mountains and rainforest. Rivers include the Maranon, Huallaga, Ucayali and the Amazon.

Language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara

Currency: Nuevo Sol (PEN)

Time zone: GMT -5

Internet TLD: .pe

Calling code: +51

The Andes are by no means the only region to visit in Peru. Also of great interest is Peru's narrow, lowland coastal region, a northern extension of the Atacama Desert. Although the Atacama is generally known as the most arid region on the planet, the climate along Peru's shores is made cooler and less dry by La Garuùa, a dense fog created by the collision of the frigid waters of the Humboldt Current with the heated sands of the Atacama. Lima, Trujillo, and Chiclayo, three of Peru's major population centres, are located along this coastal desert.

More facts about Peru:
Peru, country profile

Local Travel News:

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An operator has introduced a series of new group tour packages and family holiday deals for travellers heading to Peru.