Information About Peru

Peru is an ancient & magical place that possesses a richness & diversity unique in the world. It offers the visitor infinite possibilities & alternatives to live an experience that is truly unique: history, culture, nature, adventure & much more all in one country.
Peru has spectacular mountains, an immense desert on the coast & extensive areas of Amazon jungle.
At more than 6,000 meters above sea level & 400 kilometers wide in some places, the Andes dominates the landscape of Peru, the highest point being 6,768 m above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca.
There are three different regions within Peru, all unique & special in what they offer the visitor; diversity in both spectacular scenery & cultural activities from music, dance and traditional festivals typical to each region, the possibilities are endless. Peruvian cuisine is recognized as one of the best in the continent & in the world.
The ancestors of the actual settlers/colonizers of Peru developed many important civilizations; in the coast (Paracas, Nazca, Mochica, Sican & Chimú), & in the Andes (Tiahuanaco, Chachapoyas, & the Incan empire).
In Peru there are more than 10 thousand years of history in more than 180 museums & archeological destinations.
The name Peru, inevitably & immediately, evokes images of Machupicchu & the empire founded by the Incas. Through treks such as the Inca trail, although there are many other equally impressive treks in Peru, it is possible to get an impression of the archeological heritage from ancient civilizations through their art, costumes, rituals & development/organization.

Accessibility:

Peru has 14 airports equipped to receive commercial flights & 10 equipped for international flights: Lima, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Pisco, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Cusco, Trujillo, Tacna y Juliaca. Perú has in excess of 78 thousand kilometers of roads.

Area:

With 1,285,215 square kilometers, Peru is the third largest country in South America, following Brazil & Argentina, between the 20 most extensive countries on the planet.
It is the tenth highest country in the world; (it also has 200 nautical miles & territorial rights to over 60,000,000 hectares in Antartica).

Politics:

Peru is organized politically into 24 departments, being: (Amazonas, Ancash, Apurímac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima-Provincias, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martín, Tacna, Tumbes y Ucayali), as well as the constitutional province del Callao.

Population:

The population of Peru is approximately 27,000,000 people.

Peru: Fusion of cultures

Peru is a place with all types of blood. The history of Peru is the place at which we encounter different races & cultures. The native population we summarize until the last 500 years when the Spanish conquistadors arrived. The population we encounter today has also been enriched through the migration of many others including African, Asian & European, emerging in the modern Peruvian population representing one nation.
Part of this rich culture is language. In Peru there are a multitude of native languages, although Spanish is the common language used by the vast majority of inhabitants, the language of Quechua is an important inheritance from the Incas & many regions throughout Peru use variations specific to the zone they live in. Other dialects exist such as Aymara from the Puno region, and diverse Amazonian languages that are distributed in a surprising variety of families of whom, still to this day, survive near 15 linguistic trunks, giving rise to 43 different languages.
There are two official languages at present: 80.3% Spanish and Quechua 16.2%.

When to go to Peru?

That depends on where you plan on visiting. There are three main regions of Peru: the coast (La Costa), the mountains (La Sierra) and the jungle (La Selva). If you are visiting the coastal area, From Tumbes to Tacna (include Mancora Beachs), then it is better to come during Peru's summer months, December - March. In the others there are two seasons: wet and dry, definitely to visit the mountains or the jungle you should come in dry season from May - September which includes such tourist places as: Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and the Inca Trail, etc. The best time to visit the jungle is also during the dry months of May-October.

Safety traveling in peru.
Overall Peru is a safe country. But you need to take precautions specially in major City Incidents such as Pickpockets are more common around crowded areas and crazy Lima traffic are typically the biggest problems travellers will encounter. For a detailed list of precautions, click here.

Currency:

The official currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol (S/) divided into 100 céntimos (cents).
It circulates in coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 céntimos, 1, 2 and 5 Nuevo Soles, and in notes of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Nuevo Soles.
Government:
Peru is a democratic Republic. The President and the members of the Congress are chosen every five years by universal voting.
The current President of Peru is Dr. Alan Garcia Perez (2006-2011).

Religion:

Catholics: 89.03%

Evangelical: 6.73%
Other Religions: 2.56%
No Religion: 1.65%

Peru, by nature, is a place of beliefs, the diversity of which and the freedom to practice rituals are pronounced in a variety of celebrations that gather so much of the catholic fervor, part of the Spanish inheritance, like the mysticism of the ancient Hispanic cultures.
Recommendations:

1. Health precautions:

Vaccinations: There is no mandatory vaccine but the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends yellow fever, only if you intend to travel to the amazonian forest. It is also recommended to be vaccinated against tifoid fever, tetanus, polio, and hepatitis A&B.
Sanitary Conditions: Generally good, although it depends on the area you are visiting. Consider the following recommendations:

• In the forest zone, it is necessary to take measures to avoid yellow fever, as well as malaria.
• Greater than 3,000 meters above sea level: the effects of altitude sickness (sorroche) can be felt, recommendations are to rest, eat lighter meals and drink water and herbal tea/infusions.
• In coastal regions and mountain ranges, it is necessary to take care to protect yourself from sun burn and mosquitos, particularly when visiting places close to Ecuador.
• Drink bottled or purified water and don't eat fruits and vegetables without disinfecting, cooking or peeling.We recommend to use bottled water when brushing your teeth as well! Ice is not always made with boiled/ bottled water. Order your beverages without ice ("sin hielo") or ask if it is safe.
• Eating from street stalls, etc is no guarantee that basic sanitary standards have been met.

Medical care is really good in private health care facilities with modern equipment and someone on staff that speaks English. in urban areas, but less so in the rural parts of the country. It is highly recommended that you take out travel insurance before you leave home. However, hospitals and clinics often ask for cash payment up front. Make sure that you keep all receipts so that you can be reimbursed once you return home. Also, make sure that your travel insurance includes medical evacuation. If you plan on doing any "adventure tours" such as riding motorcycles, scuba diving or even trekking, ask if those activities are covered. For more detailed information about health, vaccinations, insurance and medical facilities in Peru. Please see: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/peru.aspx

2. Rules for Currencies:

ATM access, currency exchange, credit cards (ensure PIN access) are all available.
American dollars are accepted in most places.
About Travelers Check are usually good to take as "insurance", but they are often difficult to change and the exchange rate is not as favorable as if you used cash. It is highly suggested to exchange the checks in Banks considering the loss of the 2% or 5% of the total.
About Money Exchange; although the Dollar is generally accepted, we recommend using banks and other official exchange places to avoid possible frauds.
The most credit cards accepted in Peru are Visa and Master Card. American Express and Diner's Club are not that widely accepted. The downside of credit and debit cards is that stores, hotels and restaurants will sometimes add an 8% commission to the final bill. The best way is to take money from the ATM and pay for your purchases in cash.

3. Security:

In general it does not represent excessive problems, although precautions should be taken in certain regions, for example, river zones including Huallaga, Apurímac and Ene in the departments of Apurimac, Ayacucho, Huánuco and Junín.
It is recommended to take special care in road trips and do not travel at night in buses in the South and Central mountain range of the country.

4. Telephone Numbers of Interest:

• Area codes: The area code of the country is 51.
• Emergency Telephone Numbers:

National Police:

• Ancash (Chimbote): 043 /32.16.51
• Ancash (Huari): 043 /75.30.58
• Loreto (Iquitos): 094 /23.51.61
• Ica (Ica): 056 /22.45.53
• Cusco (Cusco): 084 /22.45.39
• Arequipa (Arequipa) 054 /25.12.75
• Puno (Ilave): 051 /85.20.48
• Ayacucho (Huamanga): 66/ 81.24.40