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Peru
South AmericaSouth America
1.29 Million km²
Quick Facts
Capital
Lima
Area
1,285,216 km²
Language
Spanish (+ Quechua, Aymara)
Currency
Peruvian Sol (PEN)
Calling Code
+51
Drives On
Right
Internet
.pe
Timezone
PET (UTC-5)
Script
Latin
Government
Presidential Republic
Independence
1821
Map tiles by CARTO. Data by OpenStreetMap.
Peru is where the Andes meet the Amazon, where the Inca Empire built cities in the clouds, and where the food is so good that Lima has become the gastronomic capital of an entire continent. Machu Picchu gets most of the attention - and deservedly so, it's extraordinary - but the country is far more than one citadel. Peru has 28 of the world's 32 climate types, civilizations that predate the Inca by thousands of years, and over 4,000 varieties of the potato, which was domesticated here.
The geography is absurd. You can go from Pacific desert to snow-capped Andean peaks above 6,000 meters to dense Amazon jungle, all within a single country. Lake Titicaca sits at 3,812 meters, the highest navigable lake in the world. The Nazca Lines - enormous geoglyphs only visible from the air - have been baffling people for over 2,000 years. And the Peruvian Amazon makes up 60% of the country, a vast green lung that most tourists never see. Peru is one of those places where every turn reveals something unexpected.
Largest Cities in Peru
1
Lima
Capital and culinary powerhouse, a sprawling coastal city where colonial churches sit beside world-class cevicherias
10,700,000
2
Arequipa
The White City built from sillar volcanic stone, overlooked by the 5,822-meter Misti volcano
1,100,000
3
Trujillo
City of eternal spring in the north, surrounded by the ruins of the Moche and Chimu civilizations
1,000,000
4
Chiclayo
Archaeological treasure trove near the Royal Tombs of Sipan, one of the most important finds in the Americas
800,000
5
Cusco
Former capital of the Inca Empire at 3,400 meters, gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley
450,000
6
Iquitos
Largest city in the world unreachable by road, a port on the Amazon surrounded entirely by rainforest
437,000
Famous People from Peru
Mario Vargas Llosa
LiteratureNobel Prize in Literature (2010) for novels exploring power, corruption, and identity in Latin America
Cesar Vallejo
LiteratureOne of the great poets of the 20th century, whose innovative verse influenced generations of Spanish-language writers
Pachacuti
PoliticsInca emperor who transformed Cusco from a small kingdom into a vast empire and is believed to have built Machu Picchu
Yma Sumac
MusicSoprano with a staggering five-octave vocal range, known as the Peruvian Songbird, a sensation in 1950s Hollywood
Paolo Guerrero
SportPeru's all-time top scorer and captain who led the team back to the World Cup in 2018 after a 36-year absence
Chabuca Granda
MusicComposer of La Flor de la Canela, Peru's most famous song and an anthem of Lima's cultural identity
Ricardo Palma
LiteratureAuthor of Tradiciones Peruanas, a beloved collection of historical tales that defined Peruvian literary identity
Sofia Mulanovich
SportFirst South American to win a surfing world championship (2004), a pioneer who put Peruvian surfing on the map
Traditional Cuisine of Peru
Ceviche
Peru's national dish - fresh raw fish cured in lime juice with chili, onion, and cilantro, served with sweet potato and corn
Lomo Saltado
Stir-fried beef with onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, and french fries over rice - a perfect fusion of Peruvian and Chinese cooking
Aji de Gallina
Shredded chicken in a creamy sauce of aji amarillo chili, walnuts, and cheese, served over rice with olives and egg
Causa Rellena
Layered terrine of seasoned mashed potato filled with chicken or tuna salad, avocado, and aji amarillo
Anticuchos
Grilled beef heart skewers marinated in vinegar and spices, a beloved street food eaten from carts after dark
Pollo a la Brasa
Peruvian rotisserie chicken marinated in a secret blend of spices and spit-roasted, eaten by the millions weekly
Pisco Sour
Peru's national cocktail - pisco brandy shaken with lime juice, egg white, and angostura bitters into a frothy masterpiece
Pachamanca
Ancient cooking method where meat, potatoes, and corn are slow-cooked underground with hot stones and aromatic herbs
Nature & Landmarks in Peru
Machu Picchu
LandmarkThe Lost City of the Incas, a 15th century citadel perched at 2,430 meters between cloud-forested peaks
Amazon Rainforest
ForestThe Peruvian Amazon covers 60% of the country and is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth
Lake Titicaca
LakeThe world's highest navigable lake at 3,812 meters, shared with Bolivia and home to the Uros floating reed islands
Colca Canyon
CanyonOne of the deepest canyons in the world at 3,270 meters, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, where Andean condors soar
Andes Mountains
MountainThe Peruvian Andes include 30 peaks above 6,000 meters, including the spectacular Cordillera Blanca
Nazca Lines
LandmarkEnormous geoglyphs of animals and geometric shapes etched into the desert over 2,000 years ago, visible only from the air
Huascaran
MountainPeru's highest peak at 6,768 meters in the Cordillera Blanca, the centerpiece of Huascaran National Park
Manu National Park
National ParkOne of the most biodiverse places on Earth, stretching from Andean highlands down into lowland Amazon rainforest
Sports in Peru
Football
Two-time Copa America champions, returned to the World Cup in 2018 after a 36-year absence to massive national celebration
Volleyball
Women's team won Olympic silver in 1988, the only South American team to medal in Olympic volleyball at the time
Surfing
World-class waves at Chicama (world's longest left-hand break) and Sofia Mulanovich became first South American world champion
Boxing
Kina Malpartida became Peru's first boxing world champion, inspiring a new generation of Peruvian fighters
Did You Know?
1
Machu Picchu was built around 1450 CE and remained unknown to the outside world until American explorer Hiram Bingham reached it in 1911
2
Peru has 28 of the world's 32 climate types, from coastal desert to tropical rainforest to glacial highlands
3
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 meters above sea level
4
Peru is the birthplace of the potato - over 4,000 varieties are grown here, in every color from purple to yellow
5
The Nazca Lines include figures up to 370 meters long, created between 500 BCE and 500 CE, and their purpose remains debated
6
Lima has been named the Best Culinary Destination in the World by the World Travel Awards multiple years running
7
The Amazon River begins in Peru, high in the Andes, as a small stream just 200 km from the Pacific Ocean
8
Iquitos is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road - you can only get there by plane or boat
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Test Your Knowledge of Peru
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