Peru facts: See map of Peru and Peru flag. Learn about Peruvian food & Peru Inca heritage.

News Clips and Reviews

Exploring Peru With My New Family

By Jenny Hartshorne

Since I’ve been back from my seven-day vacation in Peru, friends ask me, 'Hey what have you been up to this summer?' I love saying I went to Peru... There's a bit of mystery to it. Not the same as 'Went down to the shore for a week.' I say 'Well, I was in Peru, went to the Amazon Rainforest and stayed in a cool jungle camp with thatched huts and hammocks in front, macaws and parrots flying free, tarantulas in the trees nearby. The jungle was full of boas, anaconda, monkeys and of course lizards of all sizes.' I organized the trip with my new blended family by signing up with Active South America, a really first-rate tour company. Since there were only five of us we were matched with another family of our size. Read more...

Peru Inca Heritage: Past Meets Present

In the 15th Century, the Inca state conquered and assimilated several other cultures to become the most powerful empire in the New World, stretching from what is now southern Colombia down through Peru to central Chile at its peak. Although they didn't have the wheel or iron tools, the Incas were expert stonemasons and their work including the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman still puzzle modern archaeologists. But the Inca emperors ruled for only about a century before the violent arrival of Pizarro and other Spanish conquistadors.

It's the multiple layers of great civilizations, literally built upon the ruins of the last, which makes Peru so fascinating. Today you can wander through colonial cities such as the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco, where you can see architecturally as well as culturally, how the Spanish conquistadors built on top of old Inca foundations. For example, a colonial church that sits on the walls of the Inca temple Koricancha (Temple of the Sun). Luckily, the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu was spared any remodelling due its remote location high in the mountains and remains a dramatically powerful glimpse at this ancient civilization.

Land Rich not only in History but Natural Beauty
All of this exists in a country with some of the most spectacular and varied scenery in South America. The Peruvian Andes are arguably the most beautiful on the continent and the mountains are home to millions of highland Indians who still speak the ancient tongue of Quechua and maintain a traditional way of life. The verdant Amazon Basin, which occupies half of Peru, is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity 'hot spots' - a species-rich area of tropical rain forest that will make your head spin when you start to learn about its ecology. And the coastal deserts, with their huge rolling dunes, farmland oases and fishing villages, are underappreciated by travellers but offer the opportunity to get off the beaten trail in a big way. But you don't have to be a zoologist, an anthropologist or a mountain climber to enjoy Peru, all you need is a keen eye, a love of landscape and an interest in history.

Peruvian food
The main staples of traditional Peruvian food are rice, potatoes, chicken, pork, lamb and aji (Peruvian hot pepper). Peruvian food also features all kinds of seafood, especially fish. The Spanish introduced chicken, pork and lamb to Peru 500 years ago and took potatoes, which have been grown in the Peruvian Andes for centuries, back to Europe. Today over 200 varieties of potatoes are grown in Peru, ranging in size and even color.

Interesting Peru Facts & Stats
Full country name: Republic of Peru
Area: 1,285,215 sq km (501,234 sq mi)
Population: 29,180,900 (July 2008 estimate)
Capital city: Lima (pop 9-12 million)
People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Language: Spanish, Quechua (Inca language), Aymara
Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population
Government: Democracy
President: Alan Garcia
Prime Minister: Yehude Simon
GDP: US$111.8 billion
GDP per head: US$4,300 and climbing
Annual growth: 9.1% in 2008, government projecting 5% for 2009
Inflation: 6% for 2008
Major industries: Pulp, paper, coca leaves, fishmeal, steel (Peru is one of the world's leading metal producers), chemicals, oil, minerals, cement, auto assembly, shipbuilding
Major trading partners: USA, Japan, UK, China, Germany, Columbia

Take a look at our adventure tours in Peru:
Jaguar - 14 Peru trip
Capybara - 11 day family trip in Peru