Perú, a country for visit

Peru is located in the central part of the western coast of South America. It stretches across 1,285,215 square kilometers and has a population of some 23.5 million.

Peru’s inhabitants are mostly of Andean stock in the highlands and mixed-blooded “mestizos” on the coast, blended in with a hefty influx of European blood, largely Spanish.

A country doted with a vast and varied geography, Peru features 28 types of climates and 84 of the 103 ecological zones existing on Earth.

Its territory is split into three natural regions running from north to south: the Coast narrow swathe of desert coastline, which is home to Lima and most of Peru’s main cities; the Highlands, which feature breath-taking mountain landscapes and picturesque villages; and the exuberant Amazon jungle, teeming with a dizzying variety of animals and plantlife.

Lima, the Peruvian capital, was founded on January 18, 1535, by Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Dubbed the “City of Kings”, Lima is today a vast metropolis which blends the splendor of its colonial past with the modern era.

Nestling on the banks of the Rimac River and on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Lima is the seat of government and the country’s most important institutions.

Lima , a metropolis steeped in vice-regal airs, is the perfect starting point for travelers keen to get to know Peru, a country filled with myths and traditions that are as old as time, a nation doted with spectacular landscapes and imposing archaeological remains, which proof the grandeur of Peru’s first inhabitants, the authentic architects of the pre-Hispanic cultures and the Andean civilization.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

The access to our country may be by Air, Car or Sea.

By Air: All the international flights arrive and leave from the Jorge Chavez International Airport, located in the Constitutional Province of the Callao, 20 minutes from Lima Historical and 30 minutes from the residential and commercial districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.

At the present time, it is administrated by the international partnership Airport Lima Partners.

Information: You will find assistance and information in modules, located in both international and domestic halls and the main hall of the International Jorge Chavez Airport, in addition to the assistance offered by the airport.

Visible electronic boards inform the arrivals and departures of domestic and international flights.

Documentation: The activities in Peru and the dwell time must be coherent with the granted visa and permanence.

In case of needing a change in the migratory quality or the extension of your permanence, you will have to make, in the previous days to your departure from Peru, the procedures with the Migrations authorities.

Emergencies in the Airport:
Clave Medica offers emergency attention without cost, 24-hours a day. The topic is located in the main hall on the international aisle.

Sanidad Internacional (International Health) takes care of medical consults and sells basic medicines, 24 hours a day and is located in the international aisle mezzanine.

Disabled: In case of needing a wheelchair on arrival to Peru, ask for it to the airline hostess during the flight, or to the airline counter if needed at the moment of taking a flight.

By Car: There are three terrestrial income routes to our country:
- By the north: in the border with Ecuador, entering Peru by the city of Tumbes.
- By the southeast: in the border with Bolivia, entering Peru by the city of Puno.
- By the south: in the border with Chile, entering Peru by the city of Tacna.

By Sea: At the present time more and more cruise lines are arriving at our country like part of their South America tours, including Cunard, Princess Cruises and Hapag Lloyd, among others.

The ports used by these lines are: Callao (Constitutional Province of Callao – Lima) and San Martin (Pisco – Ica).

PERU – CREDIT CARDS

Visa, Master Card and Diners Club, are welcome in Peru. However not every establishment accepts all of them.

In case of needing cash you may use one of the numerous ATMs located all over the country.

PERU – CURRENCY

Peru’s currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.). One Nuevo Sol is broken down into 100 céntimos (cents). Banknotes currently circulating include 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 Nuevos Soles, while there are coins for 1, 2 and 5 Nuevos Soles and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency exchange:
There are no restrictions for changing currency in Peru.
US dollars are commonly accepted in most hotels, stores and supermarkets in Lima and in the main cities in the country. We recommend to exchange money in banks, because they offer more security and guarantees.

Avoid street moneychangers as they do not provide guarantees, despite of the fact that many of them are registered in municipalities in many districts of Lima.

Visitors should bear in mind that it is very difficult to change currencies other than the US dollar.

Taxes in Peru:
In Peru, all goods and services are taxed an 19% (IGV). Restaurants and hotels add a 10% service fee.

By law, all traders have the obligation to show the client the final price, including taxes.

On the other hand, tour packages contracted outside the country are tax exempted..

PERU – HEALTH

In order to avoid the most usual stomach upset you have to be careful with the water you drink.

It is not recommended to drink water directly from the tap. It is advisable to drink only bottled or boiled water.

You have to be very cautious of where you eat. Making sure they adhere basic hygienic standards. If not it will be advisable to consume canned food.

When visiting cities in high regions, do not have carbonized drinks, eat fresh fruits and lemon flavor candies to avoid altitude sickness (soroche), also have tablets of “coramina” handy, these pills are ideal to avoid soroche.

You should also try to avoid heavy foods because digestion is much slower than in the coast.

In case you suffer a great pain, you should call your insurance doctor.

Vaccines in Peru:
It is suggested for the people who are travelling to the jungle in Peru, have a vaccine against yellow fever. (According to information given by the Health Minister, there have not been any case of this illness registered in this area for 15 years).

Have a vaccine, at least, 10 days before arriving at the jungle. It is necessary to carry your vaccine certificate with you, as you will be demanded to show it along the excursion to Puerto Maldonado.

In case you arrive to our country without having taken this vaccine, you may be shot at the Jorge Chávez International Airport, the Hospital 2 de Mayo or next to the Hospital del Niño. Prices are less than US$20.00.

You may also ask your doctor about the possibilities of taking a vaccine against diphteria, tetanus, typhoid, polio or hepatitis.

PERU – INTERNET SERVICES

Currently, Internet is already a common way of communication in Peru.

Every day, there are more public cabins where you can pay in order to use a computer and surf the Internet. It is about one dollar per hour.

PERU – LANGUAJE

Peru’s official languages are Spanish and Quechua.

Spanish is spoken in practically every city and town in the country, while Quechua is mainly spoken in a few places of the Andes.

In the highland plains, called altiplano, in the department of Puno, Aymara is also spoken, although it is not held to be an official language.

PERU – HEALTH MEDICAL INSURANCE

Many credit cards provide a medical insurance when you are abroad, however if yours doesn’t or don’t have your own health insurance you may get emergency and health coverage of any of the insurance companies operating in Lima.

PERU – PUBLICATIONS

Papers and magazines published in Peru focus on local and international news coverage from a variety of angles.

The oldest newspaper, which has the largest circulation, is El Comercio. Founded in 1839, it is dubbed the Patriarch of the National Press, and is known for its measured coverage of events.

Another influential newspaper is La Republica.

There are also several sensationalist tabloids such as Ojo, El Popular, Ajá or El Chino, while there are all-sports papers such as Líbero and El Bocón. Caretas is the leading news weekly.

PERU – SECURITY

In Lima, as in every major city, and other cities within Peru, there are some areas more dangerous than others. Visitors should be alert. Before going anywhere, travelers should check to see if the area is risky to prevent any trouble.

By taking precautionary measures, it is improbable that visitors should run into any trouble. Visitors traveling through a problematic area should not wear jewelry.

Valuable items are best left at one’s lodgings. Do not carry flashy handbags or briefcases. Do not carry large amounts of cash, and if taking along a film or photographic camera, ensure it is kept hidden most of the time.

PERU – TELEPHONE SERVICES

Peru has a modern telephone service that has been upgraded to standard technologies.

Fixed and mobile phones service are run by private companies, that have improved the quality of service. Since the telecommunications sector was privatized, the State limits itself to monitoring rates and customer complaints.

You can place national and international long distance phone calls from phone boxes with coins or phone cards that are sold at gas stations, supermarkets, kiosks and even in the streets. Calls can be placed without an operator assistance.

Cellular phones service have also improved at leaps and bounds. Mobile phones can now be used in all the main cities around the country, making communication easier.

National long distance calls: Many cities of Peru have direct dialing service, you simply have to dial 0, the regional area code and the telephone number. In case the city does not have direct dialing service, dial 109 and ask the operator to connect you.

PERU – TOURING THE CITY

By taxi:
If you plan to tour the city in a taxi, remember that taxis are not fitted with meters, so agree on a rate before getting in.

Peru features independent, informal taxis, where cars do not feature the same color and are identified only by small stickers placed on the windshield. As they do not belong to a formally established taxi firm, they provide neither security nor guarantees.

Before taking a taxi, travelers would be advised to check with a trustworthy source on the approximate fare for the distance to be traveled. This will help avoid problems when it is time to pay the cab fare.

You may also take a taxi registered in the Metropolitan Lima Taxi Service, supervised by the Lima Town Hall and painted the same shade of bright yellow.

By bus:
It is the cheapest way to go around the city. The public transportation consists of omnibuses, microbuses (small buses) and minivans which can take you anywhere in the city.

Buses are available from 6:00 to midnight in established routes. Bus fare is about one sol (S/.1.00) or one sol twenty cents (S/.1.20). Mini vans charge between one sol (S/.1.00) and one sol fifty cents (S/.1.50).

By car:
If you want to drive around, you have to take into account that the traffic is quite chaotic, and worse in the rush hours.

Rush hours are from 7 to 9 in the morning, from midday to one o’clock in the afternoon and from 5 to 7 at night.

You must be very careful when driving in Lima, particularly with buses which drivers are rather rash. It is advisable to keep all your values (suitcases, bags, handbags or any other important objects) in your car boot, in order to avoid robberies as in some areas of the city there are criminals who taking advantage of the traffic lights, break the car glasses and steal value objects.

If you want to rent a car you may contact any of the following rent-a-car companies working in Lima: Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz.

City Tours:
A good idea to visit any city in Peru would be taking a City Tour.

Prices go from US$20.00 to US$70.00 per person, depending if they include lunch, entrance tickets to museums, if it is in a private vehicle or not, etc.

PERU – TRAVELER CHECKS

Traveler checks are not easily accepted in shops, restaurants, hostels, etc., however exchanging them is not a problem.

A 7% commission fee will be charged at the airport, 2% to 6% at banks in the city, while only a 2% will be charged in exchanging bureaus.

VISA REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER PERU

All travellers should contact the nearest Peruvian consulate in order to ascertain what visa rules apply, since these may change without previous notice.

PERU – WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Generally speaking, the climate varies from region to region in Peru.

In the Coast, the weather varies, with a damp and cloudy winter that runs from June to September.

Average temperatures come in at 14°C. During the summer, temperatures can peak at 28°C or over.

In the Highlands, the sun shines all year round during the morning, but temperatures descend at night, averaging 5°C.

The climate in the Amazon jungle is tropical all year round. In both regions, the rain season runs from December through April.

Lima is a city that features a moderate climate, ranging from a light drizzle in winter to a warm summer.

Average temperature in summertime -from mid-December to mid-March is 25 / 28°C. Winter, which usually features overcast skies and high humidity, has temperatures ranging from 10 to 16°C.

ADVENTURE TRAVEL IN PERU

Adventures, risks and emotions for paths scrabbled up heights. Walking, pedalling, riding, maybe ascending a mountain covered with perpetual snow or facing the rapids of a torrent river that runs between vertical walls.

Challenge, anger and honor… and the adrenaline overflows when flying over deep depressions, climbing rocks chiselled out by the beating of the wind or dominating the waves of a cagey sea that pretends to be still.

For its geography of unlikely mountain ranges, rivers of diabolical torrents, deserts of infinite appearance and suffocating forests, the Andean countries are ideal for the practice of those sports that they take man to the limit of his possibilities and allow him “to challenge” nature, in adventures that bury – although for a moment – the maddening tension of the cities.

The magic of the Andean world, is not only in the shades of its millennial culture, in the fabulous constructions of the prehispanic architects, in the incomparable beauty of its picturesque landscapes; but rather it also seduces with the charm of its coasts, magnificent for surfing and diving, its chains of mountains that tempt climbers form the whole planet and its belligerent torrents of water that don’t tire of mistreating canoes and kayacs.

It was in the decade of the 80s when adventure sports began to be developed with more intensity in these lands. It was an authentic awakening , a discovery that the old paths were potential paths for the lovers of trekking and cycling to ascend to the summit of a mountain – sacred and protective guardians according to the inhabitants’ beliefs of the Andes – it was excitingly an unequalable experience and that the abysses of the mountain range, could be crossed by fragile paragliders.

The cultores of trekking, rock climbing, diving, canoeing, kayak, off road, mountain bicycle, cavalcade, fishing, surfing, paragliding, hang-gliding, mountaineering and other adventure sports, would be able to breathe the winds of adrenaline in Peru, the mythical earth of the children of the Sun.

Be it on the coasts of the Pacific, in the mountain rumpled like paper about to be thrown in the trash or in the green labyrinth of the forest, there will always be an opportunity to practice a sport activity that will take one to the limit of emotion and frontier of risk. Prepare yourself to be part of this fantastic adventure and check the challenges, that are also part of the attractiveness of the Andean region.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING IN PERU
The silhouettes of a chain of mountain appear in the horizon. Majestic and gigantic, the mountains glow when receiving the caresses of the Sun; then, they project a magic, perhaps protective halo, on the rural towns seated in their skirts.

Climbing a mountain of La Cordillera de los Andes awake fascination since immemorial times. At the present time, the heirs of the cosmological vision of the old cultures of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia give cult to them, their “apus” or protector hills; while, hundreds of men and women coming from all over the world, make an effort when climbing a mountain trying to reach their summits that seem to be unconquerable.

To ascend the snow peaks of the Andes -many of which surpass 6,000 meters high- is an irresistible challenge for mountain climbing lovers (mountain climbing in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia is known as Andinismo) who will have the chance of demonstrating their dexterity, when crowning the summits of the Cotopaxi or theChimborazo in Ecuador, the Illimani, the Sajamaor the Condoriri in Bolivia or the Huascaran or the Alpamayo in Peru, just to name a few of the many mountains ideal for climbing.

From May to September, the absence of rains motivates the arrival of hundreds of foreign climbers, willing to challenge the snow peaks of the Andes… and as cold gets worse, it soaks the bones, but the ascent doesn’t stop, because the summits – mythical and sacred protectors – are an obsession for sportsmen that love mountain climbing.

FISHING IN PERU
Peru is without a doubt a privileged and diverse country, possessing a majority of all the major types of microclimates and a large percentage of all the flora and fauna of the world. For this reason, Peru is considered a true “dream destination” for sports fishermen.

Peru is divided by three unique regions: THE COAST, THE MOUNTAINS (ANDES) AND THE JUNGLE (AMAZON).

¿What do we catch in each region?

The Coast and Humboldt Current:
Peru, located on the western side in the center of South America, has 2,800 kilometers of Pacific Ocean coast. The cold waters of the Humboldt Current influence over 75% of the coast; the northern 25% of the coastline is influenced by warmer tropical currents. Therefore, deep-sea fishing for Black Marlin, and yellow fin tuna is possible offshore along the northern coast and inshore in the northern mangrove swamps you can find Sea bass, snook and grouper.

The Southern coast, characterized by cold waters, is especially suited for fishing from the shore or rocky cliffs to catch Flounder, sea bass and other species such as Chita.

The Andean Mountains:
Snows thawing from the Andean mountains forms numerous lakes and rivers along the edges of the Andes of Peru and is considered a great habitat for Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout. Specimens of more than 7 kilos have been captured in lakes, flyfishing and spin fishing. While you may not always find a giant trout the Andean lakes are famous for the large numbers of 700 -900 g trout. Trout season is at its peak between May and November, spin fishing using light rods and #1 – #3 Mepps lures.

The Amazon Jungle and Amazon Basin:
The Amazon Basin comprise almost 75% of Peru’s land mass. The rivers and lakes of the Amazon Basin are full of a large and varied number of gamefish such as Peacock Bass, Giant Oscars, Surubi, Zungaro and Payara, considered one of the world’s best fresh water trophy fish.

Amazon Basin fishing it Peru is at its peak June -October, using light to heavy spin fishing equipment depending on the type of fish you hope to catch.

PARAGLIDING AND PARASAILING IN PERU
One, two, three steps, against the wind and toward the abyss: deploying your nylon “wings” that instantly fill out and running towards the abyss; then, you become a bird, maybe an eagle, perhaps a divine condor that dominates the sky and surveys the valleys of prodigal furrows, the torrent and riotous rivers, the reddish tiles that crown the adobe houses. You can see everything. The world is naked below your bird eyes.

Flying in circles. Feeling liberated, making twirls, playing with the wind; avoiding the clouds and escaping from the turbulences that can harm you… and you begin to descend and to wake up from a dream, the images become clearer: the furrows, the bed of the river, the reddish tiles grow. You are nor an eagle neither a condor any longer. Your nylon “wings” are already resting on land.

The experience of paragliding or hang gliding, becomes even more intense when the Andean skies are furrowed, because the unexpected turbulences and the intense thermas, take a test to the pilot, who will be forced to appeal to all his dexterity and know-how, to dominate the winds of the mountain range. And as well as claiming our dexterity, they reward us with fantastic and numerous flights.

An infinity of ideal places to fly. An infinity of alternatives to discover the singular prints of the Andean world: the golden dunes of the coastal deserts; the gulches, the deep canyons, the mountains, the rivers watering the highlands or, also, the exuberant vegetation of the Amazon.

HORSEBACK RIDING IN PERU
Convoys of men conquer roads and treasure unforgettable adventures, when Horseback Riding non-stop in a land that offers immense, captivating and unsuspected landscapes, filled of magic, tradition and history.

Searching for impressive geographies. Breaking the routine: maybe a couple of days, perhaps a whole week, depending on the spirit, the energy and the desires… also on the climate that, with its whims and unexpected variations, modifies and sometimes blocks paths.Horseback Riding in Peru will definetely be an unforgettable experience.

In the last few years Horseback Riding has been more intensely practiced in the Andean countries, especially in Peru, thanks to their attractive beaches, captivating nooks in the mountains and highlands, as well as their millennial archeological monuments, transforming them into one of the geographical areas with better natural scenarios, for this amusing and touching activity, Horseback Riding.

Riding for small or long tracts. Feeling the caresses of the wind and enjoying the trot of a fine horse… but it is necessary to stop a while for the well deserved rest of rider and horse; then, one can converse with co-riders or appreciate some of the shades of the Andean culture: colorful dances, moving music, exquisite food.

In the Andean world, you will find lots of places where to go horseriding in company of efficient tourist guides, without pause or setbacks. If you are looking to conquer the roads in Peru and treasure adventures in the Andes this will definitively be an interesting option.

The pause is momentary. The adventurers know that they should return to the road, to continue discovering the charms of the Andean lands. Then do not hesitate a minute in joining our Horseback Riding adventure in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

MOUNTAIN BIKING IN PERU
The road is narrow, maybe too much: there are puddles of water, mud, bloodchilling curves, vertiginous descents and thousands of little stones; but it is beautiful and provokes to take the risk, to rush along them and to travel them by force of pedal, to reach the skirts of that mountain dressed of snow, the waters of a lagoon that reflects the sky. Mountain biking in Peru will be an unforgettable experience.

Leaning on the handlebars. The body inclined forward, feeling the resistance of the wind, tolerating the blows of the road. Pedalling and braking to avoid puddles, biking the fallen shingle from the hills; and, in the peal of the descent, the speed transforms the mountain range and the valleys into a diffused combination of colors and forms.

Audacity and anger characterize the mountain biking lovers that travel, in their “metal steeds”, the abrupt paths and trails of the Peru. When doing it, they don’t only put on test their stealthness, dexterity and resistance, in front of the multiple difficulties of the road, but they also discover wonderful landscapes, towns suspended in the past or ancient remains of the pre-Hispanic civilizations.

Biking in the mountain heights, in the coasts of the Pacific, in the hot forests, contemplating snowcaps, lagoons, gulches or deserts fringed by undulant dunes, are only some of the alternatives that the mountain biking lovers can find in Peru, full of exciting roads that lead to places of unimaginable beauty.

Thanks to its intricate geography, the region is a privileged place for the practice of mountain biking, infinite routes and exciting circuits, in which the emotion of a challenge, the splendour of nature and cultural exchange with the residents are mixed.

In the Andean countries it is possible to pedal at sea level or in the mountain heights, in routes that present diverse attractions and levels of difficulty. Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by doubts and be prepared to survey the magnificence of this part of the planet, from the seat of your mountain bike.

4×4 OFF ROAD IN PERU
Travelling in an unvincible 4×4 through the most secret and complex roads in the coast, mountain or forest of Peru. Dexterity and ability to advance along unknown tracts of an impact route, in which it is necessary to drive without desperation. The reefs hide behind closed curves or sheer crests.

The practice of 4 x4 off road activities are not bound, directly, to the climatological conditions. Any season of the year is ideal to turn on that four-wheeled monster’s motors that will take you to unexpected magical and charming places.

In Peru, spectacular highways, roads and trails will take you toward lingering adventures. Most go toward those denominated “Caminos del Inca” that unite the departments of Junin, Ayacucho, Cusco and Arequipa.

Other favorite routes for going off road are those in the northern lands of La Libertad and Cajamarca, two places of fascinating beauty; or the route that goes toward Kuelap, a gigantic citadel of ancient Peru, located in the department of Amazonas.

Most of these voyages begin in Lima and are carried out in company of tourist guides. The duration of the trip depends on the route chosen… then, everything is ready to turn on your motors and roll off toward one of the most astonishing geographies in the planet.

Going off road in a 4×4 in Peru will definetely be an unforgettable experience.

RAFTING AND KAYAKING IN PERU
You feel the vertiginous fury of the waters and the treacherous blow of sharp stones; the raft quivers, jumps, sifts and you have to row with perseverance and passion, while your heart accelerates its beat and the fatigue appears and you grit your teeth… soon you will hardly have forces to dominate the rapids of a river that bellows and rears up. Rafting or kayaking in the rivers of Peru will be an unforegettable experience.

And everything is fast in this fascinating adventure of going rafting or kayaking, sprinkled with emotion and adrenaline, in this atavistic fight between man and nature, in which you have to row and row to cut through the waters of a river of the coast or face the crystalline torrent that is born in the summits of the mountain range or the powerful flow of a giant in the rainforest.

The mighty and deep rivers of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, are an authentic and irresistible challenge for lovers of rafting and kayaking, two of the sport activities more practiced in this region, because everybody can feel the turbulence of the rapids that go from level I, ideal for novices, up to level VI, feared even by the experts.

To face the Andean rivers, to fight against the snakes or amarus, as they were called by the ancient Quechuas, is an experience that will put you on the edge of risk and danger. Come on, pick up your oars and let yourself be invaded by adrenaline. Rafting or Kayaking in Peru will be an unforgettable experience. You won’t regret it.

ROCK CLIMBING IN PERU
The summit is not the goal. The only important thing is to go by unexplored and complicated routes. Plenty of force and sacrifice in order to conquer the obstacles that the nature imposes us. Maximum concentration when climbing the enormous rocks that impede the ascent.

In the Andean World, therels an enormous potential for the practice of climbing; in Peru, for example, the mountains of the department of La Libertad and the area of Cumbemayo in the southern area of the department of Cajamarca, are perfect scenarios for the practice of rock climbing while in Ecuador, the best area is in the provice of Azuay.

The adventure of rock climbing can also be experienced in Bolivia, there are three places suitable for this practice: Runy Campaña ( 60 strips; 4 + / 8a french scale) in Oruro, El Peñon de Aranjuez located in la Paz and Curahuara de Carangas, also in Oruro.

Climbing without hurry to avoid any fall, only steel nerves allow you to defeat a steep rock and to manage the fear of an unexpected landslip, just one of the many risks of this adventure sport that began to be practiced in Scotland more than 200 years ago and that now is very popular in the Andean heights.

Rock climbing in Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia will definetely be an unforgettable experience.

SCUBA DIVING IN PERU

Infinite sway of blue waters, maybe greenish. Refreshing and renovating breeze that blows the faces, tangling the hair. Solitary seagulls deploy their wings and fly toward the unreachable horizon. Dying waves say goodbye to the sand, in a narrow beach that rests between the desert and the sea.

Silent view of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coasts, of beaches blessed by the rich waters of the Pacific that store, hide and give shelter, in its unknown depth, a great variety of species, reason why they are such an attractive paradise for those lovers of scuba diving and snorkeling.

In Peru, Scuba Diving can be practiced the whole year in fantastic places as: Máncora, Organos and Punta Sal (Tumbes); Talara, Islas Rocas, Bayóvar (Piura), Tortugas, Casma, Huarmey (Ancash); Ancón, Pucusana, San Bartolo, Isla Asia (Lima); Islas San Lorenzo and Fronton (Callao), Lagunillas, Mendieta, Laguna Grande, Lomitas and Marcon (Ica), Quilca and Matarani (Arequipa).

But the Andean world offers more than that. Scuba diving lovers will definetely enjoy the Galapago Islands (Ecuador), where the sea hides more than 307 species of fishes and close encounters with sharks and rayas are very likely to happen.

Appropriate places for snorker diving are la gruta de los osos marinos (adventure in which you will be accompanied by sea lions), la roca del pinaculo (tropical fishes and penguins hunting in the water) and la corona del diable (sea lions swimming by your side).

Scuba diving in the waters of Peru will definetely be an unforgettable experience.

SURFING IN PERU
Since inmemorial times and for several reasons, man rode the big waves all around the globe. Centuries ago In Hawaii, “waves riding” was considered God´s sport. Only nobility did it and the glory aura and happiness that embrace them while surfing made them look like Gods to people´s eyes. It elevated those who rode waves over common men.

In ancient Peru, “wave riding” was practiced since the beginning of civilization in this part of the American continent. Peruvians from the coast rode waves coming in from fishing in a daily and obliged ritual. To be a fisherman in ancient Peru you had to be a surfer, a reed boat surfer.

Times have changed, people evolved and so did men tools. Old wooden boards in Hawaii or Peruvian reed boats were replaced by modern and lighter surf boards made of synthetic foam and fiber glass, although the ecstasy feeling of riding a wave remains intact in the hearts and souls of those who ride waves today.

A special combination of adventure spirit, courage, commitment and the interminable search of the perfect wave characterize this unique tribe of men and women who travel the world dancing on the crest of the waves.

Peru is one of those privileged places on earth where nature’s generosity offers innumerable breaks with waves from every size, from every type. From beginners to advanced surfers, children, men, women, there is a wave for every one in this country where surfing is possible 365 days a year, with lots of surf spots to be discovered and where many, many waves pass unridden.

TREKKING AND HIKING IN PERU

Insistent gusts of wind, make even harder the persistent steps of those men who really want to revive the mythical walk of the old Peruvian runners, the Chasquis the indefatigable messengers of the sons of the Sun- in a path of stone and dust, winding acrobatically, among sacred mountains, lovely valleys and the turbulence and noise of the rivers of the Andean world.

Perspiration and fatigue. Dry, scarce air hardly enough to fill up the lungs. Contracted muscles, legs of lead, shoulders doubled by the torturing weight of the backpacks… ah, and the road is so long and the cliffs are bloodchilling and the temples palpitating with exasperating insistence due to the height. It is not easy to redo the steps of the Chasquis, trekking and hiking in Peru.

The millennial tradition of a town of walkers, because the Inca ordered to build trails and paths that crossed the robust mountains, the lonely and inhospitable moors, the fierce mounts, the cold punas of his vast empire, the biggest in Pre-Columbian America.

Exciting and historical steps in Peru, an authentic treasure chest for lovers of hiking and trekking who, with the force of their legs, “devour” the millennial routes that compliment the beauty of nature with the stone vestiges of old civilizations.

Compártelo