PERU INFO

General Information and Frequent Questions

• WHEATER & CONDITIONS
• CURRENCY
• HEALTH & VACCINATIONS
• CLOTHING
• SHOPPING
• CUSTOMS
• TRAVEL & TAXES
• WATER AND FOOD
• ELECTRIC CURRENT
• PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
• *** FESTIVITIES ***

WHEATER & CONDITIONS

On the coast
The central and southern region of the Peruvian coast is generally sunny in the summer (November to May) and cloudy during the rest of the year. Temperatures vary between 20ºC and 30ºC during the summer and 10ºC and 20ºC during the winter.

The northern region of the coast has sunshine almost all year with some rain between November and March.

In the ‘Sierra’ (highlands)
The Andes have usually a rainless winter that runs from April to October and a rainy season that lasts from November to March, being heaviest in January - February.

In the highlands temperatures have accentuated variations during the day, with sudden temperature falls after sunset (sometimes up to 15ºC)

In the rainforest
In the tropical forests it can rain all year round and there may be high temperatures. From November to May rain is heavier, rivers rise, but from May to September temperatures are generally milder but never cold, except in Madre de Dios (south) where cold air-masses move in from Bolivia and Argentina in the winter months and you may require to wear a jacket/sweater.

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CURRENCY

The official currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol. (S/), but U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Currency can be exchanged on the street, at exchange houses or at banks, as well as at ATM machines, which honour most international credit cards and bankcards. Most establishments such as shops and restaurants will accept payments in US Dollars as well as with Credit Cards. Travelers Checks are accepted to a lesser degree.

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HEALTH & VACCINATIONS

Professional medical assistance is available throughout Peru, and is covered by most foreign insurance companies. Emergency evacuations may be easily arranged. Most medicinal drugs and a wide variety of natural medical practitioners are available. For travel in coastal and mountain regions of Peru, there are no vaccination requirements. However, visitors to the jungle are required to have Yellow Fever vaccinations while Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Cholera shots are optional. People with heart conditions or high blood pressure should not consider high altitude trips. As always, you should consult your doctor before travelling, particularly to the Peruvian Altiplano, (mountain areas) if you suffer from either respiratory, heart, or circulatory problems.

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CLOTHING

Great variations in regional weather mean different types of clothing will be necessary, depending upon your itinerary. On the coast, warm clothes for the winter, while the summers are hot, and you should dress accordingly. In the mountains, the days tend to be hot, while the nights are cool to cold. Bring your rain gear from November to May. You should always carry a windbreaker with you while in the mountains, as if the clouds cover the sun, it can get very cool in a matter of minutes. In the jungle, rain gear all year round, shorts during the day and warm clothing for the evenings.

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SHOPPING

All of the main cities offer most consumer goods from around the world. Supermarkets are also common, but most food shopping is done in local markets. Many internationally known brands are available in Peru, but sometimes there are variations. Souvenirs are widely available. As everywhere, there is a wide price range of products, from low prices and quality to high prices and quality. Peru is known for its impressive traditional handicrafts, known as “artesania” locally. Some of the most exquisite silver and gold work can be found, and the quality is second to none in the world.

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CUSTOMS

Some nationalities require entry visas that must be obtained at the nearest Peruvian Consulate before your arrival to Peru. Upon arrival, you must have a valid passport with at least six months left before it expires, and a completed customs declaration, both which must be presented to the authorities when entering. A photocopy of all travel documents is highly recommended, and make sure you keep them in a separate place from where you keep the originals. It is also a good idea to keep a set of photocopies with a relative or close friend at home. You may be asked upon entering Peru to declare some personal items such as electronic gadgets and you could be required to show them on your departure. There are some limits on the amount of consumer goods allowed into Peru, without paying customs duties.

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TRAVEL & TAXES

International Flights
Every time that you use a Peruvian airport when leaving the country you have to pay US$ 30.25 per person.
This tax will be paid at the bank offices located in the airport, receiving a self-adhesive small sticker that usually adheres to the air ticket. At the moment of passing by the migration control, this payment voucher will be shown to the authority. Some airlines offer the opportunity to pay this tax in the moment that you present to the airline counter, when getting ready to the shipment procedure.

Domestic Flights
As for international flights, all the national flights are subject to the payment of a tax of US$ 6.05 This tax is paid in each exit from an airport, in domestic flights, and the payment is per person.

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WATER & FOOD

Although tap water in Lima is considered safe to drink, quite naturally its chemical content differs from that to which you are used to. To avoid problems you may prefer bottled mineral water which is readily available.
Lima's better Hotels and Restaurants, where you would normally dine, maintain good hygienic standards. Since time is required for the body to adapt to different conditions, you may wish to avoid piquant or highly seasoned “typical” food at first.

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ELECTRIC CURRENT

Throughout Peru the current is 220 Volts AC, hence caution should be taken. Most hotels have special 110 Volts out-less in bathrooms, but the are so marked and exclusively for the use of shavers, not suitable for travel irons, hair dryers, etc.

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PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Taxis are abundant in Lima and neither exorbitant nor cheap. It is best to consult the Concierge of your Hotel for proper rates, either for a specific trip or by the hour, and a clear understanding should be established with the driver before embarking.

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FESTIVITIES

MARINERA NATIONAL CONTEST
Last week of January – Trujillo, La Libertad
The Martinera is one of the best-known folk dances of Peru. It is practiced in almost all regions, though with some variations. Every Year, The Marinera National Contest is held in the city of Trujillo, some 550 kilometers north of Lima, where the best couples in the country compete in different categories. Several activities take place in the city during this week, including parades, the traditional Baile del Perol (Pot’s Dance Ball) where everybody dresses in white, art exhibitions, etc.

FESTIVAL OF THE VIRGIN OF LA CANDELARIA
February 2 – Puno, Puno
The city of Puno is located on the banks of Lake Titicaca and at 3870 meters above sea level. It is considered by many the folk art Capital of the continent and it is here that the biggest celebration to honor the Virgin of La Candelaria takes place every year in February. Mass ceremonies and fireworks start the last week of January, although the main day is February 2, when the image of the Virgin is carried out of the church on the shoulders of the townspeople. This procession is accompanied by folk dance groups dressed with colorful clothes and masks. There are approximately 60 to 80 groups participating in it every year, each consisting of 100 to 250 members. The day of the Octava (generally the first Sunday after February 2) and the day after, the streets of Puno are taken over by folk dancers passing by the Church of San Juan to pay homage to the Virgin.

HOLY WEEK IN TARMA
Holy Week – Tarma, Junin
A 300-kilometer/5 hour ride east of Lima, going through La Oroya (at 3726 meters above sea level) takes to Tarma, known as “the Pearl of the Andes” because of the beautiful scenery that surrounds it. It is also known for the celebrations of the Holy Week, during which Tarma is host to impressive candle light evening processions. Festivities start two weeks before Good Friday and ends on Palm Sunday with the blessing of the Palms and the traditional procession of the image of Christ riding a donkey through the main square. Especially remarkable are the carpets made of flower petals that are laid on the Streets.

PERUVIAN PASO HORSE NATIONAL COMPETITION
April – Mamacona, Lima
The Peruvian Paso horse descended from the bloodstock that was brought to Peru by the Spaniards, who at the time were the foremost horse breeders in the world. Since no outside blood has been introduced for several centuries, the purebred Peruvian Paso horse has developed the gait (a particular pattern of moving on foot) that has become its trademark. Every Year, Peruvian Paso horse breeders bring their best horses to Mamacona (a former ranch 30 kilometers south of Lima) to participate in the National Competition that lasts one week. The activities include exhibitions of the champions, folk dances and music, a handicraft fair and stalls of typical food from the different regions of Peru.

MAY FESTIVAL
First ten days of May – Huaraz, Ancash
Huaraz is located 417 kilometers north of Lima, near the highest tropical mountain range: the Cordillera Blanca. It is a point of departure for many trekking routes. Its patron saint is the Señor de la Soledad (Lord of Solitude), and his is one the most important celebrations in this city. It starts with the festival of Mayordomos (Hosts). On may 2 there is an evening serenade with fireworks. On May 3, the main day, the image of the Lord of Solitude is taken out of his church in a procession of the faithful that is accompanied by folk dancers. During the Octava (generally May 9) more musicians and folk dancers come from different towns of the region to pay homage to the Lord. The festival ends on the next day, known as the Colocación, with a mass and the last procession.

CHAKKU FESTIVAL
June 24 – Pampa Galeras National Reserve, Ayacucho
Pampa Galeras National Reserve, located some 350 kilometers east of Nazca in the department of Ica, was created to protect one of the most precious animal species in Peru: the vicuna. This South America camelid’s wool is coveted for its softness and delicacy. To make use of it without having to kill the animal, peasants perform the Chakku. This pre-Hispanic ritual consists of encircling the vicunas to flush them out of the mountains and into a corral. Once there, the vicunas are selected for shearing. The Chakku is preceded by social and cultural activities, as well as by a Pagapu, which is homage to the Pachamama or Mother Earth.

NATIVE HOLIDAYS
July 28-29 - Peru
The eve of the Independence Day is celebrated in Peru with serenades to the sound of Creole paces and folk music in plazas and public parks. On July 28, the Te Deum ceremony is performed in the cathedral, which includes the presence of the president of the country, and then the military parade begins in Lima’s downtown. The Home Fair, the biggest commercial event of Peru, and the Fair of La Molina also open its doors during July. In several cities of the country farming and cattle fairs are organized (Cajamarca, Piura, Monsefu).

JUBILEE FESTIVAL OF AREQUIPA
August 15 – Arequipa, Arequipa
Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru and is also known as the white city, since the most important colonial buildings were built of a white volcanic rock from a nearby quarry. The city was founded on August 15, 1540, and the anniversary of its foundation is the most important non-religious celebration in the region. Some of the most awaited activities are the competition of Tunas (musical choral groups) that serenade the city, walking from street to street, and the traditional bullfights that takes place at the Cerro Juli Plaza. On the anniversary’s Eve, there is a Grand Serenade and fireworks, and on August 15, the Friendship Parade includes musical and dance groups, beauty queens carried on traditional colorful carriages, and Peruvian Paso horse exhibitions.

INTERNATIONAL SPRING FESTIVAL
Last week of September – Trujillo La Libertad
Trujillo is known as the "City of the Eternal Spring” because of its mild weather. Every year local authorities organize a festival to celebrate the arrival of this season, which has become the most important event of Peru’s northern region. Various social and cultural activities take place during the International Spring Festival, such as handicraft and arts exhibitions, concerts of both classical and folk music, sports competitions, gastronomy contests, a beauty pageant and the traditional closing parade.

PROCESSION OF THE LORD OF THE MIRACLES
October 18, 19 and 28 - Lima, Lima
This procession has its roots in the Colonial era, when an Angolan slave painted the image of the crucified Christ on the wall of a now long-gone church in the Lima neighborhood of Pachacamilla. It quickly became an object of worship as it survived intact an earthquake that toppled most of Lima. The procession is the largest gathering of believers on the continent. They depart from the Church of Nazarenas in downtown Lima carried forth on the shoulders of the faithful to tour the main streets and districts of the capital in the course of several days. The image is carried on a litter crafted from silver and precious stones. The traditional and popular sweet cake called Turrón de Doña Pepa is prepared throughout the month.

RE-ENACTMENT OF THE EMERGENCE FROM LAKE TITICACA
November 5 – Titicaca Lake, Puno
According to the most popular legend explaining the creation of the Inca Empire, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo emerged from Lake Titicaca searching for where to found what would become the capital of the Empire. This legend is re-enacted every year. The mythical couple departs from the island in the lake and arrives in the dock of the city of Puno, where a retinue awaits to take them to the place where a thanksgiving ritual is performed, followed by dancers and musicians of the nearby communities.

FESTIVAL OF THE VIRGIN OF EL CARMEN
December 27 – Chincha, Ica
The Village of El Carmen is located 200 kilometers south of Lima. To pay homage to their patron saint, the Virgin of El Carmen, the locals join together Christmas Eve and the day of the Virgin (December 27). This is an ancient festivity that has not only a religious side, but also a musical one, mixing Andean-Afro-Peruvian rhythms. The traditional “Dance of the Shepherds” dates back to the 17th century.

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