Lima

1,285,220 km²
(30.9x Nederland)

UTC -5

Spanish, Quechua

Huascarán - 6,768 m

The flag was designed by the South American independence fighter José de San Martin and adopted on February 25, 1825. Red represents the blood that was shed during the struggle for independence. white represents courage and peace. The coat of arms contains the Vicuña, the Cinchona tree and the cornucopia.

The Nuevo sol (named after the Solidus, used in the Roman Empire) is the currency in Peru. It was introduced on January 4, 1991. Depicted on the banknote is a national hero: José Abelardo Çuiñones Gonzáles. During the war with Ecuador in 1941 his plane, an American P-64, was hit in an attack on an Ecuadorian position. Instead of briging himself to safety with his parachute, he sacrificed himself by crashing his plane on the enemy position.

The reed islands of the Uros in Lake Titicaca near Puno are very touristic but worth a visit. In 2007 there were 32 islands, nowadays there are more than 70. When entering the area an island is been assigned. In this way, all islands can earn some money. The construction of an island takes six months. An island lasts about 20 years and there is room for seven families. Among other things, a demonstration is given of how an island is being built and of course the souvenirs are also present. Make sure to book a tour to the island of Taquile as well. Less touristic and the textile art is considered one of the best in the world. The island measures 5.5 by 1.6 km. Lake Titicaca (3,809 meters) is the highest navigable lake in the world and is 165 km by 65 km.



Colca Canyon is 3,270 meters deep and therefore more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in America. The highest point is at 4,800 meters. The name Colca Canyon originated from the holes that can be seen in the canyon. These holes are called Colca's. They were used by the Incas and Pre-Inks to store food for worse times, such as potatoes and other foods that can last longer. They were also used as graves for important people. The canyon is also the ultimate spot to see condors. Best time to spot them is from 07:00 to 09:00 at 'Cruz del Condor'. At this location, the canyon is 1,200 meters deep. You have to share it with lots of tourists but there is plenty of room.

For a special experience you can fly over the Nasca lines. This is not a trip for those with a weak stomach. In a four- up to ten-person airplane you fly, in just over half hour, over a dozen figures in the desert. To this end, many bends are made and the plane is tilted so the persons at either side of the airplane can take a good look at the figures below. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish because there are many lines on the desert surface. The Nasca lines are geoglyphs that have been on the World Heritage List since 1994. The figures of animals, geometric shapes and lines have long been preserved. The plain is one of the driest areas on Earth. It is almost always windless and there is almost no rain. This is why the lines were preserved for thousands of years. The lines are believed to be created between 200 BC and 900 by the Nasca and Paraca Indians. Around 1930 Maria Reiche and Paul Kosok came up with the hypothesis of an astronomical meaning of the lines and figures. The most obvious are the animal drawings, 25 to 275 meters long and up to 30 cm deep.

Huacachina is a tourist destination in an oasis near Ica. The oasis is surrounded by sand dunes which are a few hundred meters high. You can climb the dunes on foot, but you can also climb up the slope with a buggy and then descend with a snowboard.

There are some impressive Inca ruins in the sacred valley of Cusco at Pisac and Ollantaytambo. When visiting the ruin of Pisac make sure to get there early. When you get there in the afternoon, the only access road is packed with buses which can't go back or forth. Ollantaytambo is the only place where the Incas ever won a battle over the Spaniards.

Cusco, the Quechua word for navel, was the capital of the Incas. A beautiful city with a mix of Inca architecture and that of the Spaniards. When the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro conquered the city in 1533, he ordered demolition of the existing temples and palaces to its foundation to place colonial buildings on top. The way on which the large stones fit together shows the craftsmanship of the Incas. Make sure to be in Cusco at the end of June. Prior to the Inti Raimi festival there are several parades with floats and dance groups. Don't forget to visit the beautiful cathedral. Above the city lies the Sacsayhuamán temple.


Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire, Tawantinsuyu ('The land of the four cardinal points'). The holy city took the form of a puma and many temples were built like those for the sun god Inti and the moon goddess Quilla. According to the Incas, this was the place where the son of the sun (Manco Capac) and the daughter of the moon (Mama Ocllo) decided to stay after a long search for fertile ground. At the beginning of the 16th century the empire was divided by disputes. It included an area that lay between Quito in Ecuador and Santiago in Chile. Huayna Cápac moved the administrative center from Cusco to Quito. Shortly before his death, Huayna Cápac divided the empire between his sons Atahualpa and Huáscar. The northern part went to Atahualpa, while Huáscar reigned over the south. Huáscar made Cusco capital of his part of the area. Years of rivalry followed between north and south. In 1532 Huáscar was caputered by Atahualpa , making Atahualpa leader of the whole empire. Atahualpa's leadership was short-lived. In 1532 the conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured him. On November 15, 1533, Pizarro then reached the city of Cusco. In 1535 Manco Capac II, with an army of100,000 Incas, tried to recapture the city from the Spaniards. He didn't succeed.

The ruins of what must have been an important Inca place are located in Raqchi, on the road from Puno to Cusco. There are approx. 100 Colca's (food storage) The Colca's lie in a straight line and have a diameter of 10 meters. The Remains of the temple are special because of the use of adobe. The monumental village of the same name has a souvenir market where the saleswomen wear traditional costumes.

By train to Aguas Calientes, a very touristic place and the base for an excursion to Machu Picchu. If you have time then walk along the railway to climb the Cerro Putukusi with beautiful view of Machu Picchu. This ascent is very steep and you have to climb several long ladders Not recommended when it rains because the ladders are slippery. Take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. Get up very early in order to avoid waiting in a long queu. Once in Machu Picchu sit on one of the terraces and watch the clouds drift over the ruins. The ruins were discovered in 1911. A Peruvian boy was leading explorer Hiram Bingham to the site.

When in Arequipa, don't miss the monastery of Saint Catherine (Santa Catalina). It was built in 1579 and measures 20,426 m². At its peak there lived 450 persons of which 150 nuns of the Dominican second order, the rest were servants. Today ther are about 20 nuns. The first occupant was a wealthy young widow without children, Maria de Guzman. All her belongings went to the monastery. The monastery accepted only women from wealthy Spanish families who also had to contribute substantially. In the 1960s, the monastery was hit by an earthquake twice, forcing the nuns to build a new accommodation. A long renovation followed to restore the monastery. Income comes from tourism. Allow more than three hours for a visit.