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Lake Titicaca, which straddles Peru's border with Bolivia, is the highest navigable lake in the world—and one of the most beautiful. The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, which would be stunning anywhere, are truly spectacular in their Andean setting, high above the Urubamba River. And Cusco, once the center of the Incan empire and now a vibrant gateway to Incan ruins, is also high in the Andes.

Yet even at sea level, Peru can leave you breathless. With unspoiled beaches, coastal desert, deep canyons and dense Amazon jungle, its variety of natural wonders is astonishing.

Then, there are the cultural treasures. The contrast between old and new runs throughout the land: Poncho-clad indigenous peoples walk their llamas through modern cities, past Spanish cathedrals built on the foundations of ancient Incan ruins. Giant, stylized designs were etched in the earth by the Nazca—a great pre-Columbian civilization.

Peru is where pre-Columbian culture reached its most graceful peak. Like the Parthenon in Greece or the Pyramids of Egypt, the Incan and pre-Incan ruins of Peru provide an unforgettable glimpse of the genius of a lost world.

Geography

Peru can be divided into three distinct geographic regions: the coastal desert, where most of the major cities are located; the Andean Highlands, where mountain peaks soar above 20,000 ft/6,000 m; and the largely undeveloped Amazon jungle, with isolated villages and cities and a tremendous number of plant and animal species.

Although the northern tip of Peru reaches within a mile/kilometer of the equator, coastal temperatures are moderated by the Humboldt Current, which rises from Antarctica and creates frigid swimming conditions as well as rich offshore fishing.

History

Before the Incan empire, many civilizations flourished in Peru. The Moche culture (noted for exceptionally fine pottery), the Nazca culture (which made huge etchings in the desert) and the Chimu culture (with its large adobe cities) are but three examples. It is the Incas, however, whose civilization is best known—their empire, though short-lived, covered the South American Andes from modern-day Colombia to Chile.

Their lands were held together by an extensive network of roads, traversed by imperial messengers bearing quipus, or knotted-string messages. The empire was incredibly skillful in its use of dry masonry, irrigation and terraces. The Incan citadel of Machu Picchu—made of large stones interlocked like fingers with no mortar used—attests to the technical and aesthetic mastery of this Amerindian empire.

All that came to an end when, in 1532, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro arrived with a small but well-armed force, captured the emperor Atahualpa and began the destruction of a civilization. Today, Peruvians are ambivalent about their past: Pride in their Spanish and indigenous heritage mixes with shame over the sometimes brutal actions of their forefathers.

After declaring independence from Spain in 1821, Peru enjoyed a short period of republican government, followed by nearly 160 years of "good" dictatorships alternating with corrupt tyrannies, ineffectual democratic administrations and sheer anarchy. Sporadic attacks by guerrilla groups continued into the late 1990s, despite the arrest of most of the leaders of the Shining Path, the most violent group. Recent years have signaled a new era of stability, and while extreme poverty remains in parts of the country, the economy is growing at one of the fastest rates in the region.

Outsider Alejandro Toledo was elected president in 2001, following the ignominious flight of Alberto Fujimori. Toledo struggled with low approval ratings and strikes despite pretty robust economic growth throughout his presidency. He was replaced in 2006 by former president Alan Garcia, who led Peru to hyperinflation and foreign capital flight during his first term in the 1980s. Peruvians accorded Garcia a remarkable second chance, and he presided over a rapidly expanding economy, but not without criticisms of growing social unrest, environmental mismanagement and, later, allegations of corruption.

In 2011, Garcia was replaced by Ollanta Humala. Humala was succeeded in 2016 by Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard, who resigned in 2018 and was succeeded by Martin Vizcarra Cornejo. In 2021, Pedro Castillo was elected to office.

Snapshot

The chief attractions of Peru are Cusco and Machu Picchu, ecotourism jungle adventures, the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca, vast coastal archaeological sites, bird-watching, world-class cuisine and friendly people.

Almost everyone will be impressed by what Peru has to offer. Outside of the few major cities and increasing amount of tourist areas, do not expect deluxe accommodations, high standards of service or high levels of sanitation. Nevertheless, simple but comfortable hotels and surprisingly good restaurants are found throughout the country.

Potpourri

Lima's San Marcos University is one of the oldest in the New World, founded in 1551, 70 years before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock.

Peru ranks among the highest places in the world in biodiversity, with 84 of the 104 known life zones on the planet found in the country.

Peru is one of the countries in the world with the largest variety of orchids—2,800 classified and as many as 3,000 unclassified.

Lima's metropolitan area population accounts for close to one-third of the nation's total population.

The mummy of a young Incan girl had lain frozen for five centuries before melting ice dislodged her from her summit location on Mount Ampato and sent her down the mountain. Probably left there as a sacrificial offering, Juanita, as she was named, was the first female Inca mummy discovered in the Andes. She is now on display in the Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa.

Thor Heyerdahl, in his voyage of the Ra (an Egyptian reed ship), had the help of Titicaca's Uros people—the only people in the world with the requisite reed-working and boat-building skills. The explorer also believed that Peruvians were the first people to settle Polynesia.

The traditional use of the coca leaf dates back at least 5,000 years. Chewing the coca leaf was once a privilege for Incan royalty. The Spaniards began to cultivate it and used it to stimulate their workers. Peru is one of the world's largest sources of coca leaves, and chewing coca leaves is an integral part of highland Andean society. Even in cities, coca tea and candy are popular.

Millions of years ago, the Amazon River drained into the Pacific through what is now Peru. Eons of continental drift and collision raised the Andes and reversed the course of the mighty river. Pink Amazon River dolphins are the most obvious—and beautiful—relic of the great inland lake that formed when the Andes rose.

Iquitos is so remote and the Andes such a formidable barrier that trade with Europe used to be far more economical than trade with Lima—the Amazon River leads to Iquitos, but there are no roads connecting it with the rest of Peru. With air transportation, Iquitos now has good communication with the rest of the country, but it remains the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road.