PERU

PERU

Peru is located in South America on the Pacific Ocean and borders Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. The Andes Mountains run in 3 mountain ranges from north to south and divide the country into 3 zones: coast, mountains and jungle. The coastal strip is desert-like and up to 140 km wide. The climate is dry and tropical along the coast; the Amazon rainforest lies to the east of the mountains.

Peru has 35 million inhabitants and they speak Spanish, Quechua, Aymará and other Indian languages. 60% of the population is Mestizo, 25% Indian. The country has been inhabited for 12,500 years. The main tourist attractions are the pre-Columbian cultures, monuments of the Inca Empire and colonial towns built in Baroque style. There are also opportunities for tourism in natural parks.

The Indian cultures in the coastal plain were Paracas, Nazca, Wari, Chimu and Moche. The Moche are known for their irrigation systems, ceramics, architecture and metalwork. The Chimú were town planners, they formed a loose federation of walled cities and the capital was Chan Chan, near Trujillo. Chavín de Huáscar (1500 – 300 B.C.) lies at an altitude of 3,180 m in a strategic location between the coast and the jungle at the upper reaches of the Marañon River.

In the highlands near Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia, the Tiahuanaco culture existed. The Wari culture was centred in Ayacucho. By the 15th century, the Incas controlled an enormous area, from southern Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, northern Chile to north-western Argentina. The Native American economy was based on agriculture, with cultivation terraces. Among other things, they grew corn, cassava and potatoes. The alpaca was kept for wool, the llama as a pack animal, and the guinea pig for meat.

The capital of the Inca Empire was Cuzco, in the southern mountainous region. At the time of the Spanish conquest, there was a power struggle between two brothers in the Inca Empire. The Spanish conqueror Pizarro had Atahualpa executed in July 1533 after six months of captivity, after which the resistance of the Incas was broken. Cuzco surrendered and the Spanish founded Lima on the coast. They operated the mines in Potosí with Indian forced labour and had a trade monopoly. In colonial times there were occasional uprisings; one such uprising, in 1781, was led by Tupac Amaru II.

Peru became independent in 1824. In the 19th and 20th centuries there were border conflicts with neighbouring countries. The economy is based on mining and industry. The 20th century was politically turbulent. In the 1980s there were resistance movements including Sendero Luminoso, and Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru, which engaged in armed struggle. During this period, there were 70,000 casualties in the civil war. After 1990 the economy developed well.

Lima has 9 million inhabitants. The old town is located around Plaza Mayor. The Miraflores district is a suburb along the coast where many tourists stay. The University of San Marcos was founded in 1551. There are a number of important museums.

Cuzco is now home to 365,000 inhabitants and lies at 3,400 m altitude. The district of San Blas is picturesque with its white streets. Plaza de Armas is the central square with a fountain, three churches and historic buildings. The San Pedro market and museums are well worth a visit. Spectacular viewing points include the church San Cristóbal and Cristo Blanco. There is an interesting museum which is dedicated to sacred, magical and medicinal plants (Museo de Plantas Sagradas, Mágicas y Medicinales). There are also a pisco (local drink) museum and chocolate museum. Cuzco has a lively nightlife due to the large numbers of tourists.
The Qoricando museum is a former sun temple. Sacsayhuamán is an archaeological site with walls made from huge custom-made stone blocks. In the sacred valley around Cuzco, there are several Inca fortresses and the waterworks of Tipón.

Machu Picchu is a city at 2,430 m whose ruins lay in the jungle for 500 years until they were rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. The Inca Trail, which offers a hiking route to Machu Picchu, is so popular that it has to be booked months in advance because the number of visitors per day is limited.

The Nazca Lines are huge figures in the desert sand that can be seen from great heights.

Nature parks are located at Lake Titicaca, Manú National Park and Paracas National Park, among others. There are also opportunities for tourism in the Peruvian Amazon. Threats to nature include deforestation, agriculture, coca plantations, illegal gold diggers and road construction.

Sports that can be practiced in Peru include rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, horse riding, surfing, mountain climbing and skiing (in Huaraz). Máncora beach in NW Peru is one of the most famous of the many beaches in Peru. In the vicinity of Lima, you can find the beach of Ancón.

Souvenirs: woollen clothes, wood carvings and decorated gourds, silver and gold jewellery, Indian musical instruments, such as pan flute, charango (small guitar) and Indian drums.

Gastronomy: Meals are quite heavy and peppery. Potatoes (‘papas’), corn and quinoa come from the Andes. Peru also produces wine, as well as coffee and cocoa. European ingredients are rice, beef and pork. Ceviche is raw fish marinated in lemon juice, pepper and spices. Cuy (guinea pig) is a Peruvian specialty.

$957,-

Peru_map
Capital Lima
Population 32.000.000
Language Spanish
Currency Peruvian sol
Visa required www.visum.nl
Vaccination(s) Multiple vaccinations are required
Voltage 220 V
Traffic Right-hand traffic

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PERU HOTELS & APARTMENTS

PERU HOTELS & APARTMENTS

PERU
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