Peru, the eleventh highest country in the world, is not just about the Inca civilisation of Machu Picchu and the colonial city of Cusco. Besides these two marvels Peru boasts some of the most diverse and most magnificent landscapes in the world which include over half-a-million square kilometres of spectacular rainforest, the rugged Andes mountain range and a wonderful desert coastline dotted with ancient pre Colombian ruins, such as the recently uncovered site at Caral on the coast and the even more recent discovery of the thousand -year-old adobe temple Naylamp, the reputed mythical leader of the post-Moche civilization, in Chornancap, close to Chiclayo on the northern coast.

About half of Peru’s 28 million inhabitants are pure Indian blood and in many rural areas the people’s way of life has probably changed very little in the last few centuries. The country has two official languages, Spanish and Quechua, although there are a number of other indigenous tongues. Peruvians love festivals and throughout the year there are plenty of them, particularly in the towns and villages of the Andes, where ancient spiritual beliefs are celebrated through street processions and masquerades.

TourismPeru has divided the country up into eight distinct areas: Lima and Around, the North, Cusco and Around, Arequipa and Lago Titicaca, the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash, the Central Sierra, the South Coast, and the Amazon.