30 Facts About Peru You Should Know

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Looking for interesting facts about Peru? Then you’ve come to the right place by sharing some fun facts about Peru that everyone will love. We fell in love with this country and wanted to go back after our first trip to Peru.
After planning our next trip to South American countries, we decided to share some of our favorite interesting facts about Peru!

Peru became a Spanish colony in 1572.

To be precise, this South American country was called the Viceroy of Peru. It was one of the most successful colonies of gold, potatoes and other benefits. It also allowed trade with Spain’s other colony, the Philippines.

The Spaniards conquered the once powerful Inca Empire.

The Incas, who began to settle in the area in the 13th century, developed a vast empire (called Tawantinsuyu) that stretched from southwestern Colombia to south-central Chile.

Unification was not all bloodshed, but a mixture of conquest and peaceful assimilation. They had an official language (Quechuan), comprehensive laws, a unique and almost inaccessible city, and an emperor or Sapa Inca. The capital was Cusco.

Lake Titicaca is not the highest lake in the world.

…But it is very famous and one of the fun facts about Peru is that it is the largest in South America that you may not have known. Lake Titicaca is a deep lake located high in the Andes at an altitude of 12,507 feet above sea level on the border of Peru and Bolivia. In 2000, an underwater temple, believed to be between 1,000 and 1,500 years old, was discovered. They believe it was built by pre-Inca people in Tiwanaku. While not the highest, but it is he most navigable lake in the world.

Peru is an incredibly diverse country.

This is because there are many different regions and there are many other species that inhabit and live in those regions. These include the Andes Mountains, the Pacific Coast, the Amazon rainforest and the Amazon River itself. It is one of the 17 most diverse countries, home to a huge number of all species on Earth.

Peru gained independence in 1821.

On July 28, 1821, Peru declared independence when its independence leader, Jose de San Martin, captured Lima and declared himself. But it wasn’t easy.
The Peruvian War of Independence, which began around 1811 and ended in 1826, included battleships, marches across the Andes, rebels, and many battles. Thanks to Simon Bolivar, Bolivia (then part of Peru) gained independence in just three years.

4% of the world’s freshwater is in Peru.

There are many other rivers as well as the Amazon. Many of them start their journey in the Andes and flow into the Pacific Ocean. Then the mountain lake… result? Lots of fresh water.

The source of the Amazon River is actually in Peru.

An interesting little-known fact about Peru is that it is here that the great Amazon River begins its journey across South America. It doesn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, four rivers lead to what becomes the Amazon. These are Apurimac, Maranion and Mantaro. In fact, the Peruvian Amazon is called Marañon.

13% of the Amazon rainforest is in Peru.

The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world. It is huge and ancient. We are talking about 55 million years! And a significant portion (13%) of this rainforest lies within the Peruvian border. The level of biodiversity is high. This is one of the interesting facts about Peru that I want to share whenever possible!

Most of the Andes are in Peru.

The Andes are the longest mountain range in the world. It spans seven countries in South America. The central Andes are located in Peru. Despite being mountainous, around 32% of Peru’s population live in this area.

Peruvians speak Spanish and many other languages.

Many people in urban areas probably only speak Spanish, but if you go to the countryside (or the mountainous areas just mentioned) you can find a multilingual country. Quechua, another official language of the country, is quite widely spoken, as are other languages such as Aymara.
As per the constitution, Amazon languages and even Peruvian Sign Language are official, too!

Though Officially Catholic, Many Amerindian Traditions Continue

Interesting facts about Peru: though it was conquered and cathedrals were built on top of Inca religious sites, and all sorts of other oppression, many indigenous and pagan rituals are mixed with Catholicism.
Corpus Christi, Holy Week, Christmas – all of these are combined with the Amerindian peoples religious traditions. The widely celebrated Inti Raymi celebrated the sun god on the summer solstice.

Machu Picchu Was Actually A Private Estate For The Inca Emperor.

This is a crazy fun Peru fact that will impress your friends! Its often seen as a “Lost City,” but, a fun fact about Peru`s most visited historic site – Machu Picchu – is that it was built as a summer retreat for the Inca emperor. I can understand why. Nestled in the 7,970-foot mountains of southern Peru, this 15th-century marvel takes The Cheat Sheets to a whole new level.
It is estimated that 750 people lived there, most of them employees. When the Spaniards invaded, they had to give up this lavish lifestyle and remained unknown to the Western world until 1911.

Salt farming is still practiced in the same way as the Inca.

What happens is that the underground salty water enters the patchwork of the pool and then evaporates, leaving behind the salt. it’s such a nice sight to see and its sorta like looking at rice paddies on the side of a mountain.

Peru Changed Its Currency Twice In The 80s And ‘90s.

A economic reality about Peru now… The South American country had used the Sol, however due to high inflation, this was once changed with the Inti in 1985. This didn’t precisely clear up matters; in 1990, the Inti then suffered excessive inflation.

They even brought the Inti Million – one of which equaled a million Inti. That didn’t work. So the Nuevo Sol got here returned into being in 1991 (one Nuevo Sol = 1 billion historic Sols). Today it has one of the lowest inflation fees in South America.

Ancient Peruvians Used To Talk With Knots.

Well, no longer “talk” exactly, however do a complete lot of matters simply through tying knots. This top notch reality about Peru refers to an historical device of color-coded knot-tying known as quipu. It was once used for simply about everything, from tax responsibility and navy business enterprise to recording census data, and as a kind of calendar. When the Spanish arrived, so did writing, so the quipu steadily fell out of use.

Ceviche Originated In Peru.

A combine of gently “cooked” (i.e., cured with lime or lemon) in any other case uncooked fish combined with onions, cilantro, salt, chili peppers, and capsicum, ceviche is idea to have originated round 2,000 years in the past in the pre-Inca coastal civilization of Moche. Today, it’s viewed a country wide dish of the country.

Peru Boasts Over 3,000 Varieties Of Potato.

You may have a few of these in your supermarkets at home, however wow, Peru truely takes first place. Over 3,000 kinds are located in Peru alone, so followers of the potato have fun – this is the region for you. The potato used to be first grown domestically from round 8000 to 5000 BC. Today, they’re nevertheless generally farmed the usage of historic techniques.

Peru Is Home To The Oldest Continuously Working University In The Americas.

Established in 1551 in Lima, the capital city, the National University of San Marcos is sincerely one of the oldest universities in the “New World.” The college used to be established with the aid of the royal decree and nowadays is a middle of scientific lookup and a base for influential thinkers and future world geniuses.

Lima Is The Third-Biggest City In The Americas.

Yeah, it’s no longer a small town at all. It’s the third-biggest in all of the Americas, following Sao Paulo and the megalopolis of Mexico City. Lima was once based in 1535 in an already-existing Incan agricultural region, however most of the town was once destroyed through a 1940 earthquake; a whole lot had to be rebuilt. And rebuilt it was; today, Lima’s city vicinity covers extra than 800 rectangular kilometers.

There’s A Lot Of Corn In Peru.

It’s no longer simply the yellow variety that you be aware of and love. There is pink, black, purple, white, and orange – a multicolored spectrum of corn. This is one of our most memorable meals information about Peru due to the fact it makes for such a fantastically sight!

Peru Is Home To The Nazca Lines.

These huge drawings – in any other case acknowledged as geoglyphs – in the Nazca Desert are thinking to have been created between five hundred BC and five hundred AD. They depict animals, patterns, and humans, all with various complexity.

When first “discovered” in 1553, they had been thinking to be roads. All kinds of theories abound – historical astronauts, early warm air balloons – however the reality you can see them from the surrounding hills makes these thoughts appear sort of silly.

Peruvians Eat Guinea Pigs.

While guinea pigs are adorable pets for a good deal of the western world, they’re a exceptional snack in Peru. They may additionally no longer appear all that appealing, however guinea pig is a ubiquitous dish. Called cuy, these critters didn’t come to be pets till the Spanish added them domestic for all of us to fall in love with. They’re nonetheless very a lot a common (pretty crispy) dish in Peru.

Panpipes Aren’t From Peru, But The Siku Is From The Country.

Panpipes, or syrinx, refer to the ones that the half-deer half-human Roman god Pan used to play. All varieties of merry-making folks in the historic world have been depicted enjoying them. In fact, in Peru, tremendously round the Titicaca region, panpipes are additionally popular, however they originated independently and are known as siku.

Ancient Peruvians Used To Surf.

Yes, you may also have notion that browsing originated in Hawaii, however it’s a very fascinating truth about Peru: its historic inhabitants used to hit the waves. We’re speakme pre-Inca here, so that’s earlier than one thousand AD.

Even pottery depicts a man browsing on what appears like a log. Evidence suggests there was once contact between historic Polynesians and Peruvians. Peru is nevertheless a fantastic surf spot, with large factor breaks and global competitions.

People Live On Lake Titicaca On Floating Islands Made Of Grass.

Yeah, enjoyable reality about Peru: the humans dwelling on the floating islands in Lake Titicaca have been a function of the region seeing that the Incas. The Uru human beings harvest grass and use it in bundles for their islands. They’re shielding considering that you can paddle out to the middle of the lake! One of the islands nevertheless has a watchtower on it.

One Of The Deepest Canyons In The World Is In Peru.

More than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, Cotahuasi Canyon is crazy. It’s over 11,000 feet deep! Colca Canyon, additionally in Peru, is additionally one of the deepest in the world at 10,730 ft.

The Highest Sand Dune In The World Is In Peru.

In the Sechura Desert, you’ll locate Cerro Blanco – the perfect dune in the world at 3,680 ft tall. That may also no longer appear that high, however it’s loftier than the tallest top in the United Kingdom! Not terrible for a dune.

It’s located shut to the wilderness city of Huacachina and has grow to be a famous spot for sandboarding. It takes about three warm hours to get to the top, however getting down is an awful lot quicker.

An Ancient Alcoholic Beverage Is Still A Popular Drink In Peru

Chicha is made from exceptional matters throughout South America, however it’s made from corn in Peru. Chicha has historical roots; corn used to be regarded sacred; thus, an alcoholic drink made from corn used to be even greater so. The most famous corn kind is the purple-hued variety, which grows in abundance in the Andes. Sales of Chicha in Peru (as a tender drink) rival Coca-Cola.

There’s A Rainbow Mountain In Peru.

All Instagrammers love Peru statistics like this one. We child you now not – Vinicunca is a mountain that’s striped with a load of extraordinary colors. This is one of these highly cool Peru facts. It’s exceedingly awesome. The identify potential “Seven Color Mountain,” which makes sense.

Peru Is Home To The Most Ancient City In All Of The Americas.

Ending this listing of Peru information is one of my favorites! Older than the Maya, the Aztec, Inca, Tiwanaku, or any different historic peoples, the Norte Chico tradition is regarded for some sincerely historical ruins – Caral. This problematic complicated is unfold over 370 acres and has the entirety you’d prefer in a metropolis – plazas, buildings, streets, temples, and an amphitheater.

It was once a busy city of 3,000 humans inhabited round the equal time as the Great Pyramids in Egypt, 2600-2000 BC (roughly). It’s notion to be the foundation of Andean civilization.

When Is The Best Season To Travel To Peru?

High season (May-September)

You may additionally be amazed to hear that wintry weather in Peru is the exceptional time to tour there. Between May and September is the driest time to go to Peru, it’s a bit cold, however it’s sincerely higher than rain!

Mid Season (April and October, November)

Tourism is decrease throughout this time, and temperatures are slight and a little unpredictable. Still, it’s now not going to be raining all the time!

Low Season (December to March)

This is the Peruvian Summer, and whilst you might also like the sound of hotter weather, Peru experiences heavy rainfall at some stage in these months.

When Is The Best Time To Travel To Peru?

As mentioned, the fantastic time to tour to Peru is all through the winter. During this time, the air is dryest, and you have much less danger of rain. We traveled to Peru in June and had a exquisite time. Just observe that it is winter, so you’ll choose to deliver a packable down jacket and different heat gear.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Machu Picchu?

The Andes have two very wonderful seasons – moist and dry. December to March is the moist season, and regardless of getting rained on a bit, it’s nonetheless a excellent time to journey to Machu Picchu. Bring a packable rain jacket.

To keep away from the rain, you ought to go to Machu Picchu all through the dry season (May-November). We visited Machu Picchu in June and have been met with brilliant weather, exquisite for hiking!

When Is The Best Time To Hike The Inca Trail?

The Inca Trail is precise to go at some point of the dry and moist seasons, even though it closes for the duration of the heaviest rainfall in February. If you can, I would advocate trekking the Inca Trail in the dry season!

When Is The Cheapest Time To Go To Peru?

Peru is a exceptionally low-cost u . s . to tour through, and fees don’t trade appreciably relying on the season. However, you need to journey in the course of the offseason for extra of a deal. However, many businesses may also be shut down. Although you’ll shop a buck, you’ll sacrifice it for unpredictable weather.

When Is The Best Time To Visit The Amazon In Peru?

The Peruvian Amazon has the equal local weather as most tropical rainforests. Temperatures common round 25 °C year-round, and humidity is continually high.

June to October is the dry season and is the first-class time to go to the Peruvian rainforest for trekking. If you desire to cruise down the Amazon, the high-quality time to go to is without a doubt the moist season as the rains motive the river to swell.

YouTube player — Visit our YouTube Channel for several videos about our trip all over Peru.

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