Arequipa – How to visit Peru’s hidden gem
Before we traveled to Peru, we didn’t have this city on our radar at all. But we can tell you now: don’t miss Arequipa! We
May to October
Lima
Peruvian Sol (PEN)
Spanish
As many other southamerican countries, Peru has a huge diversity to offer. It has the Andes, the rainforest, a long coast to the Pacific ocean and even deserts. Peru has a long history in which the Inkas may be the most famous. Nearly 50% of the Peruvian people are members of indigenous highland and Amazon tribes. While spanish ist the official language, there are still 13% of the people speaking the indigenous Quechua language. Some say that Peru has the best cuisine inside South America. Different sources confirm that between 75% and 90% of the people in Peru are roman-catholics.
You don’t need any special vaccionations to travel Peru. A vaccination against hepatits A and yellow fever is recommended. If you stay longer a vaccination against hepatitis B and rabies may be to consider. There is also the Zika-Virus and Dengue-fever, but there aren’t vaccinations against that.
Malaria occurs in the Amazon region of Peru, so be sure to have medication against it. Yucatan and heights above 1.000m above sea level are malaria-free.
There is altitude sickness in heights about 2.500m above sea level, if you climb to fast. That especially occurs when you fly into Cusco, because Cusco is already at 3.400m above sea level.
Be aware that health care doesn’t meet western standards in the rural areas. If you have a huge health issue, you definitely should consider returning to Lima.
You have to register online before your departure to Peru (declaracion jurada). It’s controlled by the immigration office and unfortunately you don’t get a stamp in your passport anymore. You don’t need a visa for Peru if you don’t stay longer than 90 days within a term. That’s applicable for most Western countries.
Peru isn’t a very dangerous country, but you definitely should avoid bad neighborhoods and nightly walks by youself. Beware of pickpockets in the public transportation, shopping streets or markets. It’s better to call an Uber than taking a taxi, as you never know if they’re licensed or not.
Peru is one of the more expensive countries in South America, but most of the time you get good value for your money. But nevertheless you can find cheap accomodations as well as exquisite Michelin star restaurants. You wanna know what we spent in Peru, click here.
Before we traveled to Peru, we didn’t have this city on our radar at all. But we can tell you now: don’t miss Arequipa! We
The land of Incas, Pisco, Alpacas, and of course Machu Picchu. We spent three weeks in this beautiful country and it’s one of our favorites.
Paracas is a small village on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Peru. It’s a paradise for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Go on a
Huacachina – it looks like a fairy tale from 1001 nights. Sand is everywhere, and one small green isle is among the dunes. It seems