Cradle of countless civilizations of the past, Peru is an extraordinary South American nation known throughout the world for preserving the legendary Cuzco which at the time of the pre-Columbian empire was known as the predominant center of Tahuantinsuyo, due to the archaeological site of Chavin , for the ancient city of Machu Pichu and multi-ethnic cities such as Lima. Peru, however, also has an extraordinary natural heritage made up of whitewashed mountains, endless deserts and even humid forests.
Peru is a country included in the belt that goes from the Equator to the Tropic of Capricorn, it gathers 11 different ecoregions and 84 habitats (of the 117 total that exist all over the world). Due to the geographical conditions and the great diversity of natural resources, it consequently also has a great variety of landscapes. So here is a useful guide to know the best climate and period in Peru .
Best period
The Peruvian territory, as already announced, given its heterogeneity is divided into three major regions, classified mainly on the basis of altitude : the Costa, the Sierra and the Selva.
- Costa (Lima) : the ideal period would be summer (December-April), with a mild climate, without extreme cold or suffocating heat, with a preference for February-March
- Sierra (Andes, Arequipa, Cuzco) : from April-May to October-November, despite a strong temperature range between night and day. The rainy season would affect trekking activities.
- Selva (Iquitos) : has two well-differentiated seasons, the one between April and October is preferred as there is little rain, an ideal time to travel as the volume of the rivers decreases and the roads are easily passable
The best time to visit Peru is our summer (from May to mid-September) , except on the coast where our winter is best.
Period to avoid
The particularly rainy period between January and April , for example, trekking lovers would risk finding themselves in the mud, even if by now many Peruvian fiestas continue undisturbed despite the incessant rain.
In addition, Peru is a nation located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so it is possible for earthquakes to occur. Unfortunately, today it is not possible to plan if and when they will happen so, if you are near the coast, when the ground starts to shake, pay attention to the tsunami risk .
Climate and seasons
Peru is located south of the Equator and therefore, also for this reason, it is possible to find three different climates in relation to the landscape characteristics: the long coast which has a mild climate, very cloudy and particularly foggy in the winter period while hot in summer, the area characterized by the Andes (the Sierra), on average cold depending on the altitude and finally the Selva, part made up of the Amazon rainforest, with a very hot and humid climate all year round.
Average Temperatures and Precipitation – La Costa (Lima)
The Peruvian coast overlooks the Pacific Oceanand is divided from the nearby Sierra by the natural valleys created by the rivers. Although it has a long stretch of coast, Peru is not a seaside destination, but is more sought after for trekking and visits to cultural ruins.
The climate of this area is essentially mild all year round, with lows of 18 ° in August and highs of 24 ° in February, and it hardly ever rains. This is why the landscape is desert.
In Lima, however, in winter (June-September) the amount of sunshine is scarce, the sky is often cloudy and therefore there is a perception of cold greater than the real temperature.
Recommended period : from December to April with preference for February-March.
Season Period Temperatures (min / max) Rainy days Winter from June to September 15 ° / 20 ° 4
Summer season from December to April 18 ° / 27 ° 7
Average temperatures and precipitation – Sierra (Cuzco, Machu Picchu)
The Sierra area develops along the Andes chain, in the central part of Peru.
Here the rainy season is from September to May, and the dry season from June to August. However in the far south (Arequipa, Puno, Lake Titicaca) the dry season is longer and runs from May to September.
In this area there is a strong temperature range and during the dry season at night there can even be frosts in relation to the altitude. For example, in Cusco (3,300 meters) and on Lake Titicaca (3,800 meters) from May to September the temperature even drops below freezing. The situation on Machu Picchu is milder (2,500 meters)
Recommended period: from April-May to October-November, despite a strong temperature difference between night and day. The rainy season would affect trekking activities.
Season Period Temperatures (min / max) Rainy days Winter season from May to October 6 ° / ° 26 3
Summer season from December to March 10 ° / 24 ° 24
Average temperatures and Precipitation – Selva (Iquitos
) more inland than Peru and has the Amazon River basin: it is a vast flat and hilly area where you can find a very dense rainforest, therefore an almost completely uninhabited and uncontaminated area. The prevailing climate and the equatorial one, hot and muggy throughout the year, therefore characterized by frequent and abundant rains in the northern area, while in the south, with the relatively dry winter season, it becomes tropical. July and August will be the least rainy months when it is easier for the sun to peek, however in the rest of the year the rains show up as an afternoon downpour.
Recommended period : between July and August the climate is almost perfect as the rains decrease considerably, with highs of 30 degrees. In general, the temperature will always be high, if not muggy.
Season Period Temperatures (min / max) Rainy days Rainiest season from September to June 22 ° / 30 ° 29
Least rainy season From July to August 23 ° / 30 ° 15
What to pack
Region Winter season (June-September) Summer season (December-April) Costa (Lima) demi-season clothes summer clothes
Sierra (Arequipa, Cuzco, Machu Pichu) trekking clothes, anorak and coats for the night trekking clothes, autumn clothes and some coats for the night
Selva (Iquitos, Amazon rainforest) summer clothing, umbrella, insect and mosquito repellent, trekking clothing summer clothing, umbrella, insect and mosquito repellent, trekking clothing
Useful info
- Capital : Lima
- Population : 33 million
- Surface : 1.285.220 sq. Km
- Languages : Spanish 84%, Quechua 13%, Aymara 1.7%
- Currency : NEW SOL (S/.) / Change: €1.00 = 3.74 sol
- Documents : passport with residual validity of at least six months; the entry visa is not necessary for those who go there for tourism for stays up to 180 days
- Time zone : + 7 h compared to Italy
- Vaccinations : it is absolutely recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever, typhus and hepatitis A.
