Festivals and Events
Many Peruvian festivals echo the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar and are celebrated with great pageantry, especially in indigenous Highland villages, where Cathoic feast days are often linked with a traditional agricultural festival, such as harvesttime. These days provide an excuse for a fiesta, and include much drinking, dancing, rituals and processions.
Other holidays are of historical or political interest, such as Fiestas Patrias (National Independence Days). Local fiestas and festivals are held somewhere almost every week.
Two of the major dates are Carnaval, which is held over the weekend before Ash Wednesday, and Semana Santa (Holy Week)
PERUVIAN CUISINE
Peru is considered an important center for the genetic diversity of the world’s crops. In the valleys and plains of the Andes, the diet is still a traditional one based on corn (maíz), potatoes, and an assortment of tubers. Meat comes from indigenous animals like alpacas and guinea pigs, but also from imported livestock like sheep, cattle and swine. The presence of the various altitudinal floors of the Andes mountain range in Peru and its proximity to the geographical equator allows the existence of a series of microclimates and species, from areas of usual snowfall to tropical forests; With 84 of the 104 climatic zones on the globe, it is one of the 12 countries in the world with the greatest mega-diversity. It has suitable conditions for growing fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Likewise, the Humboldt Current of cold oceanic waters that run through the Pacific Ocean off the Peruvian coast allows the existence of a great variety of fish and shellfish (Peru is one of the main fishing countries in the world).
WOMEN TRAVELERS
A Responsible Solo Female Travel Guide to Peru
¿Are you thinking of visiting Peru as a solo female traveler? Peru is a relatively safe country for women to travel alone. It is generally rare to encounter any situation that will make you feel uncomfortable or insecure. Traveling around Peru is generally safe and reliable so it is a country that a solo female traveler can travel to without any serious issues. Peru offers an amazing experience for any traveler, and with proper preparation, women can have safe and memorable trips.
GAY & LGBTQ TRAVELERS
Traveling to Peru as an LGBTQ+ individual can be a very rewarding experience, as the country boasts incredible cultural and natural wonders.
However, Peru is not the most progressive country in South America when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. While same-sex activity has been legal in Peru since 1924 and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people was banned in 2017, it is still a broadly conservative Catholic country, where attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people tend to reflect the Catholic teachings. There have also been considerable political challenges to the anti-discrimination law.
For these reasons, LGBTQ+ visitors will likely prefer to use discretion when visiting Peru, but it should not discourage you from travelling here, especially because the country has two of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in South America: Lima and Cusco.
