Peru is in western South America and shares borders with Chile (to the south), Bolivia (southeast), Brazil (northeast), Colombia (north) and Ecuador (northwest). It has three major regions: a narrow coastal belt, the wide Andean mountains and the Amazon Basin . The coastal strip is predominantly desert, but contains Peru 's major cities and its best highway, the Carratera Panamericana.

The Andes comprise two principal ranges - Cordillera Occidental and Oriental - and includes Huascarán (6770m/22,200ft), Peru 's highest mountain. To the east is the Amazon Basin , a region of tropical lowland, which is drained by the Maranon and Ucayali rivers.

Peru 's climate can be divided into two seasons - wet and dry - though this varies, depending on the geographical region. The coast and western Andean slopes are generally dry, with the summer falling between December and April; during the rest of the year, the garúa (coastal fog) moves in and the sun is rarely seen. In the Andes , the dry season is from May to September, while the wet season takes up the remainder of the year. On the eastern slopes of the Andes , the drier months are similar to the highlands, though the wet season (January to April) is more pronounced.

Peru has a very wide range of climates, and the best time to come depends on where you want to go. The three biggest areas are the Coast (Costa), the Andes (Sierra), and the Amazon (Selva). Peru has Southern Hemisphere seasons, which means that summer runs from December to March and winter from June to September - but because of it's proximity to the equator, temperatures generally do not vary drastically. The summer holds the most rainfall in the mountains and the jungle, and the most sunshine for the coast, while the winter brings slightly cooler temperatures for all areas and a grey mist over the coast, particularly Lima .

The coastal region, which is the long, arid, desert area between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, has a fairly temperate climate, warmer in the north and a little cooler in the center and south. It very rarely rains, with the exception of the far north, where rain can be frequent in the summer months. Although Peru lies very close to the equator, the cold marine current of Humboldt, or the Peruvian current, brings cold waters from the south, lowering temperatures. Summer temperatures range from 25° to 35°C (77°-95°F) during the day and cool off to 17° to 20°C (63°-68°F) at night. In Lima, a light mist, called guarúa, covers the city during the winter months and temperatures drop, fluctuating between 12ºC and 18ºC (54°F and 64°F) amidst high humidity. The north coast escapes this heavy fog and experiences mostly warm, sunny days all winter.

The Andes are generally cooler, due to the altitude. The highlands in Peru are best visited during the dry season (winter), from April to October, with June and July being the peak tourist months. During this time, the climate is mostly dry, sunny and warm during the day, with temperatures reaching 20° to 25°C (68°- 77°F ). However, it gets very cold at night, with temperatures often dropping to just above freezing. The wet season is from November to March and is milder, with temperatures ranging from 18° to 20°C (64°- 68°F ) and dropping only to 15°C ( 59°F ) at night. These months experience heavy rainfall in the afternoon occasionally.

Getting Around

Peru is a big country, so many travelers take internal flights if they have limited time. As of August 1999, Aero Continente has effectively monopolized the domestic market. Prices have risen accordingly, and route coverage is limited. In July 1999, LanPeru, co-owned by LanChile, resumed domestic flights. There are also a handful of small airlines flying to remote destinations in light aircraft. There's an 18% tax on domestic flights, but you can avoid most of this if you buy tickets abroad. There's also a US$6 departure tax on domestic flights.

Public buses are the usual mode of transport over long distances. They are cheap, frequent and relatively comfortable, at least on major routes. When traveling between towns, have your passport with you as it will need to be shown at police checkpoints. Armed robberies on night buses are not unheard of in Peru , so travel on a day bus (or fly) if you have the option. Trucks often double as buses in remote areas. The fare is usually standardized according to the distance, but agree on the fare in advance. Local buses are slow, cheap and crowded; when you want to get off just yell out. Taxi fares need to be haggled over; there are no metered cabs.

The government-owned railways (INAFER) is facing imminent privatization. Services go from the coast to the highlands: The Central Railroad runs from Lima to La Oroya, where it branches north and south. The northbound line goes to Cerro de Pasco and the southbound to Huancayo; although there are plans to open the southern route to passenger trains, both of these routes are currently for freight use only. A short passenger line continues from Huancayo to Huancavelica. The Southern Railroad runs between Arequipa to Lake Titicaca and Cusco . Services are cheap and fairly comfortable, but not particularly safe.

Boat travel is important in Peru 's eastern lowlands. Dugout canoes powered with outboard engines operate as water taxis; larger cargo boats are often also available as water transport.

Getting There and Away

There are overland border crossings between Peru and Bolivia at Desaguadero and nearby Yunguyo on the shores of Lake Titicaca ; between Peru and Chile at Tacna ; and between Peru and Ecuador at Tumbes. It is possible to travel by river from Colombia and Brazil to Iquitos .

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