Peru – Q&A with Destination Specialist Marco

Peru is a wonderful country with vibrant culture and heritage. Destination Specialist Marco sat down with us to answer a few questions about why travelers should include Peru on their “places to visit” list.

Q: Can you tell us about some of the more interesting places to visit in Peru?

A: Travelers will definitely want to visit Machu Picchu which is also known as “The Lost City of the Incas”. It is world famous and is included as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.  Another very cool place to visit is the Amazon River. This is the largest river in the world and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. There are tons of other great places to visit as well like the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon.

 Q: Is there a specific time of year that is ideal to visit Peru?

A: The weather in Peru is nice all year long, but it’s especially beautiful from April until mid-December.

Q: What are some things that Peru is best known for?

A: When people think of Peru, they often think of Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and the Andes Mountains.  However, Peru is also very well known for its biodiversity, cuisine and strong cultural heritage.

Q: You say Peru is well known for its cuisine, can you tell us more about that?

A: Yes! Peruvian food is very diverse and delicious. There is more to it than what was inherited from the Pre-Colombian cultures.  The cuisine of Peru is has influences brought over by the Spanish, Muslims, Africans, French, Chinese, Japanese and the original European settlers. Travelers should be sure to try lomo saltado which is a hybrid stir-fry of beef, tomatoes, peppers, and onions with soy sauce and fried potatoes.

Q: Are there any indigenous people in Peru?

A: There are still a few native groups of people still living in Peru who have their own distinct language. For example, the Quechua People are the biggest group of Peruvian natives that exist in Peru today. There is also the Aymara who live near Lake Titicaca. There approximately 92 separate and distinct languages spoken in Peru.