31 Fun Fast Facts about Peru!

31 Fun Fast Facts about Peru!

31 Fun Fun Fast Facts about Peru —- For many different reasons, Peru is a popular destination for a Spanish course abroad.

The spoken Spanish is very clear, the people friendly and the travel options endless: think Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, the Inca trail, Lake Titicaca, the Nazca Lines, the beach, the jungle, and much more. Also, Peru is one of the most affordable options to study Spanish in Latin America. On top, there are great options for volunteering in Peru and the Peruvian food is amazing.

But there is much more to learn about Peru. Here are 31 Fun Fast Facts about Peru for you to read while preparing for your trip to Peru!

1. Lima, the capital of Peru.
   Lima – the former City of the Kings – has a population of 9 million making it the 5th largest city in South America. Read here some interesting facts about Lima.
2. Peru’s ocean has 33 species of marine mammals that live on the coast
3. There are over 3,000 different types of potatoes in Peru and they’re helping Peru to face climate change
4. Machu Picchu: the Inca citadel Machu Picchu is located about 3 hours outside of Cusco and it is named one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It is one of the most popular weekend trips for the Spanish students in Cusco.
   

    

5. The Nuevo Sol is the official currency of Peru. At the moment of writing, the exchange rate is 3,33 soles for 1 US dollar.
6. Condors have a long history in Peru. The Inca´s believed that Condors, because they flew higher than other birds, were messengers of the gods. The most likely place to spot these enormous birds is at Arequipa’s Colca Canyon. Read more about the condors in Peru here.
7. The longest river in the world, the Amazon, begins in Peru.
8. Religion in Peru: The dominant religion of Peru is Catholicism. Approximately 81.3% of Peruvians claim Catholicism. Catholicism first arrived in Peru with the conquest of the Spanish in the 1800s
9. Martín Vizcarra is the current president of Peru. He was sworn in March 23rd, 2018.
10. The Coat of Arms Peru: The coat of arms consists of a vicuña, a cichona tree, and a cornucopia. These symbolize the mineral wealth, the flora, and fauna of Peru.
    

     

11. You can spend the night in the world’s first hanging lodge! In the Sacred Valley, of the Incas, nearby Cusco, there is a transparent luxurious hanging lodges where tourists can enjoy views like that of a condor.
12. The Cotahausi Canyon, 235 miles north of Arequipa, is the deepest canyon in the world! You can hike waterfalls or enjoy rafting.
13. Coati Dung Coffee produced in Peru is the most expensive coffee in the world. The excreta of the Coati is used to produce this unique coffee. Coati feed off of vegetables, fruit, and coffee beans. Café Misha coffee costs $1400 per kg. A cup of dung coffee can cost anywhere from $20 to $65.
14. The National dog of Peru is the Peruvian Inca Orchid, also known as perros floras.
15. Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mario Vargas Llosa, was born in 1936 in Arequipa, Peru. He wrote several works that challenged political and economic systems in Peru. He organized protests and ran for president. He believed in reformism, democracy, free markets, and liberal pluralism.
16. Three quarters of the world’s llama population lives in Peru!
    

     

17. The Incas believed that the world was created at Lake Titicaca by their god Viracocha. He created first giants, then believed he had made a mistake and thus created human beings. From there, he created the sun, moon, and stars.
18. A tradition in some areas of Peru is to gift one another yellow underwear for good luck in the New Year!
19. The Incas developed over 18,000 miles of roads, called Qhapaq Ñan. In 2014 the road system became a Unesco World Heritage Site.
20. The first census was created by the ancient Incas.
21. The current state flag of Peru was officially adopted on February 25th, 1825.
22. Peru’s government is a presidential republic with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judiciary.
23. Spanish drawings indicate that 5 year old Inca children knew how to brew beer and spin yarn. Still, they were not allowed to drink beer or eat certain foods like sugary, fatty types. They needed to be as healthy as possible for marriage.
24. One of the most visited cities in South America, Cusco has approximately 1.5 million tourists that visit it each year. With the decline of terrorism, tourism boomed in the mid-1990s in the city of Cusco.Did you know Cusco is known as one of the best locations to study Spanish in Peru?
    

     

25. One of history’s best South American players is from Peru. His name is Teófilo Cubillas. Also known as “Nene”. His position was attacking midfielder and he was famous for his precise passing abilities. He could dribble and quickly change pace. He also had an excellent reputation for sportsmanship, only receiving a yellow card his entire soccer career. Cubillas was awarded the South American Soccer Player of the Year and was named the best Peruvian soccer player of the 20th century.
26. The color variation of the famous Rainbow Mountain depends on the weather. Sunny weather causes lighter coloring while cloudy, tense weather causes darker coloring.
    

     

27. The amazon jungle in Peru hosts over 595 species of birds, 300 reptiles, 1,200 types of butterflies, 2,000 species of fish, and over 50,000 plants.
28. Peru has the highest sand dune in the world! At 3,600 feet the Cerro Blanco dune wins in terms of height. Tourists can enjoy dune buggies for hours!
29. Spanish is not the only language spoken in Peru. There are many indigenous languages as well. Quechua and Aymara the most known. It is also theorized that there are at least 13 other indigenous languages in the Amazon jungle areas.
30. Lake Titicaca is the highest reachable lake. It sits at an elevation of 11,436 feet.
31. The Nazca Lines: The Nazca lines have puzzled archeologists, scientists, and common people alike. They can be seen in Peru. They are a collection of over 70 giant human and animal geoglyphs.

 

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