This is a great opportunity to improve/learn Spanish, one of the most widely used languages in the world after English. This is your opportunity to attain fluency in another language, which will increase your professional as well as academic profile. We can recommend several opportunities to improve/learn Spanish ranging from Spanish schools, to universities and private classes in Lima and Cuzco.

Sport is an integral part of Peruvian culture; here are some examples of typical sports to enjoy in your leisure time while in Peru.

Soccer

Soccer, football, or futbol, is the most popular sport in Peru and Peruvians are crazy for the game, so you will find plenty of opportunities to play during your stay.

Volleyball

At a recreational level, volleyball is a very popular sport in Peru. It is a sporting and social activity for people of all ages. 

Surfing

Surfing is widespread along the Peruvian coastline, with world famous waves in the north near Máncora and Puerto Chicama. Thanks to the Pan-American Highway, surfers can easily travel the length of the coast, stopping at Peru’s various surfing hotspots.

Peruvian Food is incredibly diverse, and each region has its own specialties. Below we have included some of the most traditional dishes of Peru you have to taste.

• Ceviche is a simple dish typically made from fresh, raw, local fish or any form of seafood which are marinated by citrus juices.
• Papa a la huancaina is a dish made of potatoes boiled, sliced and served on a lettuce leaf. It is then topped with a hearty serving of spicy cheese.
• Anticuchos is a very popular food in the streets of Peru. It essentially is marinated grilled beef hearts served on a stick. 
• Lomo Saltado can be found in every region throughout the country. It is beef sautéed with onions, tomatoes and beef served with either French fries or rice, or sometimes both.
• Pollo a la Brasa is a typical Peruvian roasted chicken.
• Guinea pig (Cuy )is another traditional dish recommend to try while in Peru. It tastes like chicken or rabbit and it’s usually offered barbecued or baked and served with hot sauce. 
• Causa rellena is made out of potatoes with local spices and filled with tuna or chicken and avocados. 

From exotic jungle to coastal desert via the breathtaking peaks of the Andes, Peru’s staggering variety of places to visit means the potential for adventure is boundless. This immense wealth of sights and experiences has its roots in one of the world’s richest heritages, topped by the Inca Empire and its fabulous archeological ruins. Peru has one of the best preserved areas of virgin Amazon rainforest and its wildlife is as diverse as you can expect. 

Places to visit south of Peru

1 Paracas and the Ballestas Islands

A few hours south of Lima, this beachside area offers boat trips to islands of penguins and sea lions, great beaches, desert scenery, a scattering of pre-Inca sites and fine seafood.

2 Huacachina

At this desert oasis, its lagoon ringed by palm trees, you can relax and enjoy the scenery, or hit the dunes on a sandboard or dune buggy.

3 Nazca

Located in an attractive desert valley, Nazca sits next to a huge plain on which an ancient civilization etched enormous animal figures, as well as geometric shapes and perfectly straight lines.

4 Arequipa and Colca Canyon 

Arequipa is a stunning city with a colonial heart, built on white volcanic stone. The rugged regions around the city offer access to two of the world’s deepest canyons – Colca and Cotahuasi.

5 Puno and Titicaca Lake

One of the most desolate yet scenic corners of Peru, Puno sits at the edge of the enormous Lake Titicaca. Take in its lively and vibrant music and festivals scene, and visit its peaceful islands.

6 Cuzco

Capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco today embodies outdoor activities, lively nightlife and craft-shopping as much as it does ancient history.

7 Machu Picchu

Easily accessible from Cusco, this magnificent Inca citadel is the pinnacle of any trip around Peru after visiting the beaches and surfing in the north, then checking out the coastal archeology and a chain of ancient mountain citadels and tombs, and maybe even the jungle for those with more than two weeks to spare.

Places to visit north of Peru

1 The Mochica Trail

Stretching from the desert valley where Trujillo now stands, the ancient Mochica civilization developed an important center around the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. Mochica dominance is also evident at the richly endowed tombs of El Señor de Sipán and the Valley of the Pyramids.

2 Máncora and the beaches

Máncora is the trendy focus of several stunning sandy beaches – all good for surfing, fishing and diving. Further south, Cabo Blanco has been popular since Hemingway gave it his seal of approval; closer to Trujillo lays the surfers’ paradise of Chicama and the more traditional Huanchaco.

3 Chachapoyas and Kuelap

Inland and high up in the northern Andes, the Chachapoyas region competes pretty well with Cusco. Instead of Machu Picchu, it offers Kuelap, a mountain citadel with 20m-high walls. The area is includes waterfalls, cliff-bound mausoleums and little-explored trails.

4 Tarapoto and the jungle

Those with more time can head from Chachapoyas down into the Amazon region around the busy little jungle frontier city of Tarapoto. From here you can travel by river as far as the Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria or Iquitos, for a taste of Peru’s rainforest.

• President: Ollanta Humala (2011)
• Prime Minister: Pedro Cateriano (2015)
• Land area: 1,279,999 sq km
• Population (2014 est.): 30,147,935 (growth rate: 0.99%); life expectancy: 73.23
• Population Lima: Almost 10 million 
• Monetary unit: Nuevo Sol 

 Peru, in western South America, extends for nearly 2,414 km along the Pacific Ocean. Peru is divided into 3 natural regions: coast, highlands and jungle. The three regions have different eco-systems that are home to 60 protected natural areas that cover approximately 15% of its territory. More than half of the Peruvian population (54.6%) lives on the coast. The Andean region is home to 32%, whereas only 13.4% of the total population lives on the Amazonian plains. Lima is the capital city of the country. Peru is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina, and ranks among the 20 largest countries in the world.

Archaeological evidence indicates that Peru has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years.

The Quechua Empire, whose emperors had the title Sapa Inca, was established in the 13th century. During the next 300 years, the extraordinary empire of the Incas, with Cuzco as its capital, spread its spiritual and temporal power to northern Ecuador, the center of Chile, and the Argentinian plain. Their highly developed civilization used a calendar and a decimal system of counting and advanced architecture.

Francisco Pizarro's small band of Spaniards arrived in 1532, and the empire collapsed in 1533. To Spain, Peru was a gold bank. Mines were exploited and overworked Indians perished by the millions as food supplies declined. Peru remained a Spanish stronghold into the 19th century and was liberated by outsiders—José de San Martín of Argentina and Simón Bolívar of Venezuela. San Martín landed on Peruvian shores in 1820 and on July 28th, 1821 he proclaimed Peru's independence. 

Peru has one of the best performing economies in Latin America. Between 2002 and 2013, the average growth rate was 6.1% in a context of low inflation (2.6%, on average). A favorable external environment, prudent economic policies and structural reforms in different areas combined to create a scenario of high growth and low inflation. The effects of strong growth on employment and income have significantly reduced poverty rates and boosted shared prosperity. Between 2005 and 2013, poverty rates fell by more than half, from approximately 55.6% to 23.9%.

Most of the People of Peru are mestizo. Mestizo is a mixture of Amerindians and Peruvians of European ancestry. The rate of the Peruvians of European ancestry is 15 %. A small number of African, Japanese, and Chinese ancestries are also found in Peru. Spanish and Quechua are the two official languages of Peru. Religion in Peru is the result of the Spanish Conquest and for this reason more than 75 % of Peruvians are Catholic. Peruvian culture includes music, festivals, cuisine, architecture, literature, etc. The music of Peru merges both sound and style. 

Lima's weather is usually described as mild and warm throughout the year without noteworthy rain making Lima one of the driest capitals in the world. The average temperatures range from 12°C/54°F to 18°C/64°F (low) and 24°C/75°F to 28°C/82°F (high). Sunny and warm summers are from December to April followed by (mild) winters from July to November.