Peru

Few other Latin American countries exhibit such a diversity of landscapes as Peru. The range of geographical contrasts encompasses all the climate zones of the Earth, stretching from the 2,800 km long Pacific coast to the nearby Andes peaks that rise to nearly 6,800 meters, the endless expanses of the rugged Altiplano with an average elevation of 4,000 meters, the spectacular high desert in the south of the country dotted with ice-covered, partially active volcanoes, some also over 6,000 meters high, down to the humid, hot lowlands of the Amazon basin, which covers two-thirds of Peru's land area. All of this is further adorned with a rich exotic flora and fauna, grand colonial buildings, vibrant markets, and of course, the ever-present Inca culture. The diversity of the landscape forms is as remarkable as it is varied.