Climate and Events

EVENTS: Most of the main holidays based around the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. The most important are New Year (January 1st). Peruvians like to wait for the first second of the New Year. Many of them dance and celebrate until early in the morning. Carnival (February-March), which is particularly popular in the highlands Labor Day (May 01) Inti Raymi (24 June), In Cusco there is a big celebration Peru's Independence day (28 and 29 July) All Souls Day (1 November), Christmas 25 December: Peruvian celebrate specially at night CLIMATE: Peru has a variety of climates according the area: Amazon: The Amazon watershed begins at the peaks of the Andes, but the rainforest area termed the eastern lowlands begins at an elevation of about 1200 feet and slopes down gently northeastward to 300-400 feet. The eastern lowlands are covered with dense tropical rainforest. It is always hot and humid in the jungle regions, with two seasons. In the dry season from May to October, sunny days heat up to the high 80s, with occasional cold fronts bringing rain in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Daily rain showers characterize the rainy season from November to April; at this time it may be difficult to get around in the jungle. The Andes: Known as the backbone of South America, the Andes consist of two parallel ranges, the eastern and western cordilleras, extending from the northwest to the southeast, and comprise the second highest mountain range in the world. 160 miles inland from the Pacific, the Andes jut up to heights of 20,000 feet. Most of Peru's Andes lie between 9,840 feet to 13,120 feet, with peaks separated by deep canyons. The weather in the high sierra separates into two defined seasons: in summer, from May to October, days are sunny; nights are cold and rain scarce. Rainfall is abundant from December to March. Temperatures in the highlands fluctuate between 35° F and 68° F. Pacific Coast: Peru's dry coast is a narrow ribbon of desert between the Pacific Ocean and the steep foothills of the Andes. It rarely rains here, except when the El Niño phenomenon takes place every five to six years. The ocean's cool Humboldt Current brings rich sea and shore life to Peru's coast. Despite lying only 12 degrees from the Equator, the coast has two distinctive seasons: in the summer, from December to March, temperatures reach 80° F. In the winter, from May to October, temperatures may fall to the low 50s amidst high humidity. Winter is typically a season of foggy mists (known as garúa) and drizzle. At the northern tip of coast, temperatures may climb to the high 90s.