Peru Travel Guide

General Information

• Weather Guide - Offers daily high and lows for popular destinations in Peru.

• Passport Info - A helpful "how to" site for American citizens interested in applying for a passport.

• Oanda - Currency Converter - Amazing site...has wallet size conversion chart that can be printed out so you don't have to bumble about with a calculator during your trip.

• CIA Fact Book - The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's Fact Book on Peru.

• Country Map - A small (43K) map of Peru.

• PERU Traveller Guide - The online guide for the independent travellers to Peru. All the travel resources for planning your trip to Peru: accomodation, destinations, maps, weather, travel companions, bulletin board and more useful information.

Getting There & Around

• eXito Latin America Travel Specialists - eXito (800-655-4053) has secured special deals to most of Latin America and their knowledgeable staff can give you advice on the cheapest way to arrive, the most direct way to get there and which airlines have the best service. They excel in mixing and matching different cities and countries for a low price.

Hotels & Restaurants

• Peru Hotels - This is great a listing of available hotels in Peru. General information is also available on this site.

• Hotels and Resorts in Peru - Some places to stay in Peru.

Language Related

• Spanish Lessons Online -

• Ahora Hablo! Medical Edition - This medical Spanish book is pocket-sized and includes vocabulary for dental and vision care as well as many specialized areas such as obstetrics and cardiology.

• AmeriSpan Unlimited - AmeriSpan specializes in Spanish Immersion, Volunteer & Internship programs in Latin America and Spain for travelers and businesspeople. Currently, there are 40 programs available in 15 different countries.

• Languages of Peru - The Ethnologue Database. Includes entries on Peru's indigenous languages, plus Spanish.

• Quechua Language Homepage - Quechua lessons on-line!

News & Culture

• Quechua Jokes - English translations of jokes originally in Quechua the native language of the Incans.

Staff Picks

• Inca Ruins in Machu Picchu, Near Cuscu, Peru (video) - A short video showing some of the ruins of Machu Picchu, located near the Spanish school in Cusco, Peru.

Travel & Tourism

• Geographia - Peru - A super profile on the geographic and cultural diversity of the country.

• Destination Peru - The Lonely Planet's on-line guide to Peru.

• South America on the Matrix - An informative site detailing the "good, bad and the ugly" of different travelers tales and photos of their journies through South America, specifically covering Peru and Ecuador.

• South American Explorers Club - An excellent source of travel information for South and Central America. With clubhouses in Lima, Peru; Quito, Ecuador; and Ithaca, New York, the Club provides members with reliable, up-to-date information on discount airfares, trip planning, travel conditions, and everything else you need to know for your trip or expedition.

• The festival of Inti Raymi (Cultural) - Inti Raymi, the sun festival.

• Caught in the Crossfire (Articles/Travelogues) - Violent Conflict over Land Rights in Peru

• Head Honcho in Peru, an American Woman Tells it Like it is (Articles/Travelogues) - Carol LaMastra, headed up a language school in Cusco for 2 years. This is her story.

• Pain and Gain in Peru (Articles/Travelogues) - Marlo Goldstein, former Academics Program Director at AmeriSpan, reflects on a unique journey in Peru. The archeological site of Maucallacta…recently discovered and previously visited only by archeologists and locals.

• Bus travel in the Andes (Articles/Travelogues) - The "ins and outs" of bus travel in some parts of Latin America

• Eco-Tourism: Rethinking the Benefits (Articles/Travelogues) - Eco-Travel The Benefits vs The Costs

• Is there a Witchdoctor in the house? (Cultural) - Article about how many Latinamericans prefer traditional medicine to the science of today.

• Berenjena Gisada (Recipes) - A vegetable dish.

• La Eva de las plantas (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish

• El Ciberspanglish (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish about how Spanish is adopting English words, especially related to technology.

• José Donoso y su historia personal del (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish

• Gazpacho (Recipes) - Cold tomato-cucumber soup popular in Mexico & Spain.

• Paella (Recipes) - A typical Spanish dish.

• Interview: Ecuador Volunteer Placement (Articles/Travelogues) - Sue Lavene, from our Volunteer Department, interviewed one of our past volunteers, Gabriel Gonzales, who participated in our 8-week Volunteer Program in Quito, Ecuador.

• One Hundred Years of Solitude (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Beth Klemick reviews this classic.

• Spanish Tortilla (Recipes) - For a little taste of Spain in your own kitchen, try this delicious dish.

• The Food and Wines of Spain (A cookbook) (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Beth Klemick reviews this great cookbook.

• The Art of Flamenco Dance (Cultural) -

• SAP on the news- How do they do it? (Learning A language) -

• Before Night Falls (Movie Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews Before Night Falls.

• The Feast of the Goat (Book Reviews) - Karli Goldman reviews "The Feast of the Goat"

• La Oreja de Van Gogh (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews La Oreja de Van Gogh.

• The Adventures of Don Quixote (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller gives us her two cents on Cervante's Don Quixote

• Flan de Queso (Recipes) - A yummy, creamy dessert.

• To abuela's house we go... (Cultural) - Ricardo Gonzales, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America, writes a heartfelt tribute to his grandmother

• Shakira en el mercado inglés (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish about Shakira, one of the most popular female pop stars.

• Los oficios de Nueva York (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish

• Nasdaq: una historia de altibajos (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish

• Historia del tenis (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish on the history of tennis

• Isabelle Allende (An interview) (Cultural) - AmeriSpan's Jim Kane interviews Isabel Allende

• Jugo Especial (Cultural) - Lara Naaman Cooks up a Peruvian Recipe for Revenge

• Tres Leches (Recipes) - Tres Leches means 3 milks and gets its name from the 3 different kinds of milk added to make the cake. It is a popular dessert in many Latin American countries.

• Empanadas Cordobesas (Recipes) - Empanadas Cordobesas (from the Marianacci Kitchen in Córdoba, Argentina)

• Churros (Recipes) - Churros (traditional snack)

• Peep, peep, peep (Cultural) - Set within the fabric of a personal cultural experience, this article is a provocative and thoughtful reminder of the fragility of life; both in Latin America and in the United States. A must read for thoughtful people!

• Hunger of Memory (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Liz Cleveland reviews Richard Rodriguez’s autobiography.

• Plato Pescado Carribiano (Recipes) - A traditional Caribbean dish.

• The Obnoxious Tourist - Are You One? (Articles/Travelogues) - Helpful hints to avoid this being labeled as obnoxious.

• ¡Yo! (Book Reviews) - Liz Cleveland of AmeriSpan reviews this book.

• Arroz con Leche (Recipes) - A typical dessert of Spain

• Aterciopelados (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Carol LaMastra reviews Pipa de la Paz, an album by Aterciopelados

• Ricky Martin (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews Vuelve, an album by Ricky Martin

• Noticia de un secuestro (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Liz Cleveland reviews this book.

• Maria, Full of Grace (Movie Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Sue Lavene reviews this movie.

• Demographics, Hispanics and…YOUR Life! (Learning A language) - Find out how the recent BOOM! in the Hispanic population affects you and your life on a practical level. Get the facts and what they really mean to you.

• Hispanics and Terrorism (Learning A language) -

• ¿Cuánto debemos saber? (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish.

• ¿Los españoles descubrieron Brasil? (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish asking did the Spanish discover Brazil?

• Ozomatli (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews Ozomatli

• Ceviche (Recipes) - A traditional fish dish.

• Spanish at Home (Learning A language) - Bilingual America is the best option for those who can't study abroad to learn Spanish

• Top 5 Medical Spanish Programs (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Looking for a medical Spanish course. Too many to choose from. Here are AmeriSpan's Top 5 SALUD Medical Spanish programs based on popularity and past participants' comments.

• El Amor En Los Tiempos de Cólera (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller gives us her two cents on El Amor En Los Tiempos de Cólera by Gabriel García Marquez

• Spanish...The NEW Language of Commerce (Learning A language) - Spanish has become the NEW Language of Commerce and I’ll show you how and why in this article.

• Cesaria Evora (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Carol LaMastra reviews Cesaria Evora: Café Atlantico and lists a couple of runner-ups.

• The Changing Face of Latin America (Learning A language) - Latin America is changing…well, let me rephrase that…Latin America is changing too fast!

• Before You Go, You Need To Know (Learning A language) - Before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America offers a list of what you need to know.

• The Fruit and the Root (Learning A language) - Is the life of a tree in the fruit or in the root? What does this have to do with learning Spanish? A LOT! If you want to understand "the root" of the issue, this article is a must read.

• The Power of Patterns (Learning A language) - Forget about "tenses" and "conjugations!" - Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America tells us about a better way.

• The Four Secrets to Long Term Retention... (Learning A language) - What you learn here has the potential to completely change your life! I have specifically applied these four secrets to the development of all Bilingual America Learning Courses. and have found over and over that students who follow these "Four Secrets To Long Term Retention" achieve outstanding results.

• Are Language Skills Enough? (Learning A language) - Article on the importance of cross-cultural communication

• Tips for Traveling Inexpensively (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - These days, from the weak dollar to the outrageous airfares, traveling abroad may seem out of the question. We beg to differ! There are many ways you can travel that are budget-friendly. We’ve gathered together some of our favorite cheap travel tips to help you make your trip a reality!

• Save Money by Volunteering Abroad (Learning A language) - Volunteer abroad to save money over traditional language programs and get an incredible immersion experience.

• Get an Edge in the Job Market (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - AmeriSpan's Business and Professional language programs can give you an edge in the job market and make your resume stand out.

• Learning a Language? Add Some Fun! (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) -

• Discount: Get Into College or Graduate School (Press Releases) - Save $150 if a college or graduate application resulted in a rejection or "wait listed" letter

• Discount: Save 10% on any AmeriSpan Spain program (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan announced a 10% discount

• La Manzanilla Junior Immersion Homestay Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a movie of a teen participant in La Manzanilla with his homestay family.

• Language Travel Magazine Star Awards (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan Study Abroad was voted BEST AGENCY in NORTH AMERICA by language schools throughout the world.

• Don't Forget about Departure Tax when Studying Abroad! (Articles/Travelogues) - When your study abroad trip is over, be prepared to pay a departure tax at the airport in certain countries.

• Study Abroad Money: How Much Cash to Carry (Articles/Travelogues) - Our expert tips on how much cash to carry with you on your study abroad trip.

• Don't Forget Passports When Studying Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - Locating your birth certificate and getting your passport in order is a very important step in preparing to study abroad.

• Money Matters for Teenager Study Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - AmeriSpan's tips on what type of money your child should bring on their teenager study abroad trip.