Interesting Peru Facts

The highest navigable lake in the world: Lake Titicaca

Located in the southern Andes of Peru, between the Peru-Bolivia border, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. It’s altitude is 3,812 meters above sea level. The Lake is situated in the Collao plateau in Puno and as the biggest Peruvian lake it receives it’s water from the Huancaná, Coata, Ilave and Ramis Rivers, and its waters give birth to the Desagüadero river that goes into Bolivia.

Peru has about 60% of the total 8,380 km² of Lake Titicaca, in which you can find interesting islands with ancient cultures and people like Uros, Taquile, Isla del Sol or Amantaní. Multiple towns spread along its shore keep the rich testimony of pre-Columbian and colonial times.

Lake Titicaca works as an important weather-regulator in a place where the temperature would be below 0 C°. It helps to maintain a higher temperature at night when the heat absorbed by day is radiated to the surroundings. That is why Puno, which lies at its shores, is warmer than Juliaca, a city located some kilometers away, even though the elevation is the same.

The longest river in the world: The Amazon

With 7,200km of length, the Amazon River is the longest in the world and has a fluvial basin surface of 7,050,000 km². The Amazon is born in the altitudes of the snowcapped mountain El Misti, in the Cordillera de Chile, in Arequipa with the name of Monigote River. Then, it goes down the Peruvian rainforest and receives the water of more than 70 tributary rivers. After crossing the Brazilian jungle it ends at the Atlantic Ocean.

The potato was born in Peru

One of the most common vegetables for meals, fast food and vegetarian food, the potato, saw the light for the first time in ancient Peru. Known from pre-Columbian times, the potato was domesticated by hunter-gatherers and improved by the Incas. That is why Peru also offers the biggest variety of potatoes: more than 2,000 different kinds!! Almost all the towns in the highlands have their own kind of potatoes. Yauli, a village located in Huancavelica, is the only place in the world where more than 250 potato types are produced.

The deepest canyon in the world

Located in Cotahuasi (La Unión, Arequipa), the river of the same name has created the deepest canyon in the world. A scientific expedition made in 1991 determined that the Cotahuasi Canyon has a depth of 3,535 m, some meters more than the Colca Canyon in Arequipa (3,200m). Although other explorers say that the real deepest canyon is the Apurímac Canyon (between Apurímac and Cusco) with 4,772m in the area of Chojesapra and Huarjajata, it is not scientifically proved until today. At least we can say that Peru holds the three deepest canyons in the world…

Highest railways pass in the world

The Ferrocarril Central del Peru is, undoubtedly, the highest in the world. Starting near Lima at sea level it reaches the peak-altitude of 4,818 m. in the Anticona pass (Ticlio, Lima). This interesting railway goes into the Andes Mountains through more than 60 tunnels and numerous bridges. It reaches its highest altitude in a distance less than 150km of length. Built in the last century, it was the first railway in South America with the Lima-Callao route. Unfortunately, there is no regular schedule at the moment.

The longest and highest tropical mountain range

The Cordillera Blanca or White Mountain Range is not only the longest tropical mountain range in the world, it is also the highest. With a length of more than 150km and an average altitude of 5,500 meters (18,045 feet). The highest peak in this range and in Peru is the Huascaran, it stands at an amazing 6,768 meters (22,205 feet) above sea level.

Highest state capital in the World

With 4,338m above sea level, the mining city of Cerro de Pasco is considered the highest state capital city in the world, almost a kilometer higher than La Paz in Bolivia, the highest country capital in the world. The capital of Pasco department is also known as “the city that moves itself” because of the intense mining activities that started the last century and cause the enhancement of the open-cut mine in the heart of the city. In these mines big seams of silver, copper, zinc, plumb and other minerals are exploited.

Amazing climates and biodiversity

In the world, there are 32 different climate types, as per the Thornwaite classification. Peru itself has 28 different climate types. While traveling in Peru you can come across hot deserts, dry forests, humid savannas, plain rainforests, cold plateaus, cool steppes and icy mountains. As good as it gets, Peru also concentrates 84 of a total of 104 zones of life (Holdridge classification) available in the world. This is what it makes Peru to be one of the most biodiversity countries on our planet.