The Pacific Ocean borders the Peruvian coast, which is located in the central region of South America. Peru’s population is 24 million inhabitants while its surface area covers 1 285 215 square kilometers (comparable to all of Spain, France and Italy combined). Peru ranks as one of the 20 largest countries on the planet.

Owing to its location, its coasts have always been a vital for seafaring vessels and for trade in the sub-continental region. Additionally, Peru claims sovereignty over 200 nautical miles and has territorial rights over 60 million hectares in the Antarctic.

Mountain Climate

There is a saying about the tropical mountain ranges that claims “there are no yearly seasons but rather days that contain all four”. So, while the morning sun in the Peruvian Andes shines bright, the wind is cool, this being equivalent to spring-like weather.

After mid-day, the heat sends everyone running for the shade, like in the summer time. Afternoon sees the culmination of the formation of small cumulus clouds that have been taking shape all morning and the weather feels like autumn. When the sun finally sets, which happens quite fast in the tropics, it gets very cold, like winter time.

This singular multiplicity of climatic conditions is caused by the location of this extensive mountain range that in Peru runs from north to south and that separates the warm and humid winds of the eastern Amazon from the masses of cold air generated in the Pacific Ocean.

The tropical nature of the Peruvian Andes – because of their latitudinal location on the subcontinent- creates two distinct seasons throughout the year: dry and rainy, which succeed each other, with sudden changes from one to the other, slightly buffered only by tenuous middle periods. Because Peru is situated in the southern hemisphere, it is winter during the European and North American summer.

Coast

Peru’s extensive and arid desert coast is the result of the cold Humboldt ocean current and the presence of the Andes to the East. There is almost never any rainfall in the central and southern regions of the Peruvian coast, which has two distinct seasons: winter between April and October and summer between November and March.

During the winter a dense layer of cloud covers the sky and there are frequent light showers and drizzles. Although it seems much colder because of the high humidity, the temperature rarely falls below 12 °C . During the summer on the other rise to 30°C.

The northern region of the coast does not endure the effect gives almost 300 days of sunshine and warm temperatures all year (up to 35°C in the summer). Rainy season in this region is from November to March which are considerably increased due to The El Niño weather phenomenon.

The Andes

The Andes has two very well-defined seasons: the dry season, between April and October, characterized by sunny days, very cold nights (often freezing) and the absence of rain (ideal for traveling); and the wet season (improperly called “winter”), between November and March when rainfall is heavy (generally over 1 000 mm). A typical characteristic of this region is the marked variation in temperatures range from highs of 24°C at mid-day and lows of 3°C at day-break. The climate in the highlands is dry, pleasant and ideal for growing a great variety of crops.

Jungle

The Jungle can be divided into the high-jungle or mountain fringe (over 700 masl) and lower jungle (below 700 masl). The climate in the high jungle is subtropical and mild, with plenty of rain, (around 3 000 mm per year) between April and October. Nights are always cool. The lower jungle, on the other hand, has two distinct seasons defines in direct relation directly to their distance from the Equator. The dry season, between April and October (ideal for tourism), features sunny days and high temperatures, which normally top 35°C.

River water levels during these months drop radically and roads are easily traveled. The rainy season, between November and March is characterized by frequent downpours (at least once a day) and by tough road conditions. Humidity in the jungle is very high throughout the year. The southern region also sees the occurrence of friajes or surazos: cold fronts that arrive from the extreme southern tip of the continent from May through August. During these cold snaps, temperatures tend to fall to 8-12°C.