Peruvians are the main characters of stories with magical legends, culture, art and traditions. Andean people’s world turns around the "Pachamama" or mother earth and the "Apus" or mountain spirits with their particular world vision. In the coast, they go into the sea, cross its waters and fetch their catch which will inspire the most delicious dishes of our gastronomy. In the jungle, nature and its inhabitants are the ambassadors of their exotic beauty and delicate balance. In essence, we are a country where the past and the present live in harmony turning your trip into a wonderful experience.

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20.000 years ago our first inhabitants were nomads that hunt and harvest fruits with stone instruments. The samples of cave paintings found in Toquepala (Tacna), and fossils from the first Peruvian (7.000 a.C.) prove so.
After they established themselves they begin to practice agriculture and live in villages and, as a result of their contact with other cultures, they developed new techniques such as textiles, metallurgy and pottery, resulting in the origin greater cultures.

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Chavin, Paracas, Moche, Tiahuanaco, Nazca, Wari, Chimu and Chachapoyas are Pre-Inca cultures developed and famous in our territory’s coast, mountains and jungle. They all adapted with effort to the environment, managing natural resources, and each and every one outstood because they developed a particular technique. Let’s take a look:

Chavin (Ancash): They had a theocratic organization, their center was Chavin de Huantar temple; in its walls and galleries we can appreciate sculptures representing fierce gods with feline aspect. Paracas (Ica): They lived in the coast and were the masters of textile art. Moche (La Libertad): They became excellent military strategists. The design of their pottery and iconography provide a clear idea of their life style. Tiahuanaco (Puno): They developed excellent sowing and platform cultivating techniques, they learn to manage ecological altitudes in order to improve their productivity. Nazca (Ica): They built ingenious underground aqueducts to protect them from desert weather. Nazca Lines, the famous geological site keeps amazing the world. Wari, (Ayacucho): They were clever engineers; they designed the first urban distribution plans in their territory. Chimu (La Libertad): They were marvelous artisans and gold and silversmith. Chan-Chan citadel shows their high urban development. Chachapoyas (Amazonas): They wisely used cultivating soil. Kuelap Fortress, built on top of the mountains proves their talent to adapt to the environment.

The Incas
Legends tell that Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, the first Inca and his wife, came out of the Titicaca Lake to found the Inca Empire.

The Inca was the sovereign of the Tahuantinsuyo, or four regions, also known as the son of the sun. The Empire had thirteen sovereigns. It extended all the way up to Colombia and Ecuador on the north and Bolivia, Chile and Argentina on the south.
The Incas were the most important civilization on South America, they had an incredible social and economical organization, based on the ayllu or family clan. In addition, their architecture and art pieces, resulting from the knowledge and experience inherited from previous cultures, still amaze our visitors.
Currently, in Cusco, we can still enjoy the splendor of the Koricancha or Sun Temple, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuaman Fortress, and especially Machu Picchu citadel.

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In 1532, Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpa, the last Inca in Cajamarca. This fact was an important event in Spanish Conquest and the end of the Inca Empire. Ten years later, the Peruvian Viceroyalty was created and it lasted up to the XVII century, its territory went from Panama up to Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina.

In 1569, Viceroy Francisco de Toledo improved the economy by means of native work control (mita) and a merchant monopoly. Along with the Spaniards arrived black slaves to work on domestic tasks and agriculture. Meanwhile, catholic religion was imposed by the Church. After almost three centuries of domination, Tupac Amaru II directed the most important native rebellion.

All this facts diverse and enriched our culture. Religious syncretism, colonial art, architecture, our traditions and idiosyncrasy are the result of the encounter of these two worlds.

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Don Jose de San Martin declared Peru’s independence in 1821. Nevertheless, our history had to face severe economical crisis and several military governments. By the mid XIX century, the incomes from guano exploitation, cotton and sugar cane cultivation allowed to free slaves and natives workers. Afterwards, European and Chinese immigrants arrived here to become part of our society. In 1872, President Manuel Pardo installed the first civil regimen in Peru. Just before the XX century, the first Japanese disembarked took place.

Regrettably, in 1879 began the war with Chile. Our country is defeated and our economy ruined. More military governments went by, there comes an era known as The Aristocratic Republic; the economy is dominated by landowners’ elite. Rubber exploitation success renews the El Dorado myth, a lost city in the enormity of the Amazon Rainforest where it is presumed that the Spanish searched for the Incas’ gold.

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The beginning of the XX century was known by the dictatorship of Augusto B. Leguia and the intense activity of intellectual movements, outstanding figures such as Víctor Raul Haya de la Torre, founder of the Aprista Party and Jose Carlos Mariategui, well-known intellectual, creator of Peruvian’s socialist ideas.

Our history develops between military governments and democratic periods. We can point out the government of Manuel A. Odria (1948), who during eight years developed important public works, in spite of political repression. In addition, Peru loves peace; it has always solved its limits conflicts with its neighbors.

In the seventies, the Armed Forces deprive the current president, Fernando Belaunde (1963). We must point out that this dictatorship, leaded by General Juan Velasco (1968), was different from the others. There was a social sensibility; he established the Agricultural Reform, and nationalized oil and communication media. Another general succeeded him, Francisco Morales Bermudez (1975), but due to public pressure he called to a Constitutional Assembly.

In 1980, Fernando Belaunde is chosen again as president but the economical crisis that always affects the poorest areas gave birth to 2 extremely violent subversive movements that devastated the country during ten years. Afterwards came Alan Garcia (1985) and Alberto Fujimori (1990) governments. Fujimori shut down the Congress two years after his election declaring an emergency government. Even though he was re-elected in 2000, the people demanded a new election. As a consequence, a democratic transition government was established under Valentin Paniagua (2000). In July 2006, after 5 years Alejandro Toledo handed over the government to Alan Garcia Perez, current Constitutional President of the Republic.

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