I am leaving for peru on thursday and I need suggestions for what to pack…I know the basics (pants, tops, etc…) but anything special that I might need? I am going to be there for eleven days but I have limited packing space. Thanks!
Let’s see. Lima and Cuzco are very different (kindda like New York and Denver). Lima is on the coast (pacific coast that is) and, since we are in the southern hemisphere, it is summer. So Lima is very hot, about 80°F, which, when added to the very high humidity, makes for very hot weather. Nevertheless, considering Lima is in the middle of the Sechura dessert, it basically never rains. So shorts, t-shirts, hat and sunglasses. Mind the sun, as you’ll be very close to the equatorial line and the sun’s rays fall straight on you and can seriously burn you.
Cuzco, on the other hand, is in the Andes Mountains with Machu Picchu already in the Amazon Basin. Cuzco is at an altitude of around10,000 feet above sea level, so the temperatures vary wildly during the day, from a sunrise of 35°F to a 70°F at midday. Again, the sun can seriously burn you (as to the closeness to the equator now you have to add the thinner air), so plenty of sunscreen lotion, hat and sunglasses.
However, this is also the rainy season in the Andes, so chances of rain are very high, so bring a rain poncho.
As a side point, Cuzco is showing partly sunny today with rain from tonight until Saturday. Lima, on the other hand shows sunny all week.