Peru Guide

Also known as Festival del Sol de Chanka (Chanka Sun Festival) or the Chanka Epic, the Sondor Raymi Festival in Andahuaylas in the region of Apurimac is a reenactment of the origins of the Chanka people, an ethnic group inhabiting the area between 1200 and about 1400.

Each year on June 24, a few days after the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, the largest and most important festival of the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun, is celebrated in Cusco.

A large part of Peru’s heritage and national identity is reflected in the country's diverse cuisine. So it’s no wonder that Peru's national dish, Ceviche, often spelled Cebiche as well, has its very own day of celebration each year on June 28.

Christians around the globe celebrate St. Peter and St. Paul’s day on June 29. In Peru this day is a public holiday, however mainly the faithful in coastal communities and cities honor these two saints in special masses and processions.

Festivals in honor of the Virgen del Carmen are celebrated in various regions in Peru on or around July 16. The festivities include processions, street parades with traditional and indigenous dances, music, colorful costumes and lots of Peruvian food and drinks. Some festivals feature reenactments of events in Peruvian history.

Each year on the third Sunday of July, Peruvians celebrate one of their beloved and most consumed dishes: Pollo a la Brasa, also known as Peruvian chicken or Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

Since 1999, Pisco, Peru's national drink and the pride and joy of every Peruvian, has its very own day of celebrations.

Fiestas Patrias, Peru’s National Holidays, are probably the most important and most enthusiastically celebrated event of the year in Peru.

On August 1, Peru and here especially the southern highland regions of the country celebrate National Alpaca Day focusing on the small, fluffy camelid, honoring the challenging work of generations of Alpaca breeders and promoting the consumption and usage of Alpaca products.

In Peru, and here especially in the Andean highlands, August 1 (and actually the entire month of August) is dedicated to Pachamama, next to the sun god Inti, probably the most important and worshipped deity in the Inca culture.