10 Fun Facts We Bet You Didn't Know About Peru

Peru grows more than 55 varieties of corn, and you can just about find it in any color  including yellow, purple, white and black.

The potato is originally from Peru, and there are over 3,000 different varieties. Proud Peruvians use the phrase “Soy mas Peruano que la papa” (I am more Peruvian than the potato).

Peru’s Huascarán National Park has more has 27 snow-capped peaks 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) above sea level, of which El Huascarán (6,768 meters / 22,204 feet) is the highest.

Peru has 1625 types of orchids of-which 425 can be found growing naturally close to Machu Picchu. The Inkaterra Hotel in Machu Picchu has South America’s largest privately owned collection at 500 varieties.

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu was lost to the Amazon Jungle for hundreds of years, until it was re-discovered by Hiram Bingham the American explorer.

Peru is a surfer’s paradise. Chicama has the world’s longest left-handed wave at 4km’s long, and Mancora (close by) has the world’s largest left-handed point-break.

Peru has the second largest amount of Shamans in the world, second only to India.

There are 10 million alpacas in the world, and three-quarters of them live in Peru.

In Peru, it is tradition to give friends and family yellow underpants on New Year’s Eve for good luck.

Peru is home to the highest sand dune in the world. Cerro Blanco located in the Sechura Desert near the Nazca Lines measures 3,860 feet (1,176 meters) from the base to the summit.

Interested in Visiting Peru?