Main Festivities in Peru (Tourist Calendar)
Do you want to visit Peru and you do not have a clear date when? With this post, we help you decide.
Peru has during the year different festivities and celebrations typical of a particular region or city; dances, foods and traditions that come from the Inca empire and still continue to this day.
In this article, we recommend the “musts”.
Carnivals – Cajamarca
This celebration takes place every year on the last days of February and the beginning of March in the city of Cajamarca, north of Lima. Its objective is to venerate the «King Momo» also known as Señor Carnavalón. In this celebration locals and foreigners meet and enjoy colourful dances and drinks.
The Cajamarca carnival combines elements such as costumes, music, a parade and other activities in the street that are carried out by the residents. The attendees will not be spared the buckets of water, dyes and a good drink of «chicha de Jora». (traditional sweet drink made from fermented corn). Definitely a party with a lot of joy!
To get to Cajamarca you can take a flight that lasts 1.30 hours.
Inti Raymi – Cusco
The Inti Raymi or “Fiesta del Sol” is celebrated on June 24 on the occasion of the winter solstice (southern hemisphere) in honour of the god Inti or Sun. This traditional Inca festivity has been carried out to this day with the presence of the Andean settlers, national and foreign visitors.
In Cusco, the ancient capital of the Tahuantinsuyo (Inca Empire), a show is held for locals and foreigners. This show is very crowded and many actors take part, approximately 600, to represent the Inca, his royalty and servants.
It begins in the Coricancha or Temple of the Sun where the (fictional) Inca invokes the sun god, then he moves in a litter to the esplanade of the Sacsayhuaman fortress and performs the (fictional) sacrifice of an alpaca in honour and worship of the god sun. This show is a gathering of colour, dance and music. Important personalities have come from their countries to witness this staging such as Bill Gates, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, and Cindy Crawford, among others.
The cost of admission varies each year, but it is approximately 100 US dollars. Tickets are sold from the month of May and they sell out fast. You can download an app to listen to the ceremony in Spanish or English since it is given in Quechua.
To get to Cusco you can take a flight that lasts 1.30hrs.
Virgin of Candelaria – Puno
This celebration takes place in the city of Puno in the month of February and is of a religious, festive and cultural nature. It has Catholic roots with elements and symbols of the Andean culture.
The festival begins with a mass in the morning. The next day in the morning the virgin figure is transported in a procession through the streets of the city, accompanied by dances and traditional music. Within the activities, there are two contests in which about 150 groups from the entire region participate, totalling approximately 40 thousand dancers and musicians. The participants are Quechua and Aymara people from rural and urban areas of Puno. In this contest, we can see music bands and traditional dances, adorned dresses and colourful masks, a legacy that is transmitted from generation to generation.
To get to Puno you can take a flight to Juliaca that lasts 1.35 hours and then take a bus or private transport that takes you to the city of Puno 30 minutes from the airport.
San Juan – Iquitos / Tarapoto
The festival of San Juan is celebrated throughout the Peruvian Amazon for the birth of Juan Bautista, patron saint of the departments of San Martín, Loreto and Ucayali.
This festival is celebrated on July 21 and 27 throughout the Peruvian jungle with the city of Iquitos as its main venue. Craft fairs, festivals, dances, parades, and concerts are held and the queen of the festival, Miss San Juan, is chosen.
But without a doubt, the main protagonist is gastronomy with its main dish the “Juane”, made from rice with chicken and wrapped in a bijou leaf.
Lots of drinks, food and parties make this festivity one of the happiest in Peru.
To get to Iquitos you can take a flight that lasts 1.30 hours.