Peru in Feb.? How long in Lima? Villages around Cuzco?
 

Hello,
I am considering visiting Lima/Cuzco in Feb.? Is this a good time of year to visit?

I've heard rather negative reviews on Lima as being an unattractive city and no place to spend much time? Thoughts on this?

Also, I'm aware of some of the villages in the valleys around Cuzco as being quaint, craft laiden, etc. Can anyone recommend which ones to try to see?

We are thinking of being about 5-6 days in the Cuzco area.

Thanks for any thoughts.

top

I can't give you any feedback on February, but I'm sure you can find climate and rainfall information to help you make that decision.
We did not spend but a few hours touring Lima, and there are some parts of it that are really beautiful (Miraflores and the Colonial City Center, in particular). Like any city in a developing country, it also has some less attractive places, but I think it's worth seeing, and plan to go back there sometime.
Most tourists who go to Cusco also visit the Sacred Valley and several towns therein, and most are very pretty, with spectacular scenery. We went to Chinchero, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Willoq and Pisac. Of those, Ollantaytambo was my favorite, and it has a huge Inca ruin you need to see anyway.
Chris

HI there!

February is a great time to visit Peru, specially the beaches in Southern and Northern Peru. Most definitely stay away from Lima if you are not interested in visiting more museums and the Cathedral or the Catacombs, aside from that Lima is another metropolitan city. Cuzco this time of the year is hard to say, it could rain quite a bit, and not rain at all. In all reality, it will be winter season in Cuzco, cold enought to wear a nice sweater and a jacket. Macchupichu will be warm, as this is consider "ceja de selva" or in other words is the beginning of the rainforest. You might want to visit Paracas and the Nazca Lines, or maybe go to Iquitos, Pucalpa or Puno (Lake Titicaca). Now, if you want to explore the great beaches, you might want to go to Northern Peru (Mancora).

Have fun!

C

x

FYI
Peru is in South America, thus Feb. is actually summer there. Cuzco basically has only two seasons, wet and dry. February is the wet season. You won't want to hike the Inca trail in February since it will be very wet.

Cuzco
Average high 64 fahrenheit
Average low 46 fahrenheit
Average rain 4.5 inches

I also thought Ollantaytambo is much nicer than Cuzco. I strongly recommend Hotel Pakaritampu, very quaint and charming.

Thanks everyone.

RBCal,
Do you think Feb. is a bad time to visit, or too risky of a season to be in Cusco relative to the potential weather?

I was not in Cuzco in February so can't speak directly about whether it is a good time to go. I believe that the Inca trail is actually closed in February for repair. Thus if you are at all interested in hiking it, don't go in February. However, if you plan on taking the train to MP, the positive aspect is that this is the off season so hotels will likely be cheaper. You may find that you have obscured views of the mountains surrounding MP though, and these add to the atmosphere of the site.