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2 Concerns To Be Aware Of When You Are Planning A Vacation To Peru

When planning a vacation to Peru, it is important to decide in advance your itinerary and all other travel details to help you have a successful trip. In addition to buying your airline tickets and booking any hotels as well as setting up any luxury tours of Peru through a place like Kuoda Personalized Travel, you need to know what to expect with Peru's weather throughout the year, so you can select the best time to visit. Then, you also need to know how to protect yourself from sunburn and Zika virus while you are there. Here are some tips and information to help you during your planning.

Peru's Seasons and Weather

It can be helpful to know the weather in Peru, so you can take your vacation during a time with more comfortable weather. Peru is located in South America and is below the equator, which makes its weather and seasons opposite of those in the earth's northern hemisphere. So, when the United States is experiencing hot summer weather, Peru is experiencing cooler winter weather. The heat of summer occurs from December to March with fall weather during April, then winter takes places from May to October, followed by spring weather in November. 

It can be helpful to know what temperature to expect in different regions throughout Peru. If you plan to travel to the coast of Peru, the summer temperatures can reach above 80 degrees F during the day and fall to 70 degrees F at night. The winter temperatures on the coast only reach 65 degrees F during the day and drop down around 55 degrees F at night.

For traveling in the mountains of Peru, the summer temperature can reach nearly 70 degrees F and drop to 40 degrees F at night. Winter temperatures are not much different with the highs between 65 and 70 degrees F during the day and to below 30 degrees F at night. Keep in mind because Peru has such a high level of humidity, the cooler temperatures will feel more cold to you than they would in dry conditions. It is also helpful know Peru's rainy season takes place between November to March, or during their summer, with much of the rainfall occurring in the mountains and the Amazon jungle.

For traveling to the Amazon jungle in Peru, you should expect temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees F during the day and at night, with high humidity, which can make the air feel hotter. The temperature during the winter will be in the 70s during the day and drop to 40 degrees F at night. 

Your Health

Sunburn

While an average UV (ultraviolet) index of between zero and four is common, South America has some of the highest UV levels in the world. The ozone layer in the earth's stratosphere above South America has begun to thin out, allowing harmful UV rays to reach the earth. Ultraviolet levels have been recorded to be higher than 25 in Peru's Andes mountains. Along with the tropical sunshine and higher elevations in Peru, expect to be more prone to sunburn while you are vacationing there. 

To protect yourself from the harmful UV radiation, it is recommended to bring a hat, scarf, and sunglasses to wear, and sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which will block up to 97 percent of the sun's rays. Then, try to schedule any indoor activities and sightseeing during the highest levels of UV exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. so you can help further protect yourself from harmful UV rays.

Mosquitoes

With all the extra rainfall and humidity in Peru, mosquitoes are more prevalent, which puts you at a higher risk of contracting Zika virus. Mosquitoes that carry Zika virus bite during the day, so it is important to protect yourself from mosquitoes even while the sun is shining. It is recommended by the CDC to wear an EPA-registered mosquito repellent that contains the active ingredient DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol.

Apply mosquito repellent on yourself, over your clothes and skin after you have applied sunscreen. Follow the instructions on the repellent container to reapply it to your clothing and body, as needed. As another option, you can also treat your clothing with permethrin or buy permethrin-treated clothing to wear while in Peru. The permethrin will stay on your clothing and protect you from mosquitoes for multiple washings.

Use this information to help you plan your vacation to Peru.


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