The coast a 2,300 km stretch of mostly desert territory holds almost half of the population of the country and a large percentage of its economic activity. The river valleys are very fertile and the Peruvian ocean is considered to be one of the richest in the world, teeming with several varieties of fish, due to a submarine cold water current. Important pre Colombian cultures like Chimu in the north, Nazca and Paracas in the south developed in this territory, taking advantage of the productivity of the valleys and the ocean. The highlands, next to the coast, is a mountain range extending between 250 km in the north and 400 km in the south with awe inspiring peaks overpassing the 6,700 meters of altitude, permanent snow and some of the deepest canyons in the planet, making it a fantastic destination for adventure and nature travelers.

The Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash by the city of Huaraz have the tallest mountains in the country which are also among the highest peaks in the continent. The canyons of Colca and Cotahuasi are still surprising visitors in the highlands of Arequipa, about 1000 Km south of Lima, being twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in Colorado, USA. Also, this area contains most of the active volcanoes of Peru, being the most notable "El Misti", overlooking the city of Arequipa. The highest navigable lake on earth and the largest in South America (8,000 square kilometers) lies at almost 4,000 meters of altitude between Puno ( Peru ) and the neighboring country of Bolivia. In spite of this altitude, the lake temperature is moderate, an average of 12 Celsius, producing an abundance of flora and fauna.

East of the Peruvian Andes lies the largest region of the country, the Amazon Region with almost half of the territory in Peru. This is an area of heavy rainfall with rainforests and cloudforests, considered to be the worlds largest oxygen source. The Amazon river, the largest on earth and the river with the highest volume of water, probably begins in the highlands of Arequipa, Southern Peru, with the flow from the snows of the Andean peaks of that area. The Peruvian Amazon region is the most diverse and wild life rich of the whole Amazon basin, sheltering dozens of endangered species, more than 200 species of mammals, hundreds of birds species and more fish species than the entire Atlantic Ocean.