How bad is the rainy season in the Peru highlands?

How bad is the rainy season in the Peru highlands? - Woods Covered With Snow

My wife and I are contemplating a hitchhiking trip to Peru, ideally involving some hiking, in late December/early January. We do not like to plan everything in advance, so we are looking to sleep either in our tent, or in whatever accommodation we can find on the spot in whatever cities we traverse.

We would like to spend most of the time in the Sierra. We would especially like to see Machu Picchu (or maybe some other, less touristic Inca ruins) and lake Titicaca; so a tentative itinerary would be something like Lima -> Cusco -> Juliaca -> La Paz.

Looking at the climate charts, the amount of rain (and lack of warmth) seems a little scary. For example here in Cusco for December: 20.8°C max/6.5°C min, 120mm precipitation, 16 rainy days per month. But in would be nice to have some subjective impressions, as raw numbers can be deceptive.

Has anyone done a similar trip in that season? Do you think it would be one of those miserable "all-of-your-belongings-are-drenched-and-there-is-no-chance-to-get-them-dry-because-it-just-keeps-raining-and-raining" trips, or is there still enough sunshine to make it enjoyable? I have seen that a lot of people still do the Inca trail in the rainy season. Surely it must not be that bad?

Also, what are the chances of finding a hostel or cheap hostel on the spot when arriving to a new city?



Best Answer

After I've done the trip, I can share my experience. (Of course this is only anecdotic evidence: weather is not the same as climate!)

  • Our itinerary was indeed Lima -> Huancayo -> Ayacucho -> Abancay -> Cusco -> Puno -> La Paz, roughly in the last two weeks of December.
  • We ended up sleeping in hotels almost all the time, as they are so cheap. We used the tent only once, near lake Titicaca.
  • The cold was not an issue at all; we found the temperatures very pleasant.
  • The rain was present but seemed mostly manageable. The only night that we spent in the tent, it rained pretty hard, starting a couple of hours after nightfall and all the way until the morning. Our stuff did get a little wet, however our tent is old and leaky. On the other hand, there have been days with no rain at all. Overall, if we had been sleeping in our tent every night, I think we would have had, on average, plenty enough episodes of warmth and sunshine to dry whatever things got wet in the occasional rainstorm. (It's hard to tell though, since this is not what we did after all; it is easy to underestimate night rain when you have a solid roof!) But this was certainly NOT one of those nightmarish trips where it just keeps raining and raining and raining (that I have sometimes experienced in Western Europe).
  • Finding accomodations was not an issue at all. Hotels are plentiful in all towns, small and large; and during the whole trip, we have never encountered a single one that was full (of course it is the low season for tourism). Moreover, for receiving tourists, Peru is very well organized, to a degree that we found absolutely unbelievable. When arriving into a new town, you can always find someone to help you.



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How bad is the rainy season in the Peru highlands? - Cloud Gate
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How bad is the rainy season in the Peru highlands? - Cheerful black woman riding bicycle on city street



How bad is rainy season in Peru?

Rainy season is from December to March, when the climate is warmest, and visibility on the mountains can be poor. Due to the rain, and possible snow, the trail can be muddy, wet and difficult to hike so be prepared for these conditions with good trail shoes and clothing.

What is the climate of the highlands of Peru?

The highlands have two seasons: Summer (April - Oct.), when the days are sunny, the nights cold and there is little rain (the ideal time to visit); and Winter (Nov. - March), when rain is frequent and heavy. During the day the temperature can reach 24 \xb0C and at night fall to -3 \xb0C.

What is the weather like on the mountains of Peru?

Hot and humid (69 - 89\xb0F). Dry season: Shorter showers common. Possible cold fronts, but still generally hot and humid (60 - 92\xb0F). Shoulder season: Shorter showers common.

Does it rain a lot in Machu Picchu?

With more than 100 rains per year, the site reaches an average of 1803.4 mm or 71 inches of precipitation per year. The most frequent rains occur in the intermediate months between the dry to rainy seasons; October, November, and March. Also, Machu Picchu weather can have a few thunderstorms from time to time.



Rainy Season in Cusco: Peru Travel Tips for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley




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Images: Mikhail Nilov, Bhargava Marripati, Castorly Stock, Uriel Mont