Maps of Peru
The country has 24 departments, the Constitutional Province of Callao and 196 provinces. For travel planning, however, the larger natural-geographic zones Costa, Sierra and Selva are often more useful.
The differences between them affect climate, elevation, transport and how quickly a traveller should move through the country.
· SambaTravel
24 departments and Callao
Peru is divided into 24 departments and the Constitutional Province of Callao. Lima and Callao lie beside each other on the central coast but are separate administrative entities. Cusco, Puno, Arequipa, Loreto and Madre de Dios are examples of departments strongly associated with different types of journeys.
The political map is useful for orientation but does not explain the dramatic topography within each area.
Costa, Sierra and Selva
The traditional geographic division into Costa, Sierra and Selva is not the same as the administrative map. Costa covers the arid Pacific coast, Sierra the Andes and high valleys, while Selva describes the eastern slopes and Amazon lowlands.
There are much more detailed ecological classifications, but this three-part division remains highly useful for understanding a journey.
The Andes shape roads, altitude and acclimatisation
Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Arequipa, Colca and Puno all lie in or beside the Andes but at different elevations and in different valley and plateau environments. Roads and railways follow passes and river valleys, so a straight line on the map is rarely the actual route.
An elevation map is therefore a planning tool: the order of destinations can influence how comfortable acclimatisation feels.
The Amazon has several gateways
Peru's Amazon is not a single destination. Iquitos in Loreto is reached in practice by air or river because the city has no conventional road connection to the rest of the national road network. Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios, by contrast, has both air and road links and is often combined with Cusco.
Both lie in eastern Peru on the map, but logistically they are two very different journeys.
How we use maps of Peru
We build the route around elevation and transport: Lima as a coastal hub, southern Peru around Arequipa–Colca–Titicaca, Cusco–Sacred Valley–Machu Picchu as one coherent block, and the Amazon as a separate module depending on the lodge and point of access.
Sources: administrative divisions follow INEI and Instituto Geográfico Nacional del Perú. Costa, Sierra and Selva are used here as practical natural-geographic orientation.
10 map facts about Peru
- Peru has 24 departments and the Constitutional Province of Callao.
- The country's administrative division includes 196 provinces.
- Peru shares land borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.
- The Pacific coast lies west of the Andes and large parts of it are very dry.
- Cusco and Machu Picchu lie in the department of Cusco.
- Puno lies beside Lake Titicaca near the border with Bolivia.
- Arequipa lies in southern Peru west of the highlands around Titicaca.
- Iquitos lies in Loreto and has no conventional road connection to the national road network.
- Puerto Maldonado lies in Madre de Dios and is a major gateway to the southern Peruvian Amazon.
- In Peru, a route should be planned around both elevation profile and transport network.