Three Peaks challenges in Peru

The landscapes of Peru

Peru's three broad geographical regions are unusually distinct: the Pacific coastal plain, the central Andean highlands and the Amazonian lowlands to the east. The rugged mountain belt separates two much lower landscapes, with the western side considerably drier than the tropical basin beyond the Andes.

Conditions change with both location and elevation. The coastal desert, colder high mountain country and humid eastern forest cannot be treated as one environment. A Peruvian mountain destination is therefore rooted in a particular Andean region, within a country whose terrain extends from ocean to Amazon.