Discovering Peru’s Diversity: My Semester Abroad Across Mountains, Deserts, and Rainforests
When I arrived in Lima, Peru, I was excited for a semester in a big city, improving my Spanish, eating delicious food, and dancing salsa. However, I did not know much about the country I had chosen to live in for the next few months, other than that it is famous for ceviche (a seafood dish) and Machu Picchu. Five months later, my study abroad experience has lived up to everything I ever hoped for and more.
But as I say a teary goodbye to the city and country that have become my second home, I see this place with different eyes. I cannot not sum up Peru simply. In fact, I’m not sure I can sum it up at all. Peru is a country of incredible diversity, with 11 ecoregions, approximately 48 different languages, a multitude of cuisines with roots all over the world, and a huge variety of cultures. Although I have had many incredible experiences during my semester in Peru, I have also only scratched the surface of all it has to offer.
One country, a million different worlds
The Amazon Rainforest (Iquitos): As an aspiring biologist, one of my biggest priorities was visiting the Amazon rainforest to witness its mind-blowing biodiversity. I took a four-day trip to Iquitos, gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. We spent two days staying in the rainforest with local guides who showed us wildlife such as tarantulas, pink dolphins, frogs, and more, and explained their significance in local cultures. We even fished for piranhas!
Lunahuaná and Chosica: My friends and I also took short trips to these small towns, easily accessible from Lima, where we enjoyed white-water rafting, horseback riding, and splashing in waterfalls.
Paracas and Huacachina: I spent another weekend on an IFSA excursion to Paracas, in the coastal desert South of Lima. We took a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands, where we saw and learned about penguins, birds, and sea lions. We also enjoyed time in the nearby desert oasis of Huacachina, where we tried dune buggying, sandboarding, and sand skiing.
Cusco: My biggest trip was a visit to the Cusco region where I embarked on one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life—the Salkantay Trek—with a small group of friends. This five-day, 72-kilometer adventure includes hiking to a glacial lagoon, traversing a mountain pass at 4,650 meters, and passing through a tropical rainforest. It ends with a visit to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World—and yes, it’s worth all the hype!
Despite not leaving Peru this semester, every place I visited felt like a different universe. I initially imagined I would want to travel to other parts of South America. In the end I wasn’t even able to see every place in Peru that I wanted to visit—and I am already hoping to come back.
Living in Lima: A city with many realities
Apart from my travels, I spent the semester living and attending classes in Lima. As I found my daily rhythm, I quickly discovered that, like Peru itself, Lima is extremely heterogeneous. From tourists trying their first ceviche to immigrants finding a place in their new home to Peruvians who have lived there for generations, there are innumerable experiences of Lima.
As IFSA students, we have the privilege of living in beautiful, walkable neighborhoods such as Miraflores and San Isidro, filled with cute cafes, beautiful restaurants, and picture-perfect parks. However, economic stratification in Peru—and Lima in particular—is extreme, and I met many people with very different realities than my own.
Likewise, there is no singular culture that defines Lima. Even the cuisine reflects this diversity, in dishes that blend classic Peruvian flavors with everything from Japanese to Italian traditions. During four months in Lima, the city’s complexity never ceased to surprise me.
Advice for students considering study abroad
- Take advantage of opportunities for adventures—and take time to make the city your home. Studying abroad is a different kind of travel experience. You start out as a tourist, and without realizing it, you slowly start to feel like a local. Discover your favorite coffee shop, become friends with the store owner at the bodega on your corner, sit and chat with friends in a park.
- Be ready to feel uncomfortable at times. Living in Peru, a country with less resources than my own, I often felt hyperaware of my privileges. Prices that to me and other exchange students were shockingly affordable were inaccessible to my Peruvian classmates. As I met locals, people sometimes shared experiences that were very difficult for me to comprehend. While not always easy, these are the moments when you get to know a place as it is—not as just another destination.
- Get out of the study abroad bubble. Studying in Lima, there were tons of other wonderful exchange students who, like myself, were eager to make friends and travel. While it required more effort to build relationships with locals, it was also incredibly meaningful and allowed me to understand Peru even better from their experiences.
Sofia B. | Amherst College | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Partnership | Fall 2025