PERUVIAN CULTURES

PERU HAS MORE THAN 50 INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Peru is home to over 50 Indigenous peoples, living across the Andes, Amazon, and coastal regions. Each community carries its own worldview, traditions, and ancestral knowledge—rooted in civilizations that stretch back to the Inca and far beyond.

The most known include: Quechua, Aymara, Asháninka, Shipibo-Conibo, Awajún, Wampis, and Matsés.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

Peru officially recognizes 48 Indigenous languages, in addition to Spanish (the national language).

The most spoken are: Quechua (with many regional varieties), Aymara, and Amazonian languages such as Asháninka, Shipibo-Conibo, Awajún, and Kukama-Kukamiria.

ARTISAN CRAFTS

Peruvian craftsmanship is world-renowned!

• Andean textiles — handwoven with alpaca and llama wool in regions like Cusco, Ayacucho, and Puno. Rich in color and symbolism, these textiles reflect agricultural cycles, cosmology, and community identity.
• Shipibo-Conibo pottery & designs — Amazonian artisans create ceramics and textiles adorned with intricate geometric patterns, believed to be inspired by sacred visions.
• Silver & gold jewelry — dating back to pre-Columbian cultures like the Moche, contemporary artisans continue to craft jewelry with ancestral techniques.