All about Crime personal safety

Most of your contact with the police will, with any luck, be at frontiers and controls. Depending on your personal appearance and the prevailing political climate the police at these posts ( Guardia Nacional and Aduanas) may want to search your luggage. This happens rarely, but when it does it can be very thorough. Occasionally, […]

If you’re unlucky enough to have anything stolen, your first port of call should be the tourist police ( policia de turismo). Bear in mind that the police in popular tourist spots, such as Cusco, have become much stricter about investigating reported thefts, after a spate of false claims by dishonest tourists. This means that […]

Terrorism is much less of a problem in Peru these days than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. You can get up-to-date information on the situation in each region from the South American Explorers’ Club, Peruvian Embassies abroad or your embassy in Lima. There are two main terrorist groups active in Peru – the […]

The biggest problem for travellers in Peru is, without a doubt, thieves, for which the country has one of the worst reputations in South America – on one particular train journey (the Arequipa-Puno night service) many tourists have been robbed over the years. As far as violent attacks go, you’re probably safer in Peru than […]

The dangers of pickpockets and robberies cannot be over emphasized, though the situation does seem to have improved since the dark days of the late 1980s. Without encouraging a permanent state of paranoia and constant watchfulness in busy public situations, common sense and general alertness are recommended. The South American Explorers’ Club can give you […]