One country, several festival calendars
Peru's calendar layers several strands that do not always overlap. There are the 16 national public holidays set by Congress, which grant paid time off across the whole country. There are the major Catholic religious festivals, some of them public holidays and some not. There are Andean and pre-Hispanic celebrations, many absorbed into the Catholic calendar without ever fully disappearing. And finally there are local patron saint festivals, specific to a town, a neighbourhood or a province, capable of transforming the mood of a city without appearing on any national calendar.
A very important, very crowded and widely covered festival, such as the Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno or Inti Raymi in Cusco, is therefore not necessarily a public holiday outside its own region. Conversely, some national holidays, such as the Battle of Junín or the Battle of Angamos, pass almost unnoticed in daily life beyond official ceremonies.
Understanding this distinction avoids plenty of confusion: it explains why a city can be in full celebration on an otherwise ordinary working day, and why a national holiday can, elsewhere in the country, feel like any other day off.
Worth knowing for a Swiss or European reader
In Peru, certain festivals can completely transform a city's atmosphere for several days: streets closed to traffic, shop hours changed, accommodation prices rising sharply, and visitors arriving from across the country. A trip or a move planned without this calendar in mind can bring pleasant surprises as well as real logistical constraints.
What may surprise a Swiss or European reader
A few things tend to stand out for Europeans discovering Peru's calendar for the first time. Our guide to cultural differences between Peru, Switzerland and Europe covers them more broadly; here are the ones that touch directly on festivals.
- The weight of patron saint festivals: nearly every village, neighbourhood and trade has its own patron saint and dedicated festival, often more closely followed locally than some national holidays.
- The blend of Catholicism and Andean tradition: the same procession can carry a Christian image while following a much older Andean ritual, with no sense of contradiction for those taking part.
- Celebrations that often run longer than in Europe: a patron saint festival can stretch over one to two weeks, with distinct stages (opening, main day, octave, closing).
- Music and dance take over public space during these periods, well beyond places of worship: whole streets, squares and avenues can be filled with comparsas.
- Strong internal mobility: many Peruvians travel across the country for certain festivals, filling buses and domestic flights well ahead of the dates in question.
- Administrative closures that can run longer than the holiday itself: activity visibly slows down on the working days surrounding Fiestas Patrias or Christmas.
- Food as an integral part of the celebration, not a side note: every major festival has its own dish, drink or sweet treat.
- Family at the centre of celebrations, even for festivals with a strong religious or communal dimension, with a marked presence across generations.
Year-at-a-glance table
This table gathers the main festivals and events covered in this guide. Dates marked "variable" change every year and should be checked before planning any trip. Tourist demand levels are a general trend, not an official figure.
| Month | Festival or event | Usual date | Region / city | National holiday | Main interest | Tourist demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | New Year's Day | 1 January | National | Yes | Family celebration | Moderate |
| January | Bajada de Reyes (Epiphany) | 6 January | National | No | Catholic tradition | Low |
| January | National Marinera contest | Late January (variable) | Trujillo | No | National dance | High (regional) |
| January | Lima's anniversary | 18 January | Lima | No | History, culture | Low |
| February | Virgen de la Candelaria | Around 2 February (2 weeks) | Puno | No (regional holiday in Puno) | Dance, UNESCO | Very high |
| February | Cajamarca Carnival | Variable (mid-February) | Cajamarca | No | Comparsas, parade | Very high |
| February | Ayacucho Carnival | Variable (February) | Ayacucho | No | Ño Carnavalón | High |
| March/April | Holy Week | Variable (Easter) | National, especially Ayacucho | Holy Thursday and Good Friday | Processions | Very high (Ayacucho) |
| May | Labour Day | 1 May | National | Yes | Marches | Low |
| May | Fiesta de las Cruces | 3 May | Andes and coast | No | Decorated crosses, dance | Moderate |
| May | Señor de Muruhuay | Early May (variable) | Tarma, Junín | No | Pilgrimage | Moderate |
| May | Qoyllur Rit'i | Variable (May or June) | Sinakara, Cusco | No | Andean pilgrimage, UNESCO | High (regional) |
| May | National Potato Day | 30 May | National | No | Food culture | Low |
| June | San Juan and Farmers' Day | 24 June | National, strong in the Amazon | No | Juane, ritual bathing | High (Amazon) |
| June | Corpus Christi | Variable (June) | Cusco | No | Processions, chiriuchu | High |
| June | Inti Raymi | 24 June (fixed) | Cusco | No | Grand Inca festival | Very high |
| June | Saints Peter and Paul | 29 June | National | Yes | Patron saints of fishermen | Moderate (coast) |
| July | Virgen del Carmen | 15 to 18 July | Paucartambo, Cusco | No | Masked dances | High (regional) |
| July | Fiestas Patrias | 28 and 29 July | National | Yes | Independence, military parade | Very high |
| August | Saint Rose of Lima | 30 August | National | Yes | Patron saint | Moderate |
| August | Arequipa Anniversary Festivities | Around 15 August | Arequipa | No | City anniversary | High (regional) |
| August | Pago a la Tierra (Pachamama) | 1 August and all month | Andes | No | Andean ritual | Moderate |
| September | Señor de Huanca | 14 September | Huancayo, Junín | No | Marian pilgrimage | Moderate |
| September | Trujillo Spring Festival | Last week (variable) | Trujillo | No | Parade, pageant queens | High (regional) |
| October | Señor de los Milagros | All month (peaks around 18, 19 and 28) | Lima | No | Continent's largest procession | Very high |
| October | Battle of Angamos | 8 October | National | Yes | Naval commemoration | Low |
| October | Día de la Canción Criolla | 31 October | National, mainly Lima | No | Criolla music | Moderate |
| November | All Saints' Day | 1 November | National | Yes | Decorated graves, tantawawas | Moderate |
| December | Santurantikuy | 24 December | Cusco | No | Folk art market | High (regional) |
| December | Immaculate Conception | 8 December | National | Yes | Marian feast | Low |
| December | Battle of Ayacucho | 9 December | National | Yes | Historic commemoration | Low |
| December | Christmas | 25 December | National | Yes | Panetón, hot chocolate | Moderate |
| December | New Year's Eve | 31 December | National | No | Grapes, popular rituals | High |
January
Peru's year begins in the middle of summer on the coast. Lima enjoys its clearest skies, making this a pleasant month for an easy start to a stay. Our guide to Peru's climate and seasons covers this period month by month.
New Year's Day (1 January)
A national holiday, celebrated as everywhere else in the world, but in Peru it directly continues the New Year's Eve rituals described later in this guide. The city slows down noticeably, with mostly local corner shops staying open.
Bajada de Reyes (6 January)
Epiphany traditionally marks the taking down of Christmas nativity scenes and the close of the year-end festive cycle. It is not a public holiday, but the tradition remains very much alive in many households, particularly in the Andes.
National Marinera Contest in Trujillo
In late January, Trujillo hosts one of the country's oldest and most respected dance competitions, dedicated to the marinera, the emblematic couple's dance of the northern coast. Organised every year by the Club Libertad since the 1960s, it draws couples from across Peru and attracts a knowledgeable following rather than passing tourists.
Lima's Anniversary (18 January)
The capital marks its founding by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 with exhibitions, concerts and events in the historic centre, though it is not a public holiday. Many Andean towns also time the start of the year to their own patron saint festivals, on a more local scale.
February
February belongs to two traditions that largely overlap: the Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno, and the carnivals that animate much of the country.
Virgen de la Candelaria (Puno)
Recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Candelaria festival is often described as Peru's greatest religious and cultural celebration. The core programme unfolds around 2 February each year, with "originaria" dances in the days before, a mass and procession on the central day, and the highly elaborate, codified "trajes de luces" (costumes of light) dance competitions the following week. Over a hundred groups of dancers and musicians can take part, before a crowd that reaches well beyond the Puno region itself.
Puno prepares months in advance
Accommodation, transport and restaurants get booked up well ahead of the Candelaria. Prices climb noticeably during the two central weeks, and Puno, a high-altitude city on the shores of Lake Titicaca, deserves a gradual acclimatisation before joining the festivities.
Carnival in Peru
As in much of Latin America, Peruvian carnival is celebrated in the days before Ash Wednesday, so the dates shift every year with the Easter calendar. Water games, the yunza (a decorated tree cut down while dancing, also called cortamonte depending on the region) and colourful comparsas animate many towns, with two particularly famous celebrations.
Cajamarca Carnival
Widely regarded as the biggest and most joyful in the country, Cajamarca's carnival unfolds over several days around mid-February: the entrance of the Ño Carnavalón, a patrol and comparsa competition, a grand parade of decorated floats, and finally a symbolic "burial" of the Ño Carnavalón that closes the festivities. Water and paint games are a central ingredient, best taken in good humour rather than avoided at all costs.
Ayacucho Carnival
Less known to foreign visitors but just as lively, Ayacucho's carnival combines institutional comparsas, music and traditional dance, with preparations that can run several weeks before its peak in mid-February.
March or April: Holy Week
Holy Week follows the moving Easter calendar, so it falls in March one year and April the next. In 2026 it runs from Sunday 29 March (Palm Sunday) to Sunday 5 April (Easter Sunday), with Holy Thursday (2 April) and Good Friday (3 April) as public holidays.
Ayacucho, Peru's most celebrated Holy Week
Ayacucho is widely regarded as the heart of Peru's Holy Week, with daily processions from Palm Sunday through to Easter, carpets of flowers and coloured sawdust laid directly on the streets, and a devotion that draws crowds from across the country and abroad every year.
Cusco and the Señor de los Temblores
On Holy Monday, Cusco brings out the Señor de los Temblores ("Lord of the Earthquakes"), an image venerated since the severe 1650 earthquake. Tradition has worshippers throwing petals of ñucchu, a local red flower, from balconies as a sign of protection.
Lima, a quieter week
The capital experiences a more understated Holy Week, centred on a handful of processions in the historic centre. It is also a time when many families head to the southern coast or the Andes, noticeably easing traffic in several residential districts.
May
May marks the shift, both on the coast and in the Andes, towards the dry season and a more rural festival calendar.
Labour Day (1 May)
A national holiday marked by union marches in major cities, with no notable effect on tourism.
Fiesta de las Cruces (3 May)
Celebrated both on the coast and in the Andes, this Catholic feast honours crosses decorated with flowers, mirrors and ribbons, carried in procession to the sound of brass bands. It is not a public holiday, but remains widely observed in many neighbourhoods and towns.
Señor de Muruhuay
In the Tarma area of Junín, this pilgrimage draws thousands of worshippers every early May around an image of Christ said, according to local tradition, to have appeared painted on a rock.
Qoyllur Rit'i
One of the continent's most spectacular Andean pilgrimages takes place at the Sinakara sanctuary, at the foot of the Ausangate glacier in the Cusco region. Its date is moving, tied to Corpus Christi: it most often falls in late May or early June (31 May in 2026). Ukuku dancers, the symbolic descent of ice blocks and a long overnight walk make it an experience unlike any other, recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
National Potato Day (30 May)
Established to celebrate Peru's extraordinary biodiversity, home to several thousand potato varieties, this day is marked with tastings and food events rather than street festivities.
June
June is arguably the busiest month on Peru's cultural calendar, particularly in Cusco, where three major events follow one another within a few weeks.
San Juan and Farmers' Day (24 June)
On the same date, the country celebrates two festivals that mirror each other: San Juan, the biggest popular festival of the Peruvian Amazon, and Día del Campesino, a tribute to farming and Andean communities. In Iquitos and across the Selva, the day is spent with family and neighbours, with ritual bathing in the rivers and, above all, the preparation of juane, seasoned rice, chicken and olives cooked in a bijao leaf, the dish inseparable from this festival.
Corpus Christi in Cusco
A moving feast tied to the Easter calendar (60 days after Easter Sunday), Cusco's Corpus Christi brings fifteen images of saints and virgins down into the city from their home parishes, in a procession that begins with an entrance the evening before. The gastronomic tradition of chiriuchu, a cold dish of roast guinea pig, chicken, dried llama meat, cheese, corn and Andean seaweed, accompanies the day without fail.
Inti Raymi (24 June)
A theatrical re-enactment of the Inca festival of the Sun, Inti Raymi is held every year, without exception, on 24 June, mainly on the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán above Cusco. Several hundred actors, dancers and musicians recreate an Inca ceremony in Quechua before a large audience. It is one of the few major events in the country with a genuinely fixed date, making it easy to plan around, provided bookings are made early.
Saints Peter and Paul (29 June)
A national holiday dedicated to the patron saints of fishermen, celebrated with particular intensity in coastal towns, where boats and maritime processions mark the day.
July
July builds up to the country's biggest civic celebration, preceded by a regional highlight in the Cusco Andes.
Virgen del Carmen in Paucartambo (15 to 18 July)
This town high in the Cusco Andes transforms, over four days, into the stage for one of the Andean calendar's most spectacular festivals: masked dances, including the highly codified Qhapaq Qolla, processions through narrow streets, and a devotion that blends Marian faith with pre-Hispanic ritual.
Fiestas Patrias (28 and 29 July)
The year's two most important public holidays commemorate the independence proclaimed by José de San Martín in 1821. 28 July features the president's address to Congress, while 29 July brings the Great Military Parade in Lima, followed nationwide by concerts, fireworks and family gatherings. In 2026, an extra non-working day was decreed for public sector staff on Monday 27 July, creating a long weekend around the national holiday.
The busiest travel period of the year in Peru
Between the winter school holidays and Fiestas Patrias, late July is one of the strongest peaks of domestic travel all year. Domestic flights, long-distance buses and accommodation in Lima and Cusco are best booked several months ahead for this period.
August
August alternates between Marian devotion and Andean traditions tied to the land, with a regional highlight in Arequipa.
Saint Rose of Lima (30 August)
A national holiday honouring the patron saint of Lima, Peru and the Americas, the first saint of the New World to be canonised by the Catholic Church. Processions and solemn masses mark the day, without the popular scale of the Señor de los Milagros two months later.
Pago a la Tierra and the Pachamama
1 August opens what is known, across much of the Andes, as the "month of the Pachamama": ritual offerings to Mother Earth, coca leaves, chicha and small objects buried or burned as thanks and as a request for protection over the year ahead. The ritual continues, at a lower intensity, throughout the month.
Arequipa's Anniversary Festivities
The "White City" celebrates its founding anniversary around 15 August with a week of parades, concerts, exhibitions and food competitions, an occasion for many Arequipeños living elsewhere to return to their home city.
September
September brings a gradual return to open-air festivities after the Andean winter, with two events worth telling apart.
Señor de Huanca (14 September)
In the Mantaro Valley near Huancayo, this Marian pilgrimage draws worshippers from across the central Andes, at a sanctuary said, by local tradition, to be a source of miraculous grace.
Trujillo's International Spring Festival
Organised every year since 1950 by the Trujillo Lions Club for charitable purposes, this festival traditionally takes over the last week of September, culminating in a grand international parade of flower-covered floats, beauty queens and comparsas that brings the northern city to a standstill.
What about Mistura?
Long billed as Latin America's largest food festival, Mistura held its last edition in this form in 2017. It has since been replaced by smaller, more occasional food events organised under different names. Check the current year's programme before planning a trip around this event alone.
October
October is Lima's month above all others, entirely shaped by the country's most popular devotion.
Señor de los Milagros
Considered South America's largest Catholic procession, the Señor de los Milagros festival takes over all of October in Lima, nicknamed the "purple month" after the colour of the robes worn by worshippers, the incense-bearing "sahumadoras", and the brass bands. The image, a copy of a 17th-century mural painting said to have survived several earthquakes, is carried through several major processions across the historic centre and various districts of the capital, each drawing several hundred thousand worshippers along routes that last many hours. Exact dates vary each year according to the schedule set by the organising brotherhood; the days around 18, 19 and 28 October traditionally see the largest crowds.
Turrón de Doña Pepa, a layered pastry coated in a spiced eight-essence syrup, is the treat inseparable from this period, sold across the city throughout the month.
Día de la Canción Criolla and Halloween (31 October)
The same evening sees two very different traditions coexist in Lima. Día de la Canción Criolla, established in 1944, celebrates Peruvian waltz and coastal music at "peñas" and impromptu concerts in the neighbourhoods. Halloween, a more recent import, has firmly taken hold among younger generations, in shopping malls and residential areas, without replacing the criolla tradition, which remains more closely followed by older generations.
Battle of Angamos (8 October)
A national holiday commemorating the 1879 naval battle and the sacrifice of Admiral Miguel Grau during the War of the Pacific, marked by official ceremonies rather than popular festivities.
November
November slows down after October's intensity, with a highlight turned towards remembering the dead.
All Saints' Day and Día de los Difuntos (1 and 2 November)
1 November, a national holiday, and 2 November which follows it are when many Peruvian families visit the cemetery, clean the graves, decorate them with flowers and, sometimes, share a meal in memory of loved ones. In the Andes, the tradition of tantawawas, small bread figures shaped like dolls or human figures, often given to children, remains very much alive, as do the household altars dedicated to the deceased.
December
December packs in three public holidays and two major family occasions, building to a crescendo through New Year's Eve.
Immaculate Conception (8 December)
A national holiday marked by Marian processions, generally more low-key than the calendar's biggest festivals.
Santurantikuy in Cusco (24 December)
On the morning of Christmas Eve, Cusco's Plaza de Armas turns into an enormous folk art market: santeros and craftspeople sell nativity figurines, retablos and hand-carved pieces, in a tradition dating back to colonial times.
Battle of Ayacucho (9 December)
A national holiday commemorating the 1824 battle that sealed South America's definitive independence from Spain.
Christmas (25 December)
Christmas Eve brings families together around hot chocolate, panetón and a festive dinner, often lasting late into the night, before presents are opened at midnight. 25 December, a public holiday, tends to be a quiet day of family rest.
New Year's Eve (31 December)
A series of popular rituals accompanies the turn of the year: eating twelve grapes on the twelve midnight chimes, making a wish with each one, wearing coloured underwear (yellow for luck, red for love), walking around the block with an empty suitcase to invite travel, or placing lentils in one's wallet as a sign of prosperity. The following 1 January is, in its own right, a full public holiday.
Peru's official public holidays
Peru has 16 national public holidays in 2026, granting paid time off across the whole country, in both the public and private sectors.
| Public holiday | 2026 date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January | Start of the new year |
| Holy Thursday | Thursday 2 April | Holy Week (moving date) |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | Holy Week (moving date) |
| Labour Day | Friday 1 May | International Workers' Day |
| Battle of Arica and Flag Day | Sunday 7 June | Military commemoration (War of the Pacific) |
| Saints Peter and Paul | Monday 29 June | Patron saints of fishermen |
| Air Force Day | Thursday 23 July | Commemoration of the Peruvian Air Force |
| Fiestas Patrias (day 1) | Tuesday 28 July | Proclamation of independence (1821) |
| Fiestas Patrias (day 2) | Wednesday 29 July | Great Military Parade |
| Battle of Junín | Thursday 6 August | Military commemoration (independence) |
| Saint Rose of Lima | Sunday 30 August | Patron saint of Peru and the Americas |
| Battle of Angamos | Thursday 8 October | Naval commemoration (War of the Pacific) |
| All Saints' Day | Sunday 1 November | Catholic feast of All Saints |
| Immaculate Conception | Tuesday 8 December | Marian feast |
| Battle of Ayacucho | Wednesday 9 December | South America's definitive independence (1824) |
| Christmas | Friday 25 December | Nativity |
On these public holidays, government offices, banks and notary offices close entirely. Corner shops, markets and restaurants generally stay open, while large shopping centres mostly just adjust their hours. Construction sites also stop work, which can occasionally slow the progress of ongoing property developments.
The one-off "non-working days" decreed by the government
Each year, the Peruvian government can decree, by supreme decree, one or more "compensable non-working days", usually to create a long weekend around a public holiday and encourage domestic tourism. In 2026, only one such day was decreed: Monday 27 July, applicable solely to public sector workers, with no effect on administrative or tax deadlines, and to be made up in the days that follow. These decisions are announced case by case and should be checked before any administrative, notarial or banking step planned around a public holiday.
The biggest festivals by region
Beyond the national calendar, each of Peru's major regions has its own highlights and its own festival atmosphere.
Lima
An above all urban capital, Lima experiences its most intense festival in October with the Señor de los Milagros, complemented by the city's January anniversary and the Canción Criolla evening in late October. The mood is more religious and musical than dance-driven.
Cusco
The country's richest region for events, with Qoyllur Rit'i, Corpus Christi, Inti Raymi, the Holy Week of the Señor de los Temblores, the Virgen del Carmen in Paucartambo in July, and Santurantikuy in December. A large part of the Cusco year is shaped by this calendar.
Puno
Dominated by the Virgen de la Candelaria in February, considered the country's biggest dance festival, with a spirit of friendly competition among dozens of costumed groups.
Arequipa
The "White City" celebrates its anniversary in mid-August in a mood of local pride and family reunion, calmer than the great Andean festivals.
Ayacucho
The city of Holy Week above all others, with daily processions of a rare intensity, along with a well-regarded carnival in February.
Trujillo
The capital of marinera in January and of the International Spring Festival in September, in a festive mood geared towards dance and parades rather than religious devotion.
Cajamarca
Known for the country's most joyful carnival in February, with good-humoured water games and a firmly popular mood.
Peruvian Amazon
San Juan, on 24 June, is by far the most widely followed festival there, in a relaxed atmosphere of river bathing, music and shared meals, very different from the processional dimension found in the Andes or Lima. Our guide to discovering the Peruvian Amazon details the regions involved.
When should you book your trip?
Peru's festival calendar has a direct effect on prices and the availability of accommodation and domestic transport.
- Book as early as possible: Inti Raymi and Fiestas Patrias in late June/July, the Virgen de la Candelaria in early February, and Holy Week in Ayacucho.
- Periods of noticeably higher prices: the whole second half of July, the first half of February in Puno, and October in Lima during the Señor de los Milagros.
- Streets and roads that may close to traffic: the historic centres of Lima, Cusco and Ayacucho during major processions, and the routes taken by the Señor de los Milagros and Fiestas Patrias.
- Good windows for short-term rental in Lima: October, in the run-up to and during the Señor de los Milagros, as well as the last week of July.
- Events mainly followed by a domestic audience: regional carnivals, Día de la Canción Criolla, local patron saint festivals.
- Events with international renown: Inti Raymi, the Virgen de la Candelaria, Fiestas Patrias, Holy Week in Ayacucho.
To build a full itinerary around these highlights, our guide to Peru's must-see places and the one covering Peru's most beautiful cities help combine regions and timing based on how long you have.
Impact on daily life and real estate
For an owner or prospective owner in Lima, this calendar has some very concrete consequences, beyond simple cultural interest.
Short-term rental demand rises clearly around the Señor de los Milagros in October and Fiestas Patrias in late July, with occupancy rates and rates noticeably higher in tourist districts such as Miraflores or Barranco. Our guide to long-term or short-term rental in Lima details these seasonal swings.
Conversely, national public holidays bring most administrative appointments to a halt: notarial signings, filings with the public registry (SUNARP), bank visits or meetings with a property manager are best avoided on those days, and it is wise to allow a margin of several working days around Fiestas Patrias and Christmas, a period when the pace of work visibly slows even on days that are not officially holidays.
Construction sites also stop work during public holidays, which can cause slight delays to the delivery of new developments when several holidays fall within a short period, as happens in July.
In apartment buildings and condominiums, some neighbourhood or patron saint festivals can bring music, fireworks or evening activity to nearby streets, particularly around October and the year-end period. These are good atmosphere details to know before choosing a district, without being a major drawback for most residents.
Enjoying the festivals safely
Large festive gatherings call for a bit of common sense, without needing to overdramatise things.
- Watch out in dense crowds: pickpocketing is the most common risk at major processions and carnivals, as in any dense crowd anywhere in the world.
- Book transport in advance: domestic flights and long-distance buses fill up fast around major festivals, with fares rising weeks beforehand.
- Temporary road closures: major processions and parades often close entire avenues for several hours, worth factoring into your plans.
- Respect the altitude: Puno, Cusco and Ayacucho all sit above 2,300 metres; arriving straight into an intense festival is worth pairing with a day or two of acclimatisation, especially in Puno (roughly 3,800 metres).
- Climate varies by region: cold nights at altitude even on a festival day, humid heat in the Amazon for San Juan.
- Alcohol consumption: very present at carnivals and some patron saint festivals; moderate drinking remains the best protection against incidents.
- Respect for religious ceremonies: during processions, avoid cutting across the procession's path, ask permission before photographing worshippers up close, and dress modestly inside places of worship.
- Respect for local communities: many Andean and Amazonian festivals carry a meaning that goes well beyond spectacle; a curious, respectful attitude is always better received than that of a mere onlooker.