Peru Dos and Don'ts

Peruvians generally shake hands upon arriving and departing from each other. They are also used to less personal space, and are quite comfortable talking to one another in close proximity. On the coast, women often kiss each other on the cheek when greeting one another. Men may also kiss women on the cheek if they know each other. Andean natives on the other hand, do not kiss each other upon greeting. Public displays of affection are deemed acceptable as long as they are not of a sexual nature.

Noise is fairly constant in Peruvian society with televisions and radios left on from early morning to late at night. People generally tolerate each other’s noise very well and it is not considered rude to create ongoing noise that others will inevitably hear. 

For social occasions, time is interpreted with a good deal of flexibility. It is not considered impolite for instance, to arrive an hour late for dinner. Business occasions require more punctuality. The term Hoar Inglesa (English time) generally translates to “sharp” as in “3:00 PM Hora Inglesa”.

Spitting and urinating in public are more or less tolerated in the Andes, especially in the smaller towns and villages where local men might pee at the edge of a street and local women may simply squat with their dresses. Burping or belching on the other hand is considered extremely rude

Inviting someone to join them for food or drink implies that the inviter will pay for them.

• Do not use the words “indio” or “indios” to refer to natives, as it is considered highly derogatory
• Do not call someone over using the crocked finger method of beckoning someone in North America
• Do not go around bare-shirted in cities, town and villages
• Do not take pictures of people without their permission