Altitude sickness (soroche) in Peru: Cusco, Puno and Arequipa

Altitude sickness (soroche) in Peru: Cusco, Puno and Arequipa

Meteo Info Online team Reading time: 1 min

Much of the Peruvian sierra sits at high altitude: Cusco is above 3,400 m and Puno above 3,800 m. Arriving from the coast, many people feel altitude sickness, or soroche.

Symptoms

Headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and trouble sleeping. They usually appear within the first hours and generally ease with rest.

How to acclimatise

  • Rest on the first day and avoid intense effort, especially before Machu Picchu or the Colca.
  • Drink water and avoid alcohol at first; coca-leaf tea helps many people.
  • If symptoms are severe, seek medical help and descend.

Cold and the strong radiation at altitude make it worse: check the temperature and the UV index before heading out.