Tarma Getting there & around

Getting there & around

The forlorn, minuscule but official Terminal Terrestre has just one bus daily leaving for Lima at 10pm (US$3, six hours).

Bus companies usually have their own terminals here:

Los Canarios (32 3357; Amazonas 694) Has small buses to Huancayo (US$2.50, three hours) leaving almost hourly from 5am to 6pm.

Transportes Chanchamayo (32 1882; Callao 1002) Has 9am, 2pm and 11pm departures to Lima (US$4.50). Buses coming through from Lima go to La Merced.

Transportes Junín (32 1234, 32 3494; Amazonas 669) Has five daily buses to Lima including bus-camas at 11:30am and also 11:45pm (US$4.50 to US$7.30). It also has 5:30am and 1pm departures for Cerro de Pasco.

Transportes La Merced (32 2937; Vienrich 420) Has buses to Lima at 8:45am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 10:30pm, 11pm and 11:30pm (US$4.50). The evening services offer bus-cama (bed bus) options for US$8 (upstairs) or US$9 (downstairs).

Transportes San Juan (32 3139) In front of the Estadio Unión Tarma at the northeastern end of town (a three-wheeled motorcycle rickshaw – mototaxi – ride here costs US$0.20). Has big buses to Huancayo ($2.50, 3½ hours) via Concepción and Jauja, as well as frequent buses to La Merced (US$1.50, two hours).

By the gas station opposite the Terminal Terrestre, colectivo (shared) taxis take up to four passengers to Lima (US$8.50 each) or local destinations such as Junín (US$4) or La Oroya (US$4). If you want to go to Cerro de Pasco or Huánuco, you can take colectivos from here too, though you will have to change cars up to three times to get there. Fast colectivo taxis to Huancayo (US$5) leave from Jauja, about 600m south of the Terminal Terrestre.

Almost opposite Transportes San Juan, colectivos to La Merced charge US$3. This is a spectacular trip, dropping about 2.5km vertically to the jungle edge in the space of just over an hour. For destinations beyond La Merced, change at the convenient Transportes San Juan La Merced bus terminal. Ask around the stadium area for other destinations. During the day frequent, inexpensive minibuses for Jauja (US$1.90) leave from the roundabout next to the Terminal Terrestre as soon as they are full. A bus stop next to Transportes San Juan has minibuses going to Acobamba and Palcamayo. Pickup trucks and cars for San Pedro de Cajas leave from the northern end of Moquegua. The tourist office can advise on getting to other villages.