Bailey Freeman

Huaraz & the Cordilleras

Ground zero for outdoor-adventure worship in Peru, the Cordilleras are one of the preeminent hiking, trekking and backpacking spots in South America. Wherever you throw your gaze, perennially frozen white peaks razor their way through expansive mantles of lime-green valleys. In the recesses of these prodigious giants huddle scores of pristine jade lakes, ice caves and torrid springs. The Cordillera Blanca is one of the highest mountain ranges in the world outside the Himalayas, and its 18 ostentatious summits of more than 19,685ft (6000m) will not let you forget it for a second.

Huaraz is the urban decompression chamber through which practically all hikers, trekkers and mountaineers pass and swap stories. Plans of daring ice climbs, mountain-biking exploits and rock-climbing expeditions are hatched over ice-cold beers in fireplace-warmed hostels and bars. Lurking quietly on the sidelines, and worth a day of quiet contemplation, are the enigmatic 3000-year-old ruins of Chavín de Huántar.

Explore Huaraz & the Cordilleras

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Huaraz & the Cordilleras.

  • Lake

    Laguna Parón

    The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca — a snowcapped range of the Andes in west central Peru — and a gorgeous natural reservoir, Laguna Paron is a…

  • Archaeological Site

    Chavín de Huántar

    In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most…

  • Church

    Santuario de Mama Ashu

    Chacas’ showpiece building, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, is not just a work of art but an admirable rehabilitation project, courtesy of a…

  • Canyon

    Cañón del Pato

    If you continue north from Caraz along the Callejón de Huaylas, you will wind your way through the outstanding Cañón del Pato. It’s here that the…

  • Museum

    Museo Nacional de Chavín

    This outstanding museum, funded jointly by the Peruvian and Japanese governments, houses most of the intricate tenon heads carved with horror-stricken…

  • Lake

    Lagunas Llanganuco

    A dirt road ascends 1350m from Yungay, winding over 28km to the Llanganuco Valley and its two robin-egg blue lakes, which are also known as Laguna…

  • Glacier

    Pastoruri Glacier

    Still hanging on by the skin of its teeth high up in the Cordillera Blanca, the rapidly retreating Pastoruri glacier is one of the few remaining glaciers…

  • Ruins

    Monumento Nacional Wilkahuaín

    This small Wari ruin about 8km north of Huaraz is remarkably well preserved, dating from about AD 600 to 900. It’s an imitation of the temple at Chavín…

  • Lake

    Laguna Purhuay

    In a scoop of a valley 8km above Huari and just inside the Parque Nacional Huascarán, this idyllic lake is well set up for day excursions, but is…

  • Memorial

    Campo Santo

    A giant cemetery and memorial to the former town of Yungay (Yungay Viejo) that was destroyed by a landslide triggered by the infamous 1970 earthquake,…

  • Nature Reserve

    Punta Winchus

    A remote 4157m pass in the Cordillera Negra is the center of a huge stand of 5000 rare Puya raimondii plants; the biggest known for these 10m-tall members…

  • Viewpoint

    Mirador de San Juan Cruz

    Many Peruvian towns have a cross on a hill with a path leading tantalizingly to the top, but no others have a pinch-yourself view of the snowy Huayhuash…

  • Viewpoint

    Mirador de Shallapa

    After admiring the Chavin ruins from ground (and underground) level, you can climb up to this trio of crosses grafted onto a crag high above town for a…

  • Archaeological Site

    Huellas de los Dinosaurios

    When the Antamina Mining Company needed a paved road to move mining equipment from Yanacancha to the Conococha crossroads (some 200km east of Huaraz),…

  • Museum

    Museo Archeologico

    Small three-room museum with a modest collection of ceramics and pre-Inca objects framed by a historical trajectory of the Conchucos area (in Spanish). A…

  • Museum

    Museo Regional de Ancash

    The Museo Regional de Ancash houses one of the most significant collections of ancient stone sculptures in South America lined up in a garden out back…

  • Viewpoint

    Mirador de Retaqeñua

    Mirador de Retaqeñua is about a 45-minute walk southeast of the center and has great views of the city and its mountainous backdrop. Unfortunately,…

  • Architecture

    Jirón José Olaya

    On the east side of town, Jirón José Olaya is the only street that remained intact through the earthquakes and provides a glimpse of what old Huaraz…

  • Cathedral

    Cathedral

    Caraz's cathedral, the Templo de Piedra, dominates the Plaza de Armas. Built in a monumental style in 1870s, it's one of the few old churches in the…

  • Zoo

    Piscigranja de Truchas

    At the trout hatchery, Piscigranja de Truchas, you can see the stages of the trout-hatching process from eggs to adults. By the entrance, the Recreo de…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Huaraz & the Cordilleras.

  • Activities