Reserva Nor Yauyos-Cochas


A huge, iconic Andean smorgasbord of glimmering blue-green mountain lakes nestled within towering peaks and home to the Pariacaca Glacier. You’ll need your own 4WD vehicle (rent one in Lima or Huancayo) to get there.

The entrance, 40km (45 minutes' drive) west of Jauja on the Lima road, is at Pachacayo.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Camino del Inca

15.96 MILES

A well-preserved Inca road runs from Jauja to Tarma. The most spectacular section is from Tingopaccha (30 minutes from Jauja by taxi) to Inkapatakuna (30…

2. Laguna de Paca

17.58 MILES

This small lakeside resort offers restaurants, rowboats and fishing. A boat ride around the lake will cost S5 to S10 per passenger (depending on how many…

3. Iglesia Matriz de Santa Fe

18.26 MILES

This cathedral on the main Plaza de Armas in Jauja is nice to look at, with finely carved wooden altars inside.

4. Tarmatambo

21.66 MILES

The best known of the myriad archaeological ruins near Tarma, this was the capital of the Taruma culture and later a major Inca administrative center. The…

5. Cathedral

25.29 MILES

The town’s cathedral is modern (1965), and it contains the remains of Tarma’s most famous son, Peruvian president Manuel Odría (1897–1974). He organized…

6. Astronomical Observatory

25.39 MILES

A small astronomical observatory above Hospedaje Central takes advantage of Tarma's high-elevation location, where the clear nights of June, July and…

7. Yanamarca

29.81 MILES

A dramatic hilltop testament to both the power of the pre-Inca peoples and the extent to which their cultures are barely known about. The buildings here,…