Central Highlands
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 passengers there are). There are ducks and gulls, and you can stop at Isla del Amor – a tiny artificial island. The lake is 4km outside Jauja; a mototaxi here costs S4.
The action gets going on weekends and holidays when locals rock up to boisterously enjoy the lakeside restaurants.
28.25 MILES
This white shrine visible on a hill 1.5km from Acobamba is one of Peru’s top pilgrimage sites, built around a rock etching of Christ crucified. A small…
17.91 MILES
Set around beautiful gardens and courtyards, this convent was originally built by Franciscans in the early 18th century as a center for missionaries…
21.22 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…
26.16 MILES
Hemmed in by mountains, this body of water offers restaurants and boat rides. From the east shore a path climbs to a ridge for great valley views and the…
28.57 MILES
These two villages on the east side of the valley, sometimes referred to jointly as Cochas, are the major production centers for the incised gourds that…
9.02 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…
28.6 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,…
24.67 MILES
A small astronomical observatory above Hospedaje Central takes advantage of Tarma's high-elevation location, where the clear nights of June, July and…
3.01 MILES
This cathedral on the main Plaza de Armas in Jauja is nice to look at, with finely carved wooden altars inside.
9.02 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…
17.58 MILES
A huge, iconic Andean smorgasbord of glimmering blue-green mountain lakes nestled within towering peaks and home to the Pariacaca Glacier. You’ll need…
17.91 MILES
Set around beautiful gardens and courtyards, this convent was originally built by Franciscans in the early 18th century as a center for missionaries…
21.22 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…
21.85 MILES
This Río Mantaro valley handicrafts village on the east side of the valley is known for its filigree silverwork.
24.31 MILES
This Río Mantaro handicrafts village on the east side of the valley is known for its wool products, including ponchos and weavings.
24.53 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…