Mirador de San Juan Cruz

Huaraz & the Cordilleras


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 range rising above a sea of lesser peaks. To get to the giant cross above Chiquián, follow Jirón Tacna from the Plaza de Armas, take the staircase uphill, veer right at the top and follow the path round.

The tallest peak, Yanupajá (the second-highest mountain in Peru), rises like an icy meat cleaver above all opposition. The peak to the right is the infamous Siula Grande.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Huaraz & the Cordilleras attractions

1. Pastoruri Glacier

16.72 MILES

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…

2. Huellas de los Dinosaurios

23.59 MILES

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