Peru Guide
The Central Sierra
Once one of the first stops on the itinerary of any visit to Peru, the CENTRAL SIERRA was hit hard by the rise of terrorism during the 1980s, and the closing of the scenic high mountain railway connecting Lima with Huancayo led to a severe decline in tourism. Happily, though, all this is in the past and this large, green and mountainous region is very much open to visitors. The Central Sierra boasts some of Peru's finest archaeological sites and colonial buildings in the series of traditional towns and cities which punctuate the remote valleys and cordilleras. Although significantly fewer travellers make it here, compared with hot spots like Cusco and Machu Picchu, anyone with the time to spare will find this region a worthwhile destination in its own right.
Huancayo is the obvious place to start exploring, particularly if you're coming from Lima. It's the largest urban centre in the area and is easily reached in a day's travel. If you're approaching from Cusco or the south coast, you are more likely to enter the region via Ayacucho, one of the cultural jewels of the Andes replete with colonial churches and some of Peru's finest artesan crafts.
En route up through the Cordillera Occidental – the massive mountain range which separates Huancayo and the beautiful Mantaro Valley from the coast is home to the enigmatic rock formations of Marcahuasi. The region divides naturally into three sectors pivoting around Huancayo. To the north, pleasant Huánuco is a good base for exploring some of Peru's most interesting archaeological remains, and Tingo Maria, the gateway to the jungle port of Pucallpa. To the northeast you'll find the beautiful town of Tarma, which has a relatively pleasant climate, and is a major nodal point for pioneers from the jungle, traders and, to a lesser extent, tourists. South of Huancayo lie the two most traditional of all the Central Sierra's towns: Ayacucho and Huancavelica.
To avoid the risk of robbery it is better to travel in the Andes by day.
Highlights
1 Marcahuasi This high plateau covered in unusual rock formations and reports of UFO sightings makes for out-of-this-world weekend camping.
2 Huancayo – Huancavelica train The last remaining working railroad in the region, this breathtaking high-altitude train journey is one of the finest in the world.
3 Ayacucho One of the most traditional and architecturally fascinating cities in the Peruvian Andes – renowned for over thirty impressive churches as well as boisterous religious fiestas.
4 Tarma An attractive little colonial town particularly famous for its fantastic Easter Sunday procession and the associated flower paintings that carpet the roads.
5 Temple of Kotosh Over 4000 years old, this impressive site's massive stone constructions suggest that complicated stonework began here centuries before anywhere else in the Americas.
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