Known locally as “La Perla de los Andes,” TARMA is by far the nicest mountain town in this part of Peru. With warm temperatures and an abundance of wild and farmed flowers, it sits on the edge of the Andes, almost within spitting distance of the Amazon forest.
The town thrives on traditional textile and leather industries, and grows flowers both for export and local use. Although it was once connected with the Juan Santos Atahualpa rebellion in the 1740s and 1750s, today Tarma is a quiet place, disturbed only by the flow of trucks hauling timber, coffee, chocolate, or oranges up from the Amazon Basin.
It’s especially famous for its Easter Sunday procession, which starts from the main plaza and winds through streets carpeted in dazzling floral designs, depicting local, religious, or mythic themes. If you’re looking to add something unexpected to your Peru trips, Tarma offers a colorful, low-key alternative to the usual highland circuit.
The scenary around Tarma consitutes one of Peru’s most beautiful Andean regions, with green rather than snow-capped mountains stretching down from high, craggy limestone outcrops into steep canyons forged by Amazon tributaries powering their way down to the Atlantic.
It’s nevertheless always a good idea to check with your embassy in Lima for up-to-the-minute intelligence on this area, since the occasional terrorist column has been known to be active in its remoter sectors.
