Ancash Turism
In Áncash you will find snow-capped mountains, lagoons, valleys and beaches that will impress you. Venture out to try the trekking circuits (hike), tour its geography on a mountain bike, enjoy nature, beautiful lagoons and snow-capped mountains that will captivate your senses. An infinity of possibilities await you. Enjoy its festivities and see how the streets of this city fill with color that gathers the tradition and the present of its inhabitants. Do you want to live this adventure?
Located at an altitude of 3080m in the Andes, Huaraz is the capital of the region of the same name, in the province of Ancash. Huaraz is the starting point for all excursions, but there are also interesting places that you can visit.
What to do in the city of Huaraz:
At about 3100m above sea level, between the magnificent mountains of the Cordillera Blanca, and the Mosna and Huachesca rivers, is Chavín de Huantar, an archaeological complex declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Huaraz and one of the essential places to see in Peru. It was the administrative and religious center of the Chavín culture (1500-400 BC) and was the most important place of pilgrimage in the Andean world. So important that even pilgrims from the Amazon came!
There are several buildings with a complex network of galleries and corridors. Chavín de Huantar is known for having the oldest carved stone buildings in Peru. The most important structures are El Castillo (also called Templo Nuevo or Templo Mayor) and the Templo Viejo. There are also the North Structure, the Circular Plaza, the Tello Pyramid, the North Platform, the South Platform and the Quadrangular Plaza.
Of course you cannot miss the Chavín National Museum that presents the evolution of the Chavín culture and where you can see the Tello obelisk, 19 pututus (wind instruments), 282 ceramic pieces and other artifacts.
57 km from the capital, in the Callejón de Huaylas, is the great Querococha lagoon (3,980 m). It is the most touristic lagoon in the area due to its proximity to Huaraz and Chavín de Huantar, but it is really worth visiting because it offers magnificent views of the high mountains and glaciers that surround it.
Laguna 69 located in the Huascarán National Park is an essential place to see in Huaraz. You can access it walking from Cebollapampa. The walk is not very long but it is quite physically demanding because you go from 3890m to 4600m, so take your time! The ascent lasts about 3 hours and allows you to enjoy beautiful landscapes between waterfalls and mountains.
The first half of the hike is pretty easy, but the climb is steeper towards the end. Don’t hesitate to take breaks along the way to avoid altitude sickness. When you reach the top, you will only have 15 minutes left (no climb) to reach Laguna 69, at the foot of the Chacraraju mountain. If you want you can get in the water but believe me it is very cold! Walking back to Cebollapampa takes between 2h and 2h 15m.
The Quebrada de Llanganuco is one of the best places to visit in Huaraz. It is also located in the Huascarán National Park, and is formed by the Chinancocha and Orconcocha lagoons, fed by the Huascarán, Yanapacca, Pisco and Huandoy mountains.
From the entrance of the park, following a dirt road for about 30 minutes, you will first arrive at Laguna Chinancocha. It is the largest and most touristic of the two lagoons, you can even take a boat or horseback ride. Laguna Orconcocha is a few minutes from the first lagoon. It is recommended to follow the “Maria Josefa trail”, a beautiful 1h 30m route that allows you to explore the surroundings and see 80% of the region’s plants (including many orchids!). It’s well marked, easy and really charming.
At 4300m high, in the Huascarán National Park, is one of the most beautiful places to see in Huaraz: the Laguna Parón. It is much less well-known and less touristy than Laguna 69, but it is just as beautiful (and in my opinion, even more so!).
You can walk around the lake and go to the foot of the Artesonraju Glacier. It is recommended to go up to the viewpoint (45min-1h one way) to enjoy the spectacular view and take photos, you can also rent a kayak or a boat. The lake is reached with a walk of 2h 30m to 3h, on an unpaved road, but accessible to cars. You can sleep near the lake, camping or in the shelter with kitchen (20 soles).
The Pastoruri is a glacier located in the Huascarán National Park, which rises to 5,200 m above sea level. It is infamous for having lost some of its ice cover in recent years due to climate change.
It takes about 3 hours of travel to get there from Huaraz, but the landscapes are magnificent! Along the way you can admire the imposing mountains and the Puyas Raimondi, some typical plants of the puna (Altiplano region between 3,200 and 4,800 meters of altitude). The walk to Pastoruri only lasts 45 min-1 hour with a small slope, but the path is not difficult. It is especially the height that can weigh.
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