Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [269]
The swathe of the central highlands between Huánuco and the Cordillera Blanca hides the important Inca settlement of Huánuco Viejo and the remains of the mysterious Yarowilca culture at Tantamayo. You’ll need three days to do this route – which links both sites – justice.
Starting from Huánuco, you first need to catch the bumpy Tantamayo bus at 6:30am, arriving between 2pm and 4pm, depending on weather conditions. The Yarowilca ruins of Piruro and Susupillo lie nearby: you could see one in a morning or both in a full day. Minivans leave Tantamayo around 11:30am for the small town of La Unión daily, taking three hours. Once here, you can hire a vehicle or hike up to Huánuco Viejo. Buses leave La Unión for Lima at 6:30pm daily, taking 10 hours. There is also the option of skipping Tantamayo and traveling direct between La Unión and Huánuco.
The roads are rough and the accommodation basic but this is the Andes at its rawest, most archaeologically rich and genuine.
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The basic lodgings in Tantamayo include hospitable Albergue Ocaña Althuas (Capitán Espinosa s/n; s/d without bathroom S10/20) beyond the Plaza on the main street into town. The folks here provide meals. Tantamayo has public phones (these can’t dial internationally) but no listed ones, no cell phone reception and no banks. Buses from Huánuco take eight hours. Tantamayo can also be visited as part of a little-plied route from Huánuco to Lima (Click here).
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TINGO MARÍA
062 / pop 55,000 / elev 649m
This languid, humid and warm university and market town lies in the ceja de la selva: its back may rest against the mountains – as the conical, forested hills that flank it testify – but its feet are firmly fixed in the lush vegetation of the Amazonas region and its sticky, tropical embrace. Tingo María, or Tingo for short, is popular as a weekend destination for holidaying limeños, while travelers pause here en route to the Amazon.
Tingo used to get bad press (and still often does) courtesy of the narcotraficantes (drug traffickers) who control the production and processing of coca plants, hidden in the wild Huallaga valley to the north. As a result, guidebooks have recently tried to reverse this negative coverage and sing the town’s praises, but the truth is that there is precious little to do in Tingo itself.
The highlight here is a visit to Parque Nacional Tingo María to the south: a dazzling forested network of valleys festooned with caves, lakes, waterfalls and sufficient adventures to warrant several days’ exploration.
Caution is strongly advised when heading either to the park or eastwards on the lonely road into the selva to Pucallpa (Click here).
Orientation & Information
Tingo María is airy, spacious and easily navigated on foot. Arrivals tend to happen at the southwest corner of town. There are internet places on most blocks.
Banco Continental (56-2141; Raimondi 543) US dollars can be changed and there’s a US dollar and nuevo sole ATM machine.
BCP (56-2111; Raimondi 249) Also changes US cash. It has a Visa ATM and may change traveler’s checks.
Clínica Santa Lucila (56-1020; Ucayali 637) A private, better option than the hospital.
Hospital (56-2018/9; Ucayali 114) A block east of Alameda Perú.
Locutorio Internet (cnr Pratto & Alameda Perú)
Main post office (Plaza Leoncio Prado)
Tourist office (56-2351 ext116; Alameda Perú 525) On Plaza Leoncio Prado: publishes useful information on sights in Parque Nacional Tingo María.
Sights & Activities
For a tour guide (strongly advised if exploring the surrounding countryside), ask at the tourist office, or try Jesús Oncoy Montes (96-296-3991) who knows the area well and has his own mototaxi. The area around town is not without its dangers (see right).
PARQUE NACIONAL TINGO MARÍA
This 18,000-hectare park lies on the south side of town, around the mouth of the Río Monzón, a tributary of the Río Huallaga. The most distinguishing feature is the Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty), a hill overlooking the town, which, from some angles,