Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [347]
Sleeping & Eating
Hostal Gledel (39-3048; Aries Graziani; s/d S10-15) The gregarious and generous Señora Gamboa rents out 13 impossibly cute and Spartan rooms. Expect at least one hug and a sample of her cooking during your stay. Showers are shared and you can get breakfast here. This is both the cheapest and best place to stay in town – it’s deservedly popular.
Hostal Yungay (39-3053; Santo Domingo 1; s/d S15/20) Also decent, this place has 25 simple rooms with electric showers and they’ll scrub your laundry for S2 per kilogram.
Hostal Sol de Oro (39-3116; Santo Domingo 7; s/d S15/25) Another good pick – it has bright, clean rooms with solid mattresses and hot showers.
Yungay’s market, next to the plaza, has several cheap and rustic places to eat. Surrounded by gardens, Restaurant Turístico Alpamayo (39-3090; meals S9-15; 7am-7pm), off the main highway at the north end of town, is the best restaurant.
* * *
DO-IT-YOURSELF ANDEAN EXPLORATION
An alternate and well-off-the-beaten-track route to the eastern side of the Cordillera Blanca involves heading north from Caraz to Huallanca, then catching a series of colectivos through small, traditional Andean towns all the way to Sihuas and eventually on to Pomabamba. Modest accommodations and restaurants can be found along the way – including helpful villagers who will cook a meal and offer a bed in their own homes for a few nuevo soles – and buses connect most towns at least once a day. This path is rarely traversed by gringos and promises a true Andean adventure, as well as magnificent views of the rarely seen northern Cordillera. Plenty of time and patience are required. Godspeed!
* * *
OUTSIDE OF TOWN
Llanganuco Mountain Lodge (94-366-9580; www.llanganucolodge.com; dm S38, s/d from S140/180) About 45 minutes by taxi from Yungay toward the Llanganuco Lakes, this recommended lodge run by Brit Charlie Good is in a prime position for exploring the lakes area or charging the Santa Cruz trek. Choose camping with hot-water showers and breathtaking views or lodge rooms with down-feather beds and balconies. Mountain biking, volleyball and even crossbow are just some the lodge’s activities in addition to the usual trekking and mountaineering circuits. All meals are available. Call ahead or see the website for directions.
Humacchuco community tourism project (42-7949; www.respons.org; per person incl meals from S108) Six members of the Humacchuco community maintain a comfortable guest house as part of an established sustainable-tourism program. Here visitors can learn about the local culture and natural-resource management, savor a pachamanca and go on guided hikes, including a day hike of Laguna 69. You can tailor your own program through Response (Click here) in Huaraz; call ahead for reservations and discounts for larger groups.
Getting There & Away
Minibuses run from the Plaza de Armas to Caraz (S2, 15 minutes) and Huaraz (S5, 1¼ hours). Buses from Caraz to Lima and from Huaraz to Chimbote pick up passengers at the Plaza de Armas.
Departures on beat-up buses from Huaraz to Pomabamba via Lagunas Llanganuco pass by daily.
LAGUNAS LLANGANUCO
A dirt road climbs the Llanganuco valley to reach its two stunning Llanganuco lakes, which are also known as Laguna Chinancocha and Laguna Orconcocha, 28km east of Yungay. Nestled in a glacial valley just 1000m below the snow line, these pristine lagoons practically glow in their bright turquoise and emerald hues. There’s a 1½-hour trail hugging Chinancocha and passing by rare Polylepis trees, and you can rent boats at this lake, which is a popular day-tripping spot. This location gets killer views of the mountain giants of Huascarán (6768m), Chopicalqui (6354m), Chacraraju (6112m), Huandoy (6395m) and others, particularly if you drive a few kilometers beyond the lakes. The road