Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [352]
Getting There & Away
If you’re interested in heading straight to Chiquián and the Cordillera Huayhuash, you’ll find direct buses from Lima. However, as you’ll probably need a few days to acclimatize, note that Huaraz offers a wider selection of distractions. Turismo Cavassa (44-7036; Bolognesi 421) has buses to and from Lima, leaving at 9am daily from either city (S20, nine hours).
El Rápido (42-2887) and Virgen Del Carmen (44-7003) have buses that leave from Chiquián’s Plaza de Armas to Huaraz at 5am and 2pm (S8 to S10, 2½ hours).
If you’re starting the Huayhuash Circuit, catch a 9am combi to Llamac or Pocpa (S6, three hours). There is also a 9am combi to Quero (S5, 2½ hours), from where you can hike to Mahuay and Matacancha for the trek’s alternate start. It’s possible to get from Chiquián to Huallanca, although service is erratic at best. Ask locally. Huallanca (population 1950) has a basic hotel, and transport continues on from here to La Unión and Huánuco.
CAJATAMBO
01 / pop 3000 / elev 3380m
This small market town on the far side of the Cordillera Huayhuash is reached by trekking, or by snaking up a hair-raising dirt road from Lima. The plaza, topped by the standard colonial-style church, is rather nice. Because it is at the north end of the department of Lima, it has Lima-style seven-digit phone numbers.
Hostal Huayhuash (244-2016; Plaza de Armas 215; s/d S14/30) has private bathrooms with hot water and a good restaurant. Tambomachay (244-2046; Bolognesi 140; s/d S30/45) supplies better service, hot water and arranges local bus tickets. The top of the price range in Huayhuash, though probably not really worth the money, is International Inn (244-2071; international.inn@hostal.net; Benavides, cuadra 4; s/d S120/150). The small rooms have comfortable beds, hot water and TV. Bargain hard for a discount. There’s an expensive restaurant here as well. Cheap pollerías encircle the Plaza de Armas if you’re in need of sustenance.
Empresa Andina (Plaza de Armas) has 6am buses to Lima (S25, nine hours).
EAST OF THE CORDILLERA BLANCA
The Conchucos Valley (locally called the Callejón de Conchucos) runs parallel to the Callejón de Huaylas on the eastern side of the Cordillera. Sprinkled liberally with remote and rarely visited gems, this captivating dale is steeped in history and blessed with isolated, postcard-perfect Andean villages so tranquil that they’d fall into comas if they were any sleepier. Interlaced with excellent yet rarely visited hiking trails, this untapped region begs for exploration. Tourist infrastructure is still in its infancy, with a handful of welcoming but modest hotels and erratic transport along rough, unpaved roads that can be impassable in the wet season. If you do make the effort to get here, the highland hospitality of Quechua campesinos and awe-inspiring scenery will more than make up for the butt-smacking, time-consuming bumps in the road.
Chavín de Huántar, at the south end of the valley, is the most accessible area of the lot and lays claim to some of the most important and mysterious pre-Inca ruins on the continent. From Huari, just north of Chavín, you can either catch rides on pseudo-regular buses north to Pomabamba, or hike your way north, skirting the eastern peaks of the Cordillera Blanca to Chacas and Yanama (Click here).
CHAVÍN DE HUÁNTAR
043 / pop 2000 / elev 3250m
The unhurried town of Chavín abuts the northern end of the ruins and is too often whizzed through by visitors on popular day trips from Huaraz. A shame really, as this attractive Andean township has excellent tourist infrastructure, a slew of nature-centered activities and some of the best-value accommodations in the Cordilleras. If you decide to overnight it here, you get to visit the impressive archaeological site in the early morning and have it all to yourself.
The main drag of Chavín town is Calle 17 de Enero, which leaves the peaceful Plaza de Armas southbound, passing rows of restaurants, internet cafes and the entrance to the archaeological site. The Banco