Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [366]
El Quinde Shopping Center (Av Hoyos Rubio, cuadra 7; www.elquinde.com;7am-9pm) has the closest supermarket to town, about 2.5km north of the Plaza de Armas.
Drinking
Barroco Lounge (36-5647; Santisteban 168-172; 7pm-late) Although they also serve good sushi, the all-white, ultra-hip Barroco is all about martinis, boat-sized couches and mile-high bar stools. For all this gloss, the staff is surprisingly down to earth.
Usha-Usha (Puga 142; admission S5; 9pm-late) For something a little more intimate, this place is a graffiti-covered, hole-in-the-wall bar run by an eccentric local musician. It serves strong mixed drinks and hosts live jazz music most nights of the week. It’s definitely worth searching out.
Shopping
Small shops selling local and Peruvian crafts line the stairwells along Calle 2 de Mayo south of Junín.
Colors & Creations (34-3875; Belén 628; 9:30am-1:30pm & 2:30-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun) An artisan-owned-and-run cooperative selling excellent-quality crafts.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Schedules are subject to change, as well as occasional cancellations and delays, so reconfirm and arrive early at the airport (CJA; 36-2523), about 4km outside town. The airport departure tax is S11.
Star Perú (36-7423; Junín 1300) flies from Cajamarca to Talara, near Máncora, at 2pm and returns at 3:30pm. They also have a Lima–Cajamarca flight that leaves the capital at 12:30pm and leaves Cajamarca at 4:30pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, this flight leaves Lima at 7:15am and leaves Cajamarca at 8:50am.
LC Busre (36-1098; Jirón del Comercio) also plies this route, with two daily flights leaving Lima for Cajamarca at 3:30pm and 3:45pm and returning at 5:30pm and 5:45pm.
LAN (in Lima 213-8200; Cruz de Piedra 657) has a daily flight between Lima and Cajamarca, leaving the capital at 8:10am and Cajamarca at 10am.
BUS
Cajamarca continues its ancient role as a crossroads, with buses heading to all four points of the compass. Most bus terminals are close to cuadra (block) 3 of Atahualpa, about 1.5km southeast of the center (not to be confused with the Atahualpa in the town center), on the road to Los Baños del Inca.
The major route is westbound to the Panamericana near Pacasmayo on the coast, then north to Chiclayo (eight hours) or south to Trujillo (eight hours) and Lima (14 hours).
The southbound road is the old route to Trujillo (at least 15 hours) via Cajabamba (4½ hours) and Huamachuco (7½ hours). For Huamachuco and on to Trujillo, change at Cajabamba. The trip to Trujillo takes two or three times longer on this rough dirt road than it does along the newer paved road via Pacasmayo, although the old route is only 60km longer. The scenery is prettier on the longer route, but most buses are less comfortable and less frequent beyond Cajabamba.
The rough northbound road to Chota (five hours) passes through wild and attractive countryside via Bambamarca, which has a busy market on Sunday morning. Buses run from Chota to Chiclayo along a knobby, rough road.
The staggeringly scenic eastbound road winds to Celendín (four hours), then bumps its way across the Andes, past Chachapoyas and down into the Amazon lowlands. The road between Celendín and Chachapoyas is beautiful but in bad condition and transport can be sporadic; if you’re going to Chachapoyas, consider traveling via Chiclayo and Bagua Grande, unless you have plenty of time and patience.
Cial (36-8701; Independencia 288) Has buses to Lima at 7pm (S54 to S74).
Civa (36-1460; Ayacucho 753) Good buses to Lima (S72) at 7pm.
Cruz del Sur (36-1737; Vía de Evitamiento 750) Luxury bus-cama (bed bus) to Lima (S76.50) at 7pm. This terminal is several kilometers further along the road to Los Baños del Inca.
El Cumbe (36-3088; Atahualpa 300) Cheap buses to Chiclayo (S14 to S17) at 7am, 11:30am, 3pm and 9pm.
Flores (34-1294; Atahualpa 248) Cheap bus to