Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [367]
Línea (36-3956; Atahualpa 318) Good-quality buses go to Lima (S81) at 7pm, Chiclayo (S14 to S27) at 11am, 10:45pm and 11pm and Trujillo (S14 to S32) at 10:30am, 1:30pm, 10pm and 10:30pm. They also have a ticket office on the Plaza de Armas
Ormeño (36-9885; Independencia 304) Good buses to Lima (S40.50) at 8pm.
Royal Palace’s (34-3063; Atahualpa 337) Services to Celendín (S9) at 9am and cheap buses to Trujillo (S14) at 11am and Lima (S27) at 7:30pm.
Tepsa (36-3306; Atahualpa 300) Comfortable semi-cama (half-bed) Lima service (S80) at 6pm.
Transportes Atahualpa (36-3060; Atahualpa 299) Buses to Cajabamba (S27) at noon, Celendín (S9) at 7am and 1pm and Chota (S14) via Bambamarca at 11am.
Transportes Horna (36-7671; Atahualpa 313) Buses to Lima (S27) at 6pm, Trujillo (S14) at 8am and 10pm and Cajabamba (S27) at 2am and 5pm.
Transportes Rojas (34-0548; Atahualpa 405) Services to Cajabamba (S27) at 2am, 9am, 11am, 2pm and 4pm.
Turismo Nacional (34-0357; Atahualpa 309) Services to Celendín (S9) at 7am and 1pm and Chota (S27) via Bambamarca at 11am.
Several minibuses go to Cajamarca (S14 to S18), also leaving from cuadra 3 of Atahualpa.
Buses for Ventanillas de Otuzco (S2, 20 minutes) leave from 500m north of the plaza. These pass the airport (S1), though taking a taxi is much faster (S4.50).
Combis (minibuses) for Los Baños del Inca (S1, 25 minutes) leave frequently along Sabogal, near Calle 2 de Mayo.
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AROUND CAJAMARCA
Places of interest around Cajamarca can be reached by public transport, on foot, by taxi or with a guided tour. Tour agencies pool their clients to form a group for any trip, although more expensive individual outings can be arranged.
Los Baños del Inca
Atahualpa was camped by these natural hot springs (4:30am-8pm) when Pizarro arrived, hence the name. Now you can take a dip in the same pools that an Inca king used to bathe his war wounds – though the pools have probably been cleaned since then. Set around flourishing grounds with sculpted shrubbery, this attractive compound has hot water channeled into private cubicles (S.80 to S5 per hour), some large enough for up to six people at a time. Dip into the public pool (S2), which is cleaned on Monday and Friday; sauna rooms and massages are available for S27 each. This place gets hundreds of visitors daily, so it’s best to come in the morning to avoid the rush. There’s a Complejo Recreativo (admission S2; 8am-8pm) opposite the main bath complex that has swimming pools, a children’s playground and ‘waterslides of the Incas,’ which are a big hit with kids. The baños (baths) are 6km from Cajamarca and have a few hotel possibilities (Click here). Combis for Los Baños del Inca (S1, 25 minutes) leave from Sabogal in Cajamarca.
Cumbe Mayo
About 20km southwest of Cajamarca, Cumbe Mayo (derived from the Quechua kumpi mayo, meaning ‘well-made water channel’) is an astounding feat of pre-Inca engineering. These perfectly smooth aqueducts were carved around 2000 years ago and zigzag at right angles for 9km, all for a purpose that is as yet unclear, since Cajamarca has an abundant water supply. Other rock formations are carved to look like altars and thrones. Nearby caves contain petroglyphs, including some that resemble wooly mammoths. The countryside is high, windswept and slightly eerie. Superstitious stories are told about the area’s eroded rock formations, which look like groups of shrouded mountain climbers.
The site can be reached on foot via a signed road from Cerro Santa Apolonia in Cajamarca. The walk takes about four hours if you take the obvious shortcuts and ask every passerby for directions. Guided bus tours (around S15) are offered by tour companies in Cajamarca; these can be a good idea as public transport to Cumbe Mayo is sporadic at the best of times.
Ventanillas de Otuzco & Combayo
These pre-Inca necropolises have scores of funerary niches built into the hillside, hence the name Ventanillas (Windows). Ventanillas de Otuzco is in alluring countryside, 8km northeast of Cajamarca and