The Ayacucho department is crossed by two mountain ranges that divide it into three geographic parts: the altiplanic region towards the south, extreme highlands in the center, and tropical jungles in the northeast. The topography varies greatly as well as the climate.
It is known as “The city of churches” since people say that there is a church on practically every corner in Ayacucho. The Cathedral, the Company of Jesus Christ, San Francisco of Assisi, Santo Domingo, and Santa Clara are some of the most beautiful Colonial churches in the city.
The inhabitants are descendents of the powerful Waris who lived in a large part of this territory between the sixth and twelfth centuries and left the Wari citadel, an urban and commercial center, to posterity. You can also visit the Vilcashuaman Archeological Site, an important Incan administrative and religious center.
A good time to visit Ayacucho is during Holy Week since theirs is the most exciting and spectacular celebration in the entire country. Ayacucho, land of artisans, also offers its visitors impressive works of art like the retablos, small portable shrines that represents Andean scenes, Sarhua boards, which has worked into it one’s family tree, and carvings of alabaster, a material also known as Huamanga stone.
Huamanga and surroundings
Main Square, city of Ayacucho The majority of the buildings around the square were built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and have the characteristic first level stone arcades, pillars with balustrades on the second floor, and red clay tiled roofs. Around the perimeter, you see whitewashed houses and others of white stone as well as the Municipalidad (City Hall), the Prefectura (Police Station), the Corte Superior de Justicia (Superior Court building), and the Universidad Nacional de Huamanga (National University of Huamanga).
The Cathedral Main Square. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sat. 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.; Sun. 9:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. This Renaissance and Baroque cathedral, consecrated to the Virgin of the Snows, was built in the seventeenth century. The sobriety of its facade is contrasted by the richness of the interior with its ten gold leafed shrines. The most famous are the Nuestra Señora de Socos (Our Lady of Socos), the Señor de Burgos (the Lord of Burgos), and the Niño Llorón (the Weeping Child); each of their stories is told in the book, Las Tradiciones Peruanas (Peruvian Traditions) by Ricardo Palma.
Templo de San Cristobal (Saint Christopher’s Church) Jiron 28 de Julio block 6. It was the city’s first church, built in 1540, and served as the cathedral for a time. The church is characterized by its simplicity, featuring just one tower made completely of stone and a small bell tower. Its only nave has no windows, and an eye catchingadobe altar and its small tabernacle. The roof is of stone and adobe and inside, the remains of Spanish men, defeated at the Battle of Chupas in 1542, are buried.
Templo de Santo Domingo (Saint Domingo Church) Jiron 9 de Diciembre block 2. Visiting hours: Mass time. It was raised at the end of the seventeenth century under the name of the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of the Rosary). The important aspect to its façade is the triple arched belfry located on the left side, which, according to popular tradition, is the place where heretics were punished during the Holy Inquisition. The only nave of the building features the upper altar covered in gold leaves and decorated with attractive Baroque and Churrigueresque representations and paintings. During the Holy Week celebrations, the processions for the Señor del Santo Sepulcro (Lord of the Holy Sepulcher) and the Virgen Dolorosa (Sorrowful Virgin) start here. In the corner of the atrium, a stone cross has been placed in memory of the storm of 9th October 1940.
Templo y Convento de San Francisco de Asís (Saint Francis of AssisiChurch and Convent) Jiron 28 de Julio, block 3. Telephone: (066) 31-2312. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 5:30 P.M.8:30 P.M. Built in the sixteenth century, it was an attempt to recreate the Spanish Greco-Roman style in the Andes. Inside, the Churrigueresque upper altar is formed by four carved and gilded wooden pieces. It possesses the largest bell of the city, holds a valuable collection of colonial paintings from the Cusco and AyacuchoSchools, and maintains a library. The church was restaurated between 1982 and 1983 and the convent in 1898.
Templo de la Compañía de Jesús (Church of the Company of Jesus Christ) Jiron 28 de Julio block 1. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This Baroque building dates back to the seventeenth century and has two symmetrical brick towers decorated with friezes of sculpted flowers. Two columns flank the main entrance, forming a buttress. The façade is made of a pink and gray stone. Upon entering the nave, you notice the domed roof supported by lime and stone arches and covered with lime and sandy cement. Inside, there are various colonial canvasses, the most impressive being the Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) by Bernardo Bitti.
Templo y Monasterio de Santa Clara de Asís (Saint Clair of AssisiChurch and Monastery) Jiron Grau, block 3. Visiting hours: Mass time. This Renaissance building was constructed in the sixteenth century and remodeled in the seventeenth. This church is very different from the others in Ayacucho since it has two notoriously low windows and pilasters. The outside exhibits just one lime and stone tower, while on the inside, you can see Mudejar paneled wood ceilings, the shrines (one of them dedicated to Jesus of Nazareth, patron of Huamanga) and the upper altar from the second half of the seventeenth century.
Templo de Santa Teresa y Monasterio de las Carmelitas Descalzas (Saint Teresa Church and Monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites) Jiron 28 de Julio, block 6. Visiting hours: Mass time. The construction of this Herreriano or Republican style complex began in 1683. What impresses the most is the upper altar with the representation of the Virgin of Carmen and the carved wood choir decorated with incrustations of mother-of-pearl. The monastery still functions as it did during the vice royal period, a home to cloistered nuns of the Carmelite order. They are experts in making candies such as the mixtura, the main ingredients of which are the aji mirasol and the rocoto, both spicy peppers.
Templo de La Merced (Mercy Church) Jiron 2 de Mayo, block 2. Visiting hours: Mass time. Built in the sixteenth century, this church was the second to be constructed in Ayacucho and is characterized by its Renaissance elements. On the upper altar, sculpted from wood and covered in gold leaves, is the sculpture of the Virgin of Mercies, patron saint of the Armed Forces, whose faithful keep her richly adorned with precious jewels and luxurious dresses.
Templo de Santa Ana (Saint Ann’s Church) Santa Ana Square. Visiting hours: Mass time. It was built by the Andamarcas Indians in 1569. The façade was modified to include a Baroque entrance in 1748. The nave consists of a lime and worked stone corridor that is domed, a copula at the crossing and a roof covered with tiles. Inside, there are six side altars, among them being the main altar with a Baroque and Plateresco shrine. The table and tabernacle have been carefully carved in silver. Culminating the interior decorations is a small pulpit of wood, carved, gilded and adorned with indigenous patterns.
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Chinquinquirá (Chapel of Our Lady of Chinquinquirá) Jiron 9 de Diciembre 446. Visiting hours: Only on May 19th. This nineteenth century mixed style church has a rectangular nave and a central archway entry window. Inside, hanging on the walls, are canvasses, and the upper altar is dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary of Chinquinquirá. This chapel possesses special historical value because the remains of MariaParado de Bellido, Ayacucho’s heroine of the Independence who gave her life for the cause, are laid here to rest. She was executed by the royalist troops in 1822.
Arco del Triunfo o de San Francisco (Arch of Triumph or of Saint Francis) Jiron 28 de Julio, block 3. It was built in 1910 to commemorate the victory of the Battle that took place on 2nd May, 1886 against the Spanish who tried to retake their old colonies. It was later remodeled to celebrate the hundred year anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho. It is now a Roman arch with a neoclassical crown.
Boza and Solis House Portal Constitucion 15, Main Square. Telephone: (066) 31-2560. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. A mixed style colonial mansion of the seventeenth century, which features a main foyer that opens to a patio with a fountain. The entrance is of stone, and the door is adorned with carvings and door knockers. The staircase to the second floor, carefully covered with Venetian tiles, is the most eye catching element. You will find a cell inside where the heroine of independence, MariaParado de Bellido, was confined for three days before being shot.
Zamora and Castilla House Portal Municipal 50, Main Square. Telephone: (066) 31-2230. Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. 8:15 A.M. 3:45 P.M. Here is the main campus of the National University of San Cristobal de Huamanga, founded on 3rd July 1677 as a royal and pontifical school. It was the site of the Archbishop’s Palace until Bishop Cristobal de Castilla and Zamora bequeathed it to serve as cloistered university. Today, it is a convention center for the various cultural events of the university.
Vivanco House Jiron 28 de Julio 508. Telephone: (066) 32-6166. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. This house possesses a large patio surrounded by arched corridors and sculpted stone pillars. It was built in the seventeenth century and combines stone on the first floor with adobe on the second. In the central area, the floor is decorated with red, black, and orange pebbles. Today it serves as the Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial (Museum of Religious Colonial Art) and the Museo del Gran Mariscal Don Andrés Avelino Cáceres Dorregaray (Museum of the Great Marshal Don Andres Avelino Caceres Dorregaray).
Ruiz de Ochoa House Jiron 2 de Mayo 204. Its eighteenth century entrance is considered one of the best achievements in its genre, and the distinct architectural elements of the house demonstrate a rich mixed style. Inside, the first and second floor areas rise around a central patio. Today, it is a private school.
Velarde Alvarez House Portal Union 47, Main Square. This is one of the oldest houses in the city and belonged to the Marquis of Mozobamba. The building, created by indigenous artisans between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, has a stone wall, skillfully fashioned and capitals decorated with Andean designs (snakes, cougars, lizards, and others). Inside, two Inca walls were discovered in 2003 during some restoration work. In the center, there is a carved stone fountain in the shape of a monkey.
Artisanal Districts of Santa Ana, Puca Cruz, and Belen You will find the workshops and homes of the most distinguished masters of popular art in these districts. They express their creativity through sculptures in Huamanga stone, fabrics, shrines, and works of tin, fur, and saddlery.
Wari Archeological Complex 22 km / 14 miles north of Ayacucho (30 minutes by car). This was one of the largest ancient Peruvian urban centers, belonging to the Waris, a culture which flourished between the sixth and eleventh centuries, located at 2750 masl / 8874 fasl. The area of the complex is approximately of 2200 hectares even though the main buildings are located around a central nexus. The area is divided into “neighborhoods” or sectors composed of stone and mud structures, covered with fine pigments, mainly red and white. The complex has an underground water and sewage system. There is a site museum where objects found in the zone are shown.
Pikimachay Archeological Deposit 24 km / 15 miles north of Ayacucho (25 minutes by car). Pikimachay, located at 2850 masl / 9350 fasl, was the discovery site of some Andean Paleolithic stone tools and skeletal remains of extinct animals that date from 15.000 B.C. to 20.000 B.C.
City of Quinua 32 km / 20 miles northeast of Ayacucho (50 minutes by bus). Quinua (3396 masl / 11.141 fasl) preserves the spirit of the typical Andean town, and its inhabitants mainly create ceramic pieces. Here, the Spanish signed the Act of Surrender, which finally put an end to the Spanish authority. A site museum and the stone where the Act was signed are in the main square.
Pampa of Ayacucho Historic Sanctuary 33 km / 21 miles northeast of Ayacucho, close to Quinua (55 minutes by bus). The Battle of Ayacucho took place on these fields on 9th December 1824. It was the decisive moment for Peruvian and South American independence from Spanish rule. To commemorate it, a 44 meter / 144 feet high obelisk was erected that represents the years of struggle starting from 1780 with the first revolution of Tupac Amaru.
Huanta
City of Huanta Huanta (2620 masl / 8595 fasl) is known as the “Emerald of the Andes” for its auspicious location and its wealth of flora and fauna. The valley is divided into various ecological tiers from the rim of the mountain, where the ApurimacRiver runs, to the summit of snow capped MountRasuhuillca. The people produce many types of fruit liqueurs, honey, and other high quality products.
District of Luricocha 53 km / 33 miles north of Ayacucho (5 minutes by car). This is the “fruit capital” of the department due to its lush vegetation. It is known for its avocados, lucuma fruit, custard apples, pacaes, tunas (cactus fruit), oranges, elderberries, and many others.Between 1st and 4th May, they celebrate two festivals: Feast of the Crosses and the Avocado Festival.
Cangallo
City of Cangallo The city of Cangallo (2556 masl / 8385 fasl) is 100 km / 62 miles from Ayacucho. This region is the cradle of the “Morochucos”, expert horseback riders from the Cangallo pampas.
Niñobamba Hot Springs 81 km / 50 miles southwest of Ayacucho (1 hour and 15 minutes by car). The water temperature is a steady 40ºC (104ºF) and it possesses a reddish color. The area inhabitants claim the hot springs have curative properties for people suffering from arthritis or skin diseases. They are found at 3800 masl / 12467 fasl.
Bubbling Pools of Huahuapuquio 93 km / 58 from Ayacucho, close to Cangallo (3 hours by 4x4 vehicle). These carbonated waters bubble profusely. They are prized for their flavor and their curative properties. A swimming pool has been installed that exploits these waters. Pumapaqcha, Batán, and Qorimaqma Mythical Waterfalls Three beautiful cascades of water from the Chankil and MacromayoRivers, running parallel to the highway, are there for your viewing pleasure. Their placement is favored, so it is said, by a high concentration of positive and magnetic energy, and different rituals are performed there for Andean gods and spirits.
Lucanas: Pampa Galeras and Andamarca
Bárbara D’Achille National Reserve at Pampa Galeras 870 km / 541 miles southwest of Ayacucho (10 hours by car) on the Pan-American Highway South, via Nasca. The reserve covers an area of 6500 hectares, and the altitude varies from 3840 to 4150 masl / 12.598 to 13.615 fasl. The region, composed of an extensive plain with slight elevations, is surrounded by valleys and gorges. The weather is cold and dry with an average annual temperature of 7.9ºC (46.2ºF).
The reserve is a shelter for some 6000 vicuñas and home to other typical high Andean animals such as Andean foxes, pampas cats, Andean deer and vizcachas as well as a variety of birds like the Andean gull, the hummingbird, the Andean eagle, and the kestrel. The typical flora of the place is represented by natural grasses known as bunch grass, grasslands, and small forested areas containing species of quishuar and queñuales trees.Each 24th June, the chaccu is celebrated, an ancient rite where the wool of the vicuña is sheered.
Andamarca 74 km / 46 miles from the city of Puquito via Jeronta (2 hours by car). Andamarca is located at 3350 masl / 10.990 fasl and is considered the historic capital of the Rucanas, a Quechua word meaning “working people”. This culture (700 A.D. – 1400 A.D.) lived in the area until finally subjugated by the Inca Pachacutec during the expansion of his empire. It possesses a temperate and dry climate, and there are pre-Inca agricultural terraces that use a subterranean irrigating system.
Puzapaccha Waterfall 5 km / 3 from Andamarca (2-hour climb). This 100 meter / 328 feet waterfall is the place where the Danzantes de Tijera (Scissors Dancers) consecrate themselves and take the energies from the spirits of auquis and wamanis, in the ritual pact with the Andean gods.
Caniche Archeological Monument 10-minute walk from Andamarca It belonged to the Wari and Chanca people, and it is thought to be a fortress. The site is well preserved and forms part of the flourishing agricultural terraces of the department.
Parinacochas
Cora Cora The name Cora Cora comes from the Quechua word“broza”, a native plant that lives in the zone. The town was occupied by the Spanish in 1548 and an important site to see is the church where, every 5th August, the Virgin of the Snows is venerated.
LakeParinacochas 50 km / 31 miles from Cora Cora (1 hour and 20 minutes by car). This refuge for parihuanas, or white and red feathered flamingos, is located in the flat plain of Parinacochas at 3273 masl / 10.738 fasl. The waters are bordered by the Huanzo Cordillera, the Sara Sara volcano (5505 masl / 18.061 fasl), and the Achatyhua volcano (4200 masl / 13.779 fasl). The lake contains salt waters and the swampy shores shelter an abundant vegetation.
Vilcashuamán
Vilcashuaman Archeological Complex 118 km / 73 miles south of Ayacucho (3 hours by car). This Inca administrative center is known above all for two of its structures: the Temple of the Sun and Moon and the Ushno. The former is a polished and fashioned stone edifice that features three staggered terraces. During the colonial period, the Church of San Juan Bautista (John the Baptist) was erected using stones from Inca walls on top of the foundations of the Temple of the Sun and Moon. The Ushno is a truncated pyramid composed of five superimposed, staggered platforms and made with stones that were sculpted and assembled with great precision. At the top, the “sillon del Inca” (Throne of the Inca), a monolithic stone block with two carved seats shands out where, according to popular tradition, the Inca and his Colla (queen) presided over military and religious ceremonies that took place in the great square of Vilcashuaman.
Puyas de Raimondi Forest (Titankayocc) 97 km / 60 miles south of Ayacucho (3 hours by car) is Vischonga. From there to the forest it is a 3 km / 2-mile hike (2 hours uphill). This bromeliad, known as “titanka”, has great ecological value since it possesses the largest flowers in the plant kingdom, reaching a size somewhere between four and six meters. The plant itself reaches a height of fourteen meters and blooms at the approximate age of eighty. It then ends its biological cycle. Titankayocc is the largest Puyas de Raimondi Forest, spread over a 1200 hectares area, and it is estimated that around 250.000 specimens live there, mostly in the moors between 3200 and 4200 masl / 10.498 and 13.779 fasl.
Pumacocha or Intiwatana Archeological Complex 98 km / 61 miles southeast of Ayacucho (3 hours by 4x4 vehicle), then 5 km / 3 miles to the town of Vishcongo (15 minutes by car). This archeological complex covers an area of around 3000 m2 / 32.292 f2 and is located in the vicinity of LakePomacocha (3216 masl / 10.551 fasl). According to some researchers, this site could have been a vacation spot for the Inca elite since found among its buildings is a palace, a castle tower, and the Inca Baths. The carefully finished stone walls of the palace, perfectly assembled, makes one consider that this residence might have housed supremely important people. The tower, a semi-circular structure with smaller rooms inside, is located near the palace and is thought to fulfill ritual functions. The Inca Baths was constructed with polished stones, some of whichhave up to thirteen angles.
La Mar
Apurimac River Valley 197 km / 122 miles from Ayacucho by paved highway (6 hours by car) The valley, located at the rim of the mountain, is irrigated by the ApurimacRiver (the god who speaks), and the native Ashaninkas live in the department, producing typical handicrafts. The area is rich in jungle flora and fauna, and there is a zoo where you can to see typical specimens from the zone.
Province of Paucar del Sara Sara
Mount Sara Sara From the District of Pausa to the community of Toncio (1 hour by car). A 5-hour hike brings you to the foot of the mountain. There is no transportation. This snow covered peak is cone shaped, rises up to 5505 masl / 18.061 fasl, and can be climbed by amateurs and professionals. The round trip takes approximately one day, and the beauty of the Andean landscape can be appreciated from the top.
Huancasancos
Pachapupum Hot Springs 35 km / 22 miles south of the city of Sancos on a paved highway (45 minutes by 4x4 vehicle) Pachapupum means “navel of the earth”, and the place is located at 4020 masl / 13.188 fasl. The waters have curative properties for asthma, arthritis, skin diseases, and other ailments. The temperature is 45ºC (113ºF), and the area smells strongly of sulfur.
Climate The city of Ayacucho has a dry, very healthy, temperate climate with sunshine all year round.
Access Routes By land: Lima-Ayacucho (via Libertadores) 565 km / 351 miles (7 hours by car) Cusco-Abancay-Ayacucho 601 km / 373 miles (19 hours by car) Huancayo-Ayacucho (via Colcabamba) 317 km / 197 miles(6 hours by car) Huancayo-Ayacucho (via Ancco) 257 km / 160 miles (6 hours by car) Huancavelica-Ayacucho (via Rumichaca) 245 km / 152 miles (5 hours by car) Huancavelica-Ayacucho (via Lircay) 221 km / 137 miles (6 hours by car) Ica-Pisco-Ayacucho (via Los Libertadores) 389 km / 180 miles (5 hours by car)
By air: Daily flights from Lima to Ayacucho (45 minutes)
Distances From The City Of Ayacucho To The Followings Cities Cangallo (Province of Cangallo) 100 km (62 miles) / 2 hours and 30 minutes Huancasancos(Province of Huancasancos) 202 km (126 miles) / 7 hours viaHuancaraylla-Carapo Huanta (Province of Huanta) 48 km (30 miles) / 45 minutes San Miguel (Province of La Mar) 96 km (60 miles) / 3 hours Puquio (Province of Lucanas) 870 km (541 miles) / 10 hours via Libertadores Cora Cora (Province of Parinacochas) 810 km (503 miles) / 13 hours via Libertadores Pausa (Province of Paucar del Sara Sara) 930 km (578 miles) / 16 hours via Libertadores Querobamba (Province of Sucre) 214 km (133 miles) / 9 hoursHuancapi (Province of Víctor Fajardo) 124 km (77 miles) / 4 hours and 30 minutes Vilcashuamán (Province of Vilcashuamán) 118 km (73 miles) / 3 hours
Overland Transport There is not bus station; however, there are overland transport companies in Ayacucho: 7th – 12th blocks of Avenida Mariscal Cáceres. 2nd – 4th blocks of Jiron Manco Cápac blocas. 1st block of Pasaje Cáceres. 4th block of Jiron9 de Diciembre. 2nd block of Jiron Libertad.
Health Centers Hospital Regional de Ayacucho (Ayacucho Regional Hospital) Avenida Independencia 355 Ayacucho. Telephone: (066) 31-2180. Attention: 24 hours a day.
Local Police Sede Central Policía Nacional del Perú (National Police of Peru Central Headquarters). Jiron 28 de Julio 325 Ayacucho. Telephone: (066) 31-2055 / 31-6245. Attention: 24 hours. Tourism Police. Jiron 2 de Mayo 100 Ayacucho. Telephone (066) 31-7846. Attention: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Craft Markets There are many areas where the craft markets are located in Ayacucho: Mercado Artesanal Shosaku Nagase (Plazoleta El Arco). Barrio Artesanal de Santa Ana. 7th – 9th blocks of Jiron Libertad. 1st block of Jiron París. 2nd block of Pasaje Bolognesi. 1st and 2nd block of Jiron Asamblea.
The Ayacucho department is crossed by two mountain ranges that divide it into three geographic parts: the altiplanic region towards the south, extreme highlands in the center, and tropical jungles in the northeast. The topography varies greatly as well as the climate.