The department of Huancavelica features one of the roughest terrains in the country, formed by valleys, deep gorges, towering mountains, sinuous roads, and mesas.
The city of Huancavelica is bordered by fertile fields and green pastures where cattle graze. These highlands were inhabited by the Waris and later by the warring Chancas. The area was finally incorporated into the Inca Empire and became a military center. Following that period, the Spanish discovered silver and mercury mines, a reason for establishing themselves there. Currently, the city preserves its mansions and magnificent Colonial churches.
In the surrounding areas, there is the town of Santa Barbara with its old church and mines that have been used since Colonial times. You can also visit Izcuchaca, a center for pottery located seventy-eight kilometers from Huancavelica where there are hot springs and an archeological site.
Tourist Attractions
Main Square, Huancavelica
It is a legacy of the Colonial court. On one side is the city hall, two-stories tall with eleven arches in its portal that long ago served as the site for the city council. Also there is the Chapel of the Sorrowful Virgin, and in the middle of the square is an octagonal stone fountain where the water comes out of the mouths of two carved Indian faces.
Cathedral of San Antonio Main Square, Huancavelica. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sat. 7:00 A.M. – 5:15 P.M. Sun. 5:30 A.M., 8:00 A.M., 9:30 A.M., and 5:15 A.M. Built in the seventeenth century, the front is impacting for the contrast between its white prismatic towers and Baroque style façade that is carved from Indian red, volcanic rock. Inside the church, the dominating feature is the Baroque upper altar, yet the pulpit and the side altars, covered in gold leaf, catch the eye, as well as the paintings from the Cusco and Huamanga Schools.
Daniel Hernandez Regional Museum Jiron Arica, block 2 (Location of the National Cultural Institute) Plaza San Juan de Dios. Telephone: (067) 75-3420 Visiting hours: Mon. – Fri. 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. The location possesses a varied collection of pieces from mollusk fossils and other marine species from the Tertiary and Quaternary to pre-Incan objects, Vice royal pieces, and artifacts form the War for Independence. There are also works of art from Peruvian painters like Daniel Hernandez, Fernando de Szyszlo, Milner Cajahuaringa, and others.
Church and Convent of San Francisco Plaza Bolognesi The church, built in 1774, is preserved nearly intact despite all the earthquake activity of the past. Like the majority of Andean churches, it is a Mixed style construction, and inside you can appreciate Baroque shrines and wood carvings, covered in gold leaf, like the impressive image of San Francisco. The convent is linked to popular tales like the one about the “headless priest” which, according to the legend, is a Franciscan priest who hung himself in one of the cells and now haunts the place, walking out at night and ringing the church bells.
The stage in front of the church is the scene of the “Scissors Dance” contest on December 24th and 25th as well as the “Adoration of the Three Kings”.
Church of Santo Domingo Jiron Carabaya, Plaza Santo Domingo Built in the sixteenth century, it is the center for prayer to the Virgin of the Rosario and Santo Domingo, whose images were brought over from Rome. According to tradition, the Church of Santo Domingo was connected to the Church of San Francisco via secret passageways. Of distinction is the painting of the Señor de la Sentencia y Resurrección, completed in 1666. In front of the principal façade during the month of January, the celebration of the Adoration of the Niño Dulce Nombre de Jesus takes place in which for two days He is worshipped through different dances, most importantly by the dance of the Negritos.
Church of San Juan de Dios Plaza San Juan de Dios A seventeenth century church that on the inside paintings from the Huamanga School are preserved. This church is characterized by its charity towards the poor indigenous people who mainly worked in the Santa Barbara mine.
Church of San Sebastian Plaza Bolognesi It was built in the eighteenth century. The flat ceiling of the right hand nave is completely covered in gold leaf. The highlight is the image of the Señor del Prendimiento, whose worship gathers together thousands of believers during Holy Week.
Colonial Bridge of the Ascension Jiron Tambo de Mora It was built in the seventeenth century and is currently the boundary between the Huancavelica downtown, known as “el cercado”, and the District of La Ascension in order to facilitate the transportation of goods. The bridge has maintained its original structure with arches on both sides that frame the gentle curve of its center, even though it has been remodeled on various occasions.
San Cristobal Neighborhood Hot Springs Pool Avenida 28 de Abril. San Cristobal Neighborhood. Telephone: (067) 75-3222 Hot springs well known for their medicinal properties, perfect for helping skin conditions. There has been a recreational center built in the place that has a swimming pool for children and adults, private rooms, and a café.
Church of San Cristobal Plaza San Cristobal The church was built around 1770 in the neighborhood of San Cristobal in the highest zone of the city. There are two towers crowned with cupolas on either side of its Baroque entrance. Inside, there are paintings representing the birth of Christ from the Cusco School, and in the side niches you find Mixed style murals representing the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
Church of Santa Ana Plaza Ramon Castilla This was the first church built in the area, and it dates from the end of the sixteenth century. On the inside of the church, you can appreciate paintings from the students of El Greco and a canvas from the Cusco School.
Santa Barbara Mine or the Mine of Death 6 km southeast of Huancavelica (1 hour and 15 minutes on foot) It is an ancient mine delved during the Vice royal Period and considered “the precious gem of the Spanish Crown” from which mercury was mined for purifying silver. Because the work was so difficult, it was named “the mine of death”. You can still find ruins of old, Colonial settlements and in the stone of the main entrance to the mine is the graven image of the Spanish royal crest.
Sacsamarca 3.5 km southwest of Huancavelica (45 minutes on foot 10 minutes by car) It is located 3,780 m.a.s.l. Here you can appreciate homes built with stones from the area, the bridge, the church, and a Mixed-style small main square. The Andean countryside is surrounded by huge mountains, and the town is divided by the Disparate River.
Uchkus Inkañan Archeological Complex Approximately 26 km from Huancavelica (Around 1 hour and 45 minutes by car) This was an important administrative, religious, and astronomical study center. On one of the platforms, there are small pools of water that could allow for the movements of the sun and the moon to be followed. Also, you can see an area set aside for farming with agricultural terraces that might have been used for experimenting with different crops.
Tucumachay Gorge and the Huancavelica National University Production and Research Center for South American Camelids 19 km from Huancavelica (45 minutes by bus) Impressive vistas made even more so by the presence of vicuñas, alpacas, llamas, and other animals, whose populations are managed by the university. You can also be awed by the perpetual snows of Mount Andres (5,170 m.a.s.l.), at whose peak glide condors.
Mount Chonta 64 km from Huancavelica (1 hour and 45 minutes by car) A wonderful spot for all types of adventure sports.
Lake Pultocc 68 km from Huancavelica (Approx. 3 hours by bus) and 4 km from the town of Choclococha Plenty of wild animals call this home like trout, wild ducks, and flamingos. It is also a watering hole for the local cattle herds and the nearby areas are covered with snow.
Lake Choclococha 72 km from Huancavelica (10 minutes from the town of Choclococha by the horse trail and 15 minutes from Santa Ines by bus) It is perfect for trout fishing and an inexhaustible source of water for the crops in the valleys of the Ica Region.
District of Izcuchaca
78 km north of Huancavelica (2 hours by packed dirt road) and from Huancayo (1 hour and 30 minutes by packed dirt road) Here, hot springs are found in the places of Paucari, Huaspu, and Aguas Calientes. In the highest parts, the oldest known traces of a pre-Andean human presence exist, predating the Incan and even pre-Incan epochs.
Huaytará
Palace of the Inca Located 5 minutes from the Main Square by a horse trail It was originally an Incan building that served as the foundation for the Church of San Juan Bautista de Huaytara during the Vice royal period. Its walls are constructed of pink, polished sillar stone. The distinctive features of Incan architecture are seen in them as well such as trapezoidal niches and doors. To one side of the Colonial church’s atrium, you can see the Baths of the Inca. At the Baths are also two granite stones, very unique because of their pink color, and in the center there is another stone, larger and darker, with two gutters carved at the top.
Incahuasi Archeological Ruins 20 km south of Huaytara (30 minutes by car) following the Los Libertadores Highway Located over 3,700 m.a.s.l., it features several rooms, plazas, palaces, warehouses, canals, and cisterns. Some of the most distinctive constructions were probably used as astronomical observatories like the intihuatanas, or solar calendars and clocks. Throughout the construction, the Incas used perfectly shaped stones.
Manuel Humberto Espinoza Archeological Museum Located behind the Huaytara City Hall. Visiting hours: Mon. – Sun. 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. More than 1,000 objects are exhibited here with pieces of pottery, gold and silver jewelry, fossils, mummy bundles, and textiles from the pre-Columbian cultures of the Nazca, Paracas, and Wari.
Angaraes: Lircay
Lircay 75 km southeast of Huancavelica (2 hours and 30 minutes by car) It is the capital city of the Province of Angaraes. The climate is temperate, and it is known for its lovely countryside as well as its cultural and archeological heritage. In the neighborhood of Pueblo Viejo, the traditional structure and Colonial style buildings are still preserved.
Huapa Hot Springs 6 km from Lircay This possesses a comfortable temperature and offers the visitor a normal sized swimming pool. Its curative waters are basically composed of sulfur and iron.
Ocopa 4 km east of Lircay (20 minutes by bus) A lively place of green countryside that is located on the banks of the Lircay River. You can visit the fish farm, the hanging bridge, the plantation house, its fields, and the milk production plant.
Public Cemetery Main gate in the city of Lircay (very close to the Lircay Police Station) Here are the mausoleums of the most important ranchers of the seventeenth century in good state of preservation.
Trout Production Center Located in the neighbourhood of Pueblo Nuevo close to the Perseverancia Recreational Center on the banks of the Sicra River. It is the second largest production center for trout, eggs, and alevins in the country. Here, trout for exportation are raised.
Huayllay Grande 6 km from Lircay (25 minutes by bus) This is a typical Colonial period Andean town. Its streets are cobbled and a stone canal bringing water runs through its center. Its main square is surrounded by Colonial entrances and arches and at the western edge is a lovely church with one tower and in whose interior is the effigy of the Señor de Huayllay.
Acobamba
Colonial Church of San Juan Bautista Located in the neighbourhood of Pueblo Viejo (15 minutes from the central plaza) Built between the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The construction mixes Baroque and Churrigueresque styles, and its front is impacting for its stone work. Inside, there are altars and very unique wood carvings.
Willka Puquio Baths of the Inca 2 km from Acobamba (20 minutes from the Main Square of the neighborhood of Pueblo Viejo by a horse trail and 10 minutes by bus) This place has rock formations in feline and anthropomorphic shapes, statues of mythical characters, and the throne and bath of the Inca whose crystal clear waters were used for several centuries.
Allpas Archeological Complex 7.5 km from Acobamba (1 hour and 30 minutes on foot by a horse trail and 45 minutes by bus) It is located in the village of Allpas and composed of four parts: Atun Rumi Ceremonial Center, the hundred windows or niches, the circular homes, and the Ichu Wasi and Inkacucho circular platforms.
Virgin of Lourdes Stone Labyrinth 4 km from Acobamba (30 minutes by bus, horse trail) This place is wonderful for taking walks in the country, rock climbing, and trekking. There is the Quillimachay (Cave of the Moon) rock art and petroglyphs, which were carved by the inhabitants 6,000 before Christ.
Castrovirreyna
The Sleeping Virgin 4 km from Castrovirreyna by horse trail (1 hour and 30 minutes) It is located at the top of Mount Santiago (4,676 m.a.s.l.). In the center of the chest, there is a lake with a large amount of trout as well as the burial spot of the Cursed Cross that according to the story was created for the destruction of Castrovirreyna. Santa Ines 74 km from Huancavelica (Approximately 30 minutes by bus) and 2 km from Choclococha This town has the characteristics of a mining camp. It is located at the crossroads of the highway to Castrovirreyna and the route to Ayacucho. Close by, you find the Lake Orccococha, Lake San Francisco, and Lake Pacococha.
Climate The city of Huancavelica, the capital of the region, has a cold and rainy climate. The average annual maximum temperature is 16°C (61ºF) and the minimum is 2°C (36ºF). The rainy season starts in November and ends in April. Access Routes By land: Lima – Pisco – Huancavelica: 499 km / 310 miles (Approximately 11 hours by car) Lima – Huancayo – Huancavelica: 444 km / 275 miles (Approximately 9 hours by car) Ayacucho – Huancavelica via Rumichaca: 244,9 km / 152 miles (Approximately 5 hours by car) Ayacucho – Huancavelica via Lircay: 221 km / 137 miles(Approximately 6 hours by car)
By train: Huancayo-Huancavelica: 128 km / 79 miles (Approximately 6 hours by regular train)
Distances From The City Of Huancavelica Acobamba (Province of Acobamba) 106 km / 3 hours and 30 minutes Licay (Province of Angaraes) 75 km / 2 hours and 30 minutes Castrovirreyna (Province of Castrovirreyna)116 km / 4 hours Churcampa (Province of Churcampa)259 km / 7 hours Huaytara (Province of Huaytara192 km / 7 hours Pampas (Province of Tayacaja)147 km / 6 hours via Huancayo
Directory
Overland Transport There are no bus stations, but most of the transport companies are concentrated around the Santa Ana Plaza. There are taxis that drive to Huancayo in Junin that depart 24 hours a day.
Rail Service Huancavelica Station. Avenida Augusto B. Leguía. Huancavelica Telephone: (067) 75-2898. Route: Huancavelica – Huancayo – Huancavelica
Health Center Departmental Hospital. Avenida Andres Avelino Caceres. Yanamaco Neighborhood Telephone: (067) 75-2991. Hours of attention: 24 hours
Local Police Huancavelica Police Station. Santa Ana Plaza. Santa Ana Neighborhood Telephone: (067) 75-3041. Hours of attention: 24 hours
Craft Markets Central Market. Jiron Victor Garma, block 4. Civic Center Gate. Avenida Manchego Muñoz, block 2
Postal Service Avenida Pasaje Ferrua. Huancavelica. Telephone: (067) 75-2750 Hours of attention: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.
The department of Huancavelica features one of the roughest terrains in the country, formed by valleys, deep gorges, towering mountains, sinuous roads, and mesas.