Huancayo is a city full of history and tradition, known for its handicrafts, breathtaking trails through the mountains and impressive ruins. With more festivals than days in the year, you'll find something to do and see year-round.
An excellent place to head your visit in the town of Huancayo is along the Calle Real, which is full of shops and similar attractions, and was legally accredited as the Calle de los Incas at the end of the fifteenth century, currently functions as the local public street. The area surrounding Huancayo provides all kinds of fun activities and outdoor attractions for every season, ranging from jungle trekking to horseback riding through the beautiful Andes. Hikers will find a trip to something high going up and getting to know the beautiful Cerrito de la Libertad is simply a must, since the views at the summit of this height are spectacular. Visit the 12 Tourist Places of Huancayo.
Unmatched City
Huancayo, founded as Santísima Trinidad de Huancayo on June 1, 1572, is the most important city in the central highlands of Peru and is located south of the Mantaro Valley. It is the capital district of the department of Junín and the province of Huancayo.
The region was inhabited by the Huancas, who were later conquered by the Incas, turning the town into a place of upheaval and repression by the Inca Empire. On June 1, 1572, Huancayo was founded as "Pueblo de Indios" by Don Jerónimo de Silva and named after the Holy Trinity, taking the name of "Holy Trinity of Huancayo".
It is famous for its nickname of "Incontrovertible City", for its craft fair that is established every Sunday in the central Huancavelica Avenue, as well as for its original landscapes, its rich history and its beautiful crafts.
Huancayo is considered the main commercial center of the Peruvian Central Andes. It has a height of 3,250 m.a.s.l. and an approximate population of 350,000 inhabitants. The city is surrounded by agricultural towns due to its location near the Mantaro.
Tourists who visit it will experience extreme weather conditions: temperatures range between 5°C and 20°C degrees throughout the day, there may be sudden showers or hail (especially during the rainy season from October to April) and the sun burns, so it is advisable to use sunscreen, raincoat and umbrella.
12 Huancayo Tourist Attractions
The Tower Sandstone Needles
The extraordinary effect of erosion is located less than a kilometer from the beautiful Cerrito de la Libertad. A taxi manages to get you close, but the current section must be done on foot. Torre offers better views of the town and the beautiful valley of Cerrito.
Immaculate
This is a beautiful church where there are often local musicians waiting to be arranged for a wedding or other event, several of whom play existing cow horns. It is usually only open for masses and special services.
Huanca Identity Park (Wanka)
A popular park in the town of Huancayo that is much loved for its bizarre and artistic style that is popular with children. It is a commemoration of Huanca wisdom and contains images of local heroes, numerous labeled plants, and a gift bazaar with traditional crafts.
Salesian Museum
Located on the second floor of the Salesiano Academy, the museum has an entrance price of 4 soles. It has a wide collection of Peruvian animals and devices, but without any information label on them.
Cross on the hill
Visible from the town, it is feasible to travel to the cross on the hill in about 3 hours for a view of the town and the great valley. Simply follow the continuation to Trujillo through the fenced Eucalyptus fields, turning left when you can't go straight.
Huarivilca, or Warivilca
A destruction of the Wari era shrine. Take a bus or a taxi to the Huari town. You will find the museum which is open all day near the square. You manage to get definitions in English. After this emphatic museum, the guide will also show you the ruins.
Liberty hill
Located in the northeast area of Huancayo and on Avenida Giraldez, the spectacular Cerro de la Libertad has become a major fun attraction for locals and hikers alike. As well as the views, you can also expect to find restaurants, art stalls, a beautiful zoo, an attractive chapel and even a playground for children. From the spectacular Cerro de la Libertad, the Torre alignments are only 3 km away.
Parks
There is a succession of outstanding public parks distributed throughout the Huancayo metropolis, which provide significant open and distracted spaces. In the northeast area of the town and within the outskirts of San Antonio, the massive Parque de la Coincidencia Huanca is entirely built in stone, with an unusual artistic style, miniature buildings, images and other attractions that provide an intriguing view of the Huanca wisdom. Other seductive parks contain the central Parque Huamanmarca, which seals the place where the town was established in 1572, and also the Parque de la Constitución, which was remotely accredited as the traditional Plaza Pardo until its new title in 1813.
Deep ravine
The scenic landscape of Quebrada Honda is on the outskirts of Huancayo, where it provides a contrasting rural setting. Hikers tend to come to Quebrada Honda to get away from the local crowds and to take in its wonderfully beautiful natural landscape, which contains a succession of small towns as well as what is now the Mantaro Valley.
The high train
The popular High Train remains mostly popular in Peru and provides a truly spectacular way to travel between the city of Lima and Huancayo, passing numerous ornately picturesque and awe-inspiring attractions along the way and taking around 10 hours. Accredited as the highest train on the planet, due to the extraordinarily high elevations achieved in the Peruvian Andes, those on board the train will be able to appreciate the winding Rímac River, the Infiernillo Viaduct, the extensive Ticlio Tunnel, the the population of La Oroya, the deposits of Cerro de Pasco, and also the Mantaro River. The Central Andean Railway of Huancayo provides round trips, including lodging.
The cabin
This is a collection of amazing and wondrous things, from old fruit contraptions to old-fashioned liquor-making devices for a lifetime, and quickly rearranges them into a lively and pleasant refectory that makes lovely pisco sours. In this place you can enjoy a pleasant and seductive atmosphere, estimated as the perfect place to stay on your next vacation.
Wholesale Market
This is a picturesque produce market that develops from the sheltered Wholesale Market, which runs east along the train routes. In the meat section you can buy Andean indulgences such as toads, rabbits and chickens, an incredible diversity of fruits and obscene branches that also attract. Don't miss out on trying the popular tokuc, one of the rotten potato drinks.
Typical dishes of Huancayo
This city is characterized by its delicious cuisine and original dishes, well known and consumed in the rest of Peru. On a visit to the city, it is a must to try the papa a la huancaína and the pachamanca, traditional dishes from the area. Then we present the most representative dishes of Huancayo that you should not miss.
Papa a la huancaína: To prepare it, potatoes are parboiled and served bathed in a cheese sauce mixed with yellow pepper and milk, garnished with a sliced hard-boiled egg and an olive.
- Pachamanca: The name of this dish means “the pot on earth”, since it comes from two words: pacha (earth) and manca (pot). It consists of a stew prepared underground that has beef, pork, chicken and guinea pig previously seasoned with chincho, huacatay, chili, cumin, pepper and other spices; Likewise, it has original Andean products such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, broad bean pods and, eventually, cassava. The ingredients are cooked with the heat of heated stones, covered with branches and covered tightly. Beyond a simple meal, the Pachamanca is a community ritual in the Andes and in the city of Huancayo.
- Cuy colorado: This delicious dish is well known in the region and throughout Peru. It is prepared with guinea pig meat, red pepper, garlic and ground peanuts; served with rice and egg slices.
- Patachi: This very nutritious and well-known soup in the city of Huancayo and its surroundings, is a very important dish in the Andean zone since it allows the inhabitants to achieve the necessary vitality for farm work. It is prepared with wheat, beans, beef and jerky.
- Grilled trout: The Mantaro Valley is characterized by having an appropriate climate for raising trout, which is very nutritious and economical. The fish is served accompanied by boiled potatoes, lettuce and japchi (chili with cheese and huacatay).
Celebrating in Huancayo
There are many nightclubs in downtown Huancayo, but they are often not of the best quality or are closed half the time due to licensing issues. Visitors are recommended to go to the best nightclubs by taxi. Whenever possible, it is important to share the taxi with a group of people at night for greater safety.
The Taj Mahal is the most elegant nightclub in Huancayo. It is located at 1052 Huancavelica Avenue. Another well-known place is La Noche, at 241 Jirón San Antonio, where you can find all kinds of music, from trendy songs to Peruvian cumbia and salsa. Maxx'oh, at Jirón Alfonso Ugarte 510, is another famous nightclub in Huancayo. Recently renovated, it is where most of the dance competitions are held due to its large dance floor.
How to get to Huancayo?
Although there is an airport near Jauja, about 50 km from the city, travelers would need to take a collectivo or bus for 1-2 hours to get from the local airport to Huancayo. It is easier to take a bus directly from Lima to Huancayo, the ascent is slower and the trip is accompanied by spectacular views of the Andes mountain range, which can prevent altitude sickness. The ticket costs between S/.50 and S/.80 soles, and the journey takes between 7 and 11 hours approximately.
For those with a little extra cash to spend, the 12-hour tourist train ride to Huancayo offers unparalleled views across the Andes. The Ferrocarril Central Andino is marketed as the second highest rail route in the world. There are only bimonthly trips and the cheapest tickets cost S/. 195 soles for a one-way trip.
Upon arrival in Huancayo, it is advisable to take it easy and acclimatize first because many visitors suffer from altitude sickness. To counteract the symptoms, it is very useful to drink coca tea, a natural remedy from the region, or buy soroche pills at any of the local pharmacies.
Best Tours in Peru
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
- Salcantay Trek Peru to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Palcoyo Mountain Tour
- Cusco to Manu Tour
- Humantay Lake Day Trip
- Huchuy Qosqo Day Hike
- Half Day Cusco City Tour
- Llactapata Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Qoyllur Riti Festival
- Apurimac River Rafting
- Vilcabamba Trek to Machu Picchu
- Inti Raymi and Machu Picchu Tour
- Salkantay Inca Trail Combo
- Waqrapukara Peru Full Day Tour
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