Almost three hours from Lima, in the district of San Jerónimo de Surco, province of Huarochirí, there is one of the most attractive trekking routes. It begins at km 63 of the Central Highway, in the village of Songos (the cost of entering the village is S/3).
Its marked trail will guide you to the Pascana, Del Amor and Trenza de la Abuela waterfalls, where you can practice rappelling. Then head to the natural stone slides (10m high) and slide downhill!
Once on the mainland, and from the Plaza de Armas, walk 20 minutes towards the archaeological site of Huanano (S / 2 the entrance). There begins the 30-minute journey to the homonymous waterfall, which is 40 m high. In front of this is the viewpoint of the place. The views will take your breath away.
In the town of Huaquicha camp surrounded by mountains and ditches. Regain strength and rest to finally start the visit to the Palacala waterfall (2,850 m.a.s.l.). It will take 40 minutes. End the experience with a refreshing swim.
Surco is considered the land of the Lima waterfalls because of the 5 it has, it also has almost 22 archaeological zones. It limits to the north with San Mateo de Otao; to the south with San Damián and San Andrés de Tupicocha; to the west with San Bartolomé and to the east with Matucana, all these districts of the province of Huarochirí.
History
Its history starts from pre-Hispanic times, where its name was Huaranga Picoy and it was part of that sum of Ayllus. But it is from September 23, 1711 that the extension of the district is known, with its only Huaquicha hamlet and from August 22, 1842 Songos and Ayas are included as part of San Jerónimo de Surco. This district was officially created by regional law 359, on September 15, 1920 in the government of President Augusto Leguía.
Location
San Jerónimo de Surco is located in the Rímac river basin, at kilometer 67 of the Central Highway in the province of Huarochirí.
Climate and temperature in San Jerónimo de Surco
It has a dry climate in winter and mild summer. Rainy season in winter (December to March) and sunny in summer (May to November). It has a minimum temperature of 10°C and a maximum of 28°C.
Altitude
San Jerónimo de Surco has an altitude that reaches almost 2000 meters above sea level.
How to get to San Jerónimo de Surco?
In the Echenique de Chosica park, take a combi to San Jerónimo de Surco. The ticket varies between S/5 and S/8.
To get to San Jerónimo de Surco, the first thing to do is take the “Lima - Chosica” line bus, preferably at the stops of: Paseo Colón, Vía Expresa Grau and Óvalo de Santa Anita. I will leave the car at Parque Echenique, there you must use the bus service to San Jerónimo de Surco, the land of waterfalls.
Places to do adventure sports
- Huanano waterfall
- Palacala Waterfall
- Mortar Cataract
- Songos slides
- Linday's Falls
Other tourist places in San Jerónimo de Surco
- Huanano
- Shorty
- Crying Rock
- Chingana
- Cantahuaycho
- boquicuesta
- Mitowayabo
- Kotogentile
- Quirhuay
- Huacapune Fortress
- Rock Snake
It is clear that San Jerónimo is one of the best places to walk in Lima, it is a perfect short trip to spend a great weekend. In Surco there are places that provide lodging services, and if you cannot stay, there are agencies that offer tours of the district. So now you know, take this mini trip and continue discovering the tourist sites of Lima.
San Jerónimo de Surco and the route of its waterfalls
The 3 best-known waterfalls and whose hiking routes start from the same town are: Huanano, Palacala and Cuchimachay. The cost of admission to the circuit is 3 soles per person and no matter which of them you want to visit, do not forget to be prepared with at least the following:
- Sunscreen.
- Repellent.
- Shoes or boots with good grip.
- Water bottles.
- Rope, gloves, helmet and all the necessary equipment if you are going to rappel.
Also remember that the rainy season is between January and April, where you should be more careful, especially on the most demanding routes that in the middle of the rain can become impassable and dangerous.
Huanano Waterfall
The trek to the Huanano waterfall is the least demanding, so much so that you could do it with your family. It takes approximately 45 minutes and it is a well-defined route that has arrows and painted signs throughout its route, so it is very difficult for you to get lost.
On this road there are 2 obligatory stops, the first at the entrance portal to "the archaeological remains of Huanano" and later at the small chapel "Santísima Cruz de Quisho" that has a great viewpoint with an incredible view of the valley and the mountains. . Once you reach this beautiful 30-meter waterfall, you can cool off in the small lagoon that has formed on its slopes. But if you are looking for a little more adventure you can also practice rappelling, in the upper part of the waterfall they have installed a safe access and anchors that will allow you to do so.
If photography is your thing, in the surroundings you will have access to many areas from where you will get very good shots, not only of the waterfall, but of the entire ravine.
Cuchimachay Waterfall
This walk is recommended only for people in good physical condition, because despite being relatively short, in several sections it is quite demanding due to the rugged and steep terrain.
Getting to Cuchimachay will take you a little over 1 hour through a fairly improvised route. The path disappears many times and if it weren't for the arrows painted at some points one could easily get lost. However, the beauty of the place makes it all worthwhile.
Finally we are rewarded for the effort with this impressive waterfall of 50 meters high.
Viewpoint on the route to Palacala
The landscape from the "Mirador de San Jerónimo de Surco" is amazing, and it is another of the activities that you can do as a family.
To get here, take the route to Palacala and further on you will find some stone stairs that will take you directly to the viewpoint. The ascent is long and at some point these stairs can seem endless, so you also have the option of going up the zigzag path that is next to it, this one is more extensive but less overwhelming.
Passing the viewpoint and continuing along the route, there is a somewhat bumpy detour through which you can also reach Huanano, or without deviating, make the journey of more than 3 hours to the Palacala waterfall.
Where and what to eat in San Jerónimo de Surco?
In the streets surrounding the square there are several restaurants, where trout and guinea pig stand out as the most recommended dishes.
Here ended our adventure in this beautiful place. Leave us your comments if you need additional information about the trip. Below is the map where you can see the beginning of the paths to the 3 waterfalls.
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