Vilca is an annex of Huancaya. Its cobbled streets are colonial in style and it has the most impressive waterfalls in the area. Among the attractions are the Plaza de Vilca, the Cantagallo viewpoint and the San Cristóbal viewpoint. There are houses that offer lodging and camping areas. You can also appreciate the Papacocha lagoon and the 'Forest of Love', both natural attractions surrounded by reeds and waterfalls.
The “Forest of Love in Vilca” is a walk near the town of Vilca, not far from Huancayo. It is a place with a multitude of small waterfalls that blend into the landscape, on the shores of Lake Papacocha and the Cañete River.
You will see a varied flora typical of these altitudes. You can also see different types of ducks, Andean geese, etc.
The walk is easy and accessible to all.
Location: Where does Huancaya belong?
If we see politically, Huancaya belongs to the province of Yauyos, Lima provinces region.
The populated center of Huancaya is located on the banks of the Yauyos River, surrounded by beautiful waterfalls and the Huayllahuacran hill.
17 kilometers to the north, Vilca is located at the foot of the San Cristobal and Cantagallo hills.
Due to its unique beauty, Huancaya is the number one tourist destination in the entire Nor Yauyos reserve.
Climate: How high is Huancaya?
The Huancaya people enjoy an Andean climate throughout the year, with two well-defined seasons: Temperate and dry from May to December, the climate is pleasant at this time of year, with bright sunny days and cold nights.
The rainy season occurs between the months of January to April, the sun shines in the morning and it rains in the afternoon.
In general, the climate in Huancaya is cold, during the day the presence of the sun is observed and icy afternoons.
What is the temperature in Huancaya?
The average temperature in Huancaya is 13ºC, which varies seasonally between 8º and 22ºC.
Very few times in history the temperature in Huancaya has dropped much more, so we suggest you pack thick clothes.
The altitude of Huancaya is 3554 masl and Vilca has an altitude of 3800 masl.
Forest of Love in Vilca
The forest of love, a beautiful landscape immersed in a karkac forest for which it bears the name of Forest. The Forest of Love, so called because one of the stories tells that in Vilca there was a couple in love who, because they were not accepted by their families, decided to escape in the direction of the Papacocha lagoon and jump to be happy.
Now that it is part of a landscape whose value is highly appreciated for the development of activities such as tourism, a source of energy for the local population, its branches apparently contain a high calorific value, which means that it is used as firewood for cooking food.
The waterfalls originate from the Papacocha lagoon, which in turn flows from the snowy Ticlla, with several jumps and falls. Its main tributary is the Cañete river where it has abundant flora such as: karkac, quenual, quishuar, zapatitos. And in fauna it presents birds such as: jargon duck, puna duck, moorhen, parihuana, huachua, yanavicu, sapling grebe, choca or ojojo; and as fish is the salmon trout that can be better appreciated in the rainy months since the flow increases and the landscape is better observed from the viewpoints of Cantagallo and San Cristóbal.
How to go to Huancaya?
Access routes from Lima
From Lima to Huancaya you can go by the following routes.
Following the route: Oroya – Pachacayo – Vilca – Huancaya.
Also, the southern route: Cañete – Lunahuaná – Tinco Alis – Huancaya.
If you visit Huancayo, the recommended route is Chupaca – Kero – Alis – Huancaya.
Distance from Lima: How many kilometers is it from Lima to Huancaya?
Following the penetration route of Lima - Cañete - Yauyos, the distance is 320km.
How long does the trip from Lima to Huancaya take? The bus trip takes approximately 7 hours.
Houses in Huancaya
Family housing prevails in the populated center, most of them have electricity, water, and drainage services.
However, almost all do not have adequate amenities, in Huancaya a growing problem of home ownership.
Geography
The geographical location of Huancaya and Vilca is on a ravine, on the banks of the Yauyos River with wonderful landscapes.
Its lagoons are fountains with concavities of beautiful reeds and islands that make up a beautiful geography.
Also, they have an intra-mountainous high plateau sector, in the western cordillera and the Pariacaca.
The gastronomy of Huancaya
It is a faithful reflection of its history of Huancaya; and it is that the gastronomy is a mixture of the autochthonous and Creole.
If something characterizes the products of this Yauyina cuisine, it is without a doubt its freshness.
We find a wide variety of meats, tubers and vegetables, used in many of their dishes.
Ecosystems
A variety of ecosystems that make up its landscape can be identified, these are:
Forests: near the town center you can see eucalyptus forests, in the upper parts quinual and carcas forests.
Agricultural: pre-Inca terrace structures that are used in agricultural activity, through stationary crops.
Riparian vegetation: along the Yauyos River grows the reed (Syrpus americanus) and others such as mosses, lichens, ferns, ushurro, etc.
Once you visit Huancaya, you will always have the promising hope of “Go back…go back…go back again…”
Enjoy Huancaya through our information and tourism guide, and come visit the most scenic land in Peru!
Best Trekking and 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 Peru, 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.
- Sacred Valley Bike Tour
- Honeymoon in Machu Picchu
- 1 Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
- Sacred Valley Tours
- Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
- Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu
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- 2 Day Inca Trail with Camping
- Apu Ausangate Trek 7 days
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- Urubamba River Rafting
- 5 Days Salkantay Mountain Trek
- 3 Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
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- 7 Lakes Ausangate Trek
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