Huaraz:
Huaraz is located in the department of Ancash. It is the most important city in the “ Callejon de Huaylas”, also known as “Beautiful Prairie”. The Callejon is 180 km long and is made up of two mountain ranges : the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca, the latter considered the highest in the world. One of the mountains that draws more visitors is The Huascaran (6768 masl) This snow-capped mountain is called “the ceiling of Peru” for being the second highest in South America.
In pre Columbian times, the territory was the cradle of Chavin, one of the first American cultures (1200 to 300 B.C). The biggest legacy of this culture is Chavin de Huantar, an archeological complex made of stone where you can find the Cabezas Clavas (keystones of projecting blocks shaped as human heads), litho sculptures that have human and animal features, and the Lanzon Monolitico, a 5 meter- high daggerlike rock. Chavin de Huantar was declared Mankind’s Historical Monument in 1985.
If you come to Huaraz, do not miss the interesting collection of stone monoliths and other pieces of high historical value exhibited at the Regional Museum on the Main Square. Also take the time to visit Caraz and Carhuaz two small towns to the north of the city. If you are looking for more relaxing activities, come to the hot springs and the more than 600 lagoons that surround the city. One of the more visited lagoons is Llanganuco, famous for its beautiful forest of quinoa and puya Raimondi. Here the visitor can camp and do adventure sports.
