Peru’s great extension makes it suitable for different types of travel experiences, and mountaineering is certainly the most sought after option in the region. For those who didn’t know, Callejón de Huaylas is a vibrant valley located north of Peru and houses a rising tourist destination, the Huascaran National Park.
If you’re eager to experience the best of our natural heritage, then you surely must visit this region, where imposing snow-capped mountains, evergreen valleys and turquoise-water lagoons will leave you spellbound to their uniqueness.
As you may know, the city of Huaraz is also part of this paradise on earth, along with the Cordillera Negra (black mountain range) and Cordillera Blanca (white mountain range). It is certainly an otherworldly scenery that you can’t miss.
And just like that, the entire valley comprehends even more tourist attractions, where pre-Columbian history has been kept alive in many archaeological sites. Honestly, we want you to see for yourself, which is why we have structured this blog so you can start organizing your trip to the Peruvian Switzerland!
The flourishing valley is located in the Ancash region, flanked by the White and Black mountain ranges. Callejón de Huaylas or Santa Valley was created thanks to the Santa River, which originates from the Conococha lagoon.
It has an average altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level and expands to nearly 5,000 km2. The region is composed of five provinces, each and every one of them holds a distinctive scenery, culture and history.
As aforementioned, Callejón de Huaylas is located just in between two important mountain ranges. The Cordillera Blanca for example is called like that because of its imposing snow-capped peaks, where some of them surpasses the 6,000 meters of altitude as the Huascaran Mount.
On the other side of the valley lies the Cordillera Negra, a denomination granted due to its lack of ice and snow since the mountains it comprehends can reach up to 5,100 m.a.s.l. Therefore, the entire region holds an authentic ecosystem like no other in the country.
There are so many things to do in Callejón de Huaylas that you’d wish you had more time to explore it. For that reason, we have listed some of the provinces within this region so you can organize your trip according to your interests:
1. Recuay
It is a province of the Ancash region composed of many natural wonders, specially thermal springs famous for their healing properties. Recuay holds different water bodies, including the Catucancha hot baths, and the Conococha and Querococha lagoons.
Also, the entire region offers an impressive scenery where the Puya Raimondi covers a great extension of its territory. Likewise, you can also find the Pueblo Viejo Archeological Site, an ancient Inca construction used as an administrative center.
2. Carhuaz
This small town is located north from Huaraz city, at 2,645 meters above sea level. It is a touristy and agricultural center, known for its beautiful scenery which integrates crop fields surrounded by towering mountains.
3. Yungay
It is one of the most impressive towns within the Callejón de Huaylas region since it is flanked by the tallest peak in Peru, the Huascarán Mountain. The first town of Yungay was completely destroyed due to an earthquake in 1970. Currently, its remains lie a few kilometers away from the actual city of Yungay as an open museum.
4. Huaraz
The famous city of Huaraz is located 8 hours from Lima. It is the most in-demand tourist destination within the valley since Huaraz is the starting point to most tours and treks to the Huascarán National Park and other historical attractions like the Chavin de Huantar Archeological Site.
There’s so much to do in this magical region that you should know about. Here at our Huaraz travel guide, we’ve gathered the must-see attractions of the region. Make sure to check them out while you’re here.
Would you like to travel off the beaten path? Well, we got you covered! Viagens Machu Picchu cares to provide everything you need to have an authentic experience across our beautiful country. Check our travel packages and uniquely explore Peru with us!
