Ayacucho
( 2746 meters) above sea level |
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Map of Ayacucho |
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Altarpieces of Art and Nature
Expert craftsmen who carry on the tradition of ancient Wari pottery with coveted altarpieces and a string of colonial-style churches and mansions containing priceless paintings and altars mark out the contours of this land of historic times and places, such as the Pampa de Ayacucho, where continental independence was sealed. Huamanga, called Ayacucho by Simon Bolivar, is a sanctuary that deserves to be explored village by village, with enthusiasm and a willingness to discover the singular pleasure of nostalgic Ayacuchan music.
Location: Central highlands of Peru. Crossed by two mountain ranges that divide it into three geographical units: high plains to the south, steep mountains in the center, and tropical rainforest to the north-east.
Size: 43,814 km2 (16,917 sq.miles).
3 days(Minimum |
1 day: City of Ayacucho historic downtown, churches, mansions and the neighborhood of Santa Ana. 1 day: Wari archeological complex, Pampa de Ayacucho and the town of Quinua. 1 day: Puyas at the Vishcongo archeological site, Lake Pomacocha and Vilcashuamán archaeological complex. 1 day: Pikimachay Cave, Huanta Valley and Lauricocha. |
Recommended for
History aficionados: who will enjoy visiting the Pampa de Ayacucho, site of the battle where South American independence from Spain was sealed, back in 1824.
Handicraft collectors: who should definitely go to the neighborhood of Santa Ana.
Archeology buffs: who cannot afford missing out on the Vilcashuamán site.
Nature lovers: who will thoroughly enjoy their visit to see the cluster of puyas at Vishcongo.
What to buy?
The craft most associated with Ayacucho is its famous retablos (type of portable shrine) in which artisans depict scenes filled with local customs and religious images. In terms of fabrics, weavers and knitters use techniques that have been passed down from master to apprentice for generations, like naturally dyeing the threads used in carpets and shawls. Other familiar souvenirs you can pick up in Ayacucho are carved Huamanga stones (alabaster), and last by not least, any of the art works done in silver filigree.
What to eat?
Although there is no lack of international and traditional Peruvian Creole food, you will mostly find restaurants offering local Ayacucho dishes. Regional cuisine is characterized by the use of plenty of pork, vegetables and Andean grains. Its most well known dish is puca picante, a stew of deep fried pork, seasoned with peanut sauce, beets, red chili peppers and annatto. When you sit down to order an appetizer, ask for the qapchi, a salad made from new potatoes (somewhat
starchier than normal), chunks of fresh cheese, diced onions and yellow chili peppers, and the soup should be patache (wheat and bacon, mainly). If it is a jam you crave at breakfast for your bread, then ask for the sauco (elderberry).
Typical dishes Ayacucho
- Patachi: Or wheat soup is a dish served in clay plate and that comes from the colonial era. Wheat, peas, beans, hominy (chochoca), bacon (hence the color), beef, beef jerky (dried meat of alpaca or llama), pork, offal, onion, potato, chili panca yellow coce and ingredients. The preparation lasts a couple of hours. By serving good, it gets hot pepper grass and now they add diced crispy bread. It is a very nutritious and powerful soup for the winter season.
- Humitas: It is one of the emblematic Peru entries. It is a dish prepared base Andean corn or corn. Humita The word comes from the Quechua word meaning huminta sweet paste made of cornmeal seasoned with raisins, which is wrapped in a dry stover or corn husk and completely tied. This dish is usually served in the Pachamancas or huatias or the Supervisory or regional parties of the Peruvian highlands.
- Puca Picante: It is an original dish of the Ayacucho region, based on pork rinds legs or very spicy lamb, there became his name. Puca is a Quechua word meaning red, precisely because of the pepper and the color of the food. It is a delicious dish, colorful, something spicy.
Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi – Peru
Visiting Hours : Monday – Saturday 7.00 am – 8.00 am and 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm and Sunday 9.00 am to 10.00 am. Location : Jr. 28 de Julio block 3 w/o No. Ayacucho Built in the 16th...
Temple of Santo Domingo – Ayacucho
Visiting Hours : During mass. Monday – Saturday 6.30 am – 7.30 am; Sunday 7.00 am to 8.00 am. Location : Jr. 9 de Diciembre block 2 w/o No. Ayacucho Built at the end of the 16th century and...
Temple of San Cristóbal – Peru excursions
Visiting Hours : During mass. Location : Jr. 28 de Julio block 6 w/o No. Ayacucho The city’s first temple, built in 1540, it was orginally used as a cathedral. It features a single tower built of stone and...
Cathedral – Cathedral tours
Visiting Hours : Monday – Saturday 5.30 pm – 7.00 pm / Sunday 10.00 am to 11.00 am and 5.30 pm – 7.00 pm. Location : Huamanga Plaza Mayor. Ayacucho Dedicated to the Virgen de las Nieves (Virgin of...
Plaza Mayor – attractions Main Square
Visiting Hours : Open during the day and night. Location : Centre of Huamanga. Ayacucho The buildings that surround the plaza date to the 16th and 17th centuries. They are characterized by stone archways on the first level, pillars...
Vilcashuamán Archaeological – Peru tours
Visiting Hours : Daytime. Location : 118 km south of Ayacucho (3 hours by car). Ayacucho Inca centre of government known for two of its structures: the Temple of the Sun and the Moon, and the «Ushno». The first...
Pampa Galeras National Reserve
Visiting Hours : Daytime. Tour operators also offer camping here. Location : 870 km south-west of Ayacucho (10 hours by car) on the Panamericana Sur, going through Nazca. Ayacucho 6,500-hectare reserve at altitudes ranging from 3,850 to 4,150 masl....
Historic Sanctuary of Pampa de Ayacucho
Visiting Hours : Mon – Fri 9.00 am – 1.00 pm / 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm (can vary). Location : 33 km north-west of Ayacucho, close to the village of Quinua (55 minutes by bus). Ayacucho Site of...
Quinua town – Peru excursions
Visiting Hours : Daytime. Location : 32 km north-west of Ayacucho (50 minutes by bus). Ayacucho Site where the Treaty of Ayacucho was signed, ending Spanish rule. In the central plaza there is a site museum and the stone...
Wari Archaeological Complex and Museum – Ayacucho
Visiting Hours : Tues – Sun 08:30 – 17:00 Location : Sondor Archaeological Complex 25 km/45 minutes by car. Ayacucho Located at 2,750 masl, this was one of the largest urban centres of ancient Peru, dating back to the...
Ayacucho Carnival – Peru festivals
Ayacucho Begins: 01-February Ends: 31-March A three-day festival that features parades of carnival groups with typical outfits, local musicians and the sampling of local food, such as the traditional «puchero» and «chicha de jora».
Easter Week in Ayacucho – festival Easter
Ayacucho Begins: 01-March Ends: 30-April With its 33 churches, on this day Ayacucho presents one of the most intense portrayals of the Via Crucis in the Andes, with many daily processions through the streets of the city. From Palm Sunday to...
Anniversary of the City of Huamanga
Ayacucho Begins: 25-April Ends: 25-April Cultural activities, sporting events, competitions, craft exhibitions and typical food tasting.
Festival of the Crosses and Avocado
Ayacucho Begins: 03-May Ends: 03-May This celebration is very peculiar since hundreds of people come up with around 40 crosses of communities and more than 300 crucifixes of differing sizes, from towns all over the Andes and the jungle. People carry...
Chaccu de Vicuñas – Ayacucho traditions
Ayacucho Begins: 24-June Ends: 24-June Traditional festival where vicuñas are caught to be sheared. Before the chaccu, local people perform the pagapu, an ancient ceremony of giving thanks to the Pachamama or Mother Earth and the Andean gods for protecting...
Virgin of the Snows – Peru traditions
Ayacucho Begins: 05-August Ends: 05-August This religious festival offers cultural activities, fairs, exhibitions, and bull fights, where nationally and internationally renowned bullfighters particpate.
