Huanuco features two very separate geographies, the highlands and upper jungle. The Andean zone is marked by the existence of the Huayhuash Cordillera, and the upper jungle extends to the western side of the Andes.
The city of Huanuco, capital of the region of the same name, lies on the edge of the Huallaga River, the area is well known for its fruit, coffee, and cacao production. The oldest evidence of human habitation in Peru has been found in this land. The Lauricocha man and the Temple of Crossed Hands located in the boundaries of the city in Kotosh. In Huanuco Pampa, there are also interesting archaeological sites from the age of the Incas.
Founded in 1539, the city of Huanuco was a place of an important cultural movement during the Colonial period and the characteristic buildings of that period are the Cathedral and the churches of San Francisco, San Cristobal, and La Merced.
The city of Tingo Maria, some 120 kilometers from Huanuco, is home for the thunderous Huallaga River. The Tingo Maria National Park (4,777 hectares) is located in an area that contains a great diversity of flora (orchids, cat’s claw, and dragon’s blood) and fauna (Andean cock of the rock, oil birds, little spotted cats, jaguars, reptiles, sachavacas, and the howler monkey). There is also the Pumaringri mountain series, also known as the Sleeping Beauty due to its extraordinary similarity to a woman lying down.
The Cueva De Las Lechuzas (Owl’s Cave) is habitat to nocturnal birds while in the Cueva De Las Pavas (Turkey’s Cave) you can find ponds of crystalline water and abundant vegetation. |