Ancash starts on a slightly mountainous coastline stripe and climbs up to the highest snow capped mountains in Peru.
The Callejon de Huaylas is a stunning valley stuck between two mountain series, the Blanca and Negra Cordilleras; you can find enchanting and pleasant cities like Caras, Carhuas, Recuay and Yungay. Its capital is the city of Huaraz, which has the commercial center of this region. It was between the years 1200 BC and 200 BC that the Chavin settled in the region and left as their legacy the impressive archeological complex of Chavin de Huantar, which in 1985, UNESCO placed on the World Cultural Heritage List.
All over the entire region, you can see the most spectacular snow covered mountains, one of them is the Huascaran Mountain (6,768 MASL), the highest peak in Peru. In addition, there are hot springs and fantastic lakes as those of Llanganuco; this area is perfect for adventure sports like rafting, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and trekking.
The Huascaran National Park, placed on the World Natural Heritage List by UNESCO, protects wildlife species in its beautiful environment like condors, deer, pumas, vicuñas, Andean foxes and viscachas. |