Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Huancavelica
067 / POP 41,350 / ELEV 3690M
It's a mystery why more travelers don't visit this pretty colonial city. It's bursting with
beautiful churches, charming plazas and mineral springs and lies picturesquely nestled
within craggy peaks. These days, it's even easily accessible, with a good road connecting it
to Huancayo 147km to the north. Still, few people make it here and therein lies another at-
traction: Huancavelica is a safe, serene spot to take a break from the Gringo Trail and soak
up life as locals live it. This entails partying at one of the frequent fiestas, browsing the
markets or, for the most part, just watching the colorful cross-section of society pass by.
Huancavelica was a strategic Inca center and shortly after the conquest the Spanish dis-
covered its mineral wealth. By 1564 the Spaniards were sending indigenous Peruvian
slaves to Huancavelica to work in the mercury and silver mines. The present town was
founded in 1571 under the name of Villa Rica de Oropesa (Rich Town of the Lord), some-
what ironic given that Huancavelica is today the poorest city in Peru. Bear in mind the city
suffers from frequent bone-chilling winds and icy temperatures at night.
Sights & Activities
Instituto Nacional de Cultura
(INC; 45-3420; Raimondi 205; 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun)
The INC, in a colonial
building on Plaza San Juan de Dios, has information and displays about the area; ask the
helpful director if you have any questions. A small
museum
features Inca artifacts, fossils,
displays of local costumes and paintings by Peruvian impressionist artists. You can even
take a class in
folklórico
dancing here.
MUSEUM
