Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
discovered silver here in the 17th century and this, along with other mineral wealth (see
the boxed text), has made Cerro a lucrative Peruvian asset. It has also worked hard at im-
age improvement recently and boasts decent hotels to take your mind off the cold and in-
dustrial clamor. Besides being the highest place of its size in the world, Cerro attracts the
odd traveler as a springboard for visiting some of Peru's most spectacular rock forma-
tions. If you are traveling by
colectivo
taxi around the altiplano it is also handy for picking
up a connecting ride. The high, oxygen-poor altitude makes the town bitterly cold at night.
It's below Hotel Arenales, near the bus station. Emergency health care is available at
Clínica Gonzales
( 42-1515; Carrión 99).
Uphill from the bus station on Plaza Daniel Carrión,
Hostal Santa Rosa
( 42-2120;
Libertad 269; s/d without bathroom S14/20)
has basic, spacious rooms sharing three bath-
rooms and one highly prized hot shower. The owner is a guide, with information on how
to visit the rock formations at Santuario Nacional Huayllay (see the boxed text below). On
the opposite side of the plaza is the chirpy new
Plaza Apart Hotel
( 42-3391; Prado
118; s/d S80/100)
with big, well-appointed, welcoming rooms and cable TV and, at-
tached, Cerro's best place to grab a bite to eat.
The bus terminal five blocks south of the Plaza de Armas has buses to Huánuco (S10,
three hours), Huancayo (S15, four hours), Lima (S25 to S40, eight hours), La Oroya (S10,
2½ hours) and Tarma. There are also minibuses to Tarma (S6, three hours). Faster
colect-
ivo
s from the bus terminal charge S20 to either Huánuco or Tarma: for the latter you will
likely have to change at El Cruce where the Tarma road branches off.
SANCTUARIO NACIONAL HUAYLLAY
An infrequently used road runs southwest of Cerro de Pasco to Lima, passing close to Huayllay, a village near the
6.8-sq-km
Santuario Nacional Huayllay
or
bosque de piedras
(forest of stones). It's the world's largest and highest
rock forest with rock formations looming out of the desolate pampa in such shapes as an elephant, a king's crown
and an uncannily lifelike grazing alpaca. The area is highly rated for rock-climbing. The sanctuary also has thermal
baths and prehistoric cave paintings: you might need a guide to find these. Señor Raul Rojas of Hostal Santa Rosa in
Cerro de Pasco is a recommended guide and charges S40 per person for day trips here. You can get here independ-
ently (the sanctuary entrance is just before Huayllay village, a 25km run from the Cerro-Lima road) by taking a
colectivo
from Parque Minero in Cerro de Pasco, near the bus terminal (S6, 30 to 40 minutes). DIY trip: the intrepid
can choose to forge on to Lima from here, via the lushly rolling Chillón valley and the towns of
Obrajillo
and
Canta
where there are spectacular waterfalls, as well as good horse-riding and hiking.
