Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
als. The obelisk had been moved to a Lima museum long before the 1945 landslide that
destroyed much of the original chapel museum, and was only returned to Chavín in 2009.
To get the most from your visit, it's worth hiring a guide to show you around (S30) or
go on a guided day trip (including transportation) from Huaraz; this latter option is by far
the most budget-friendly way to see these ruins, especially since it can be difficult to get a
bus back to Huaraz from Chavín late in the day - you may get stuck in a unlicensed
colectivo
(S25, called
piratas
), or backtracking via San Marcos (S2, 15 minutes) to get an
official
combi
(S25, 2½ hours) or
colectivo
(S20 to S25, 2½ hours) back to Huaraz.
Activities
The relaxing sulfur
Quercos thermal baths
(admission S3)
, a 30-minute walk south of
town, house four private baths and one larger pool. Keep your eyes peeled for a small,
signed path that leads down to the river.
Horse riding
on Peruvian pacing horses can be
arranged through the Cafetería Renato (
Click here
)
for S40 per hour (including a guide).
From Chavín you can hike for a few hours into a lofty valley, in the direction of Oller-
os, to a high pass with stirring views of Huantsán (6395m) - the highest mountain in the
southern Cordillera Blanca. If you're interested in longer treks originating here,
Don
Donato
( 45-4136; Tello Sur 275)
of the Asociación de Servicios de Alta Montaña of-
fers a four-day trek (S480) that circles the back side of the Cordillera Blanca, passes by
several alpine lakes and exits through the Carhuascancha Valley.
LAND OF THE LOST
When the Antamina Mining Company needed a paved road to move mining equipment from Yanacancha to the
Conococha crossroads (some 200km east of Huaraz), they simply built it themselves. During the excavation in
2009, they made a startling discovery: over 100 footprints and fossilized remains of at least 12 species of prehis-
toric animals that paleontologists have dated to the Early Cretaceous Period (about 120 million years ago). Com-
plete skeletons of large marine reptiles known as sauropterygians were found in addition to skeletal remains of
other extinct species of crocodiles, flying reptiles called pterosaurs, fish-like reptiles called ichthyosaurs and… di-
nosaur footprints!
The site, known as
Huellas de los Dinosaurios
, is between Kms 77 and 83 on the highway between San Mar-
cos and Huallanca. At time of writing, the only way to visit was by private car, but ideas were being floated to be-
gin day tours from Chavín de Huántar and Huaraz as early as 2013.
