Colossal, serrated peaks - with their summits so permanently daubed with snow and ice that they are known as nevados (snow-caps) - rising out of emerald-hued valleys and above glimmering lakes. The home of Peru’s best multi-day hikes, climbing and mountain-biking routes, which run through, over, and all around those stunning mountains.

The description above could be of nowhere else in Peru other than Huaraz and the Cordillera region, Peru’s, and probably the continent’s, finest mountain trekking terrain. If outdoor thrills are the thing that gets your heart racing, this is the place I would recommend that you come and spend time – and there is so much to see and do that you should set aside at least a couple of weeks to do it justice and truly drink in the majesty of the precipitous surroundings.

There are the internationally famous treks, like the Santa Cruz Trek and the Huayhuash Circuit, the lack of restrictions and sublime scenery which puts them up there with the Inca Trail in the conversation about South America’s top hikes.

But it is the lesser-known hikes that might end up being what captivate you the most: the trip up to mountain-flanked Laguna Parón north of Huaraz, or the adventurous tramp across the mountains to one of South America’s most formidable pre-Inca settlements, Chavín de Huantar.

No matter where you go, which hikes you choose, or what you do here, Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca will leave you awestruck.

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What are the Cordilleras?

“Cordillera” means mountain range in Spanish, and of course, Peru has mountains everywhere. So, what I mean in this article when referring to the cordilleras are the three ranges in the Ancash region that are within fairly close distance to the city of Huaraz. Those are the Cordilleras Blanca, Negra, and Huayhuash.

Below is a quick overview of each.

Cordillera Blanca: this is the highest mountain range in Peru and one of the most significant in the Andes. It is renowned for its stunning snow-capped peaks, including Huascarán, which is the highest mountain in Peru and the fourth highest peak in South America.
The Cordillera Blanca is a fantastic hiking destination, and it boasts magnificent lakes, glaciers, and challenging towering peaks.
Cordillera Negra: Located west of the Cordillera Blanca, the Cordillera Negra is a smaller mountain range known for its dark volcanic rock, which gives it its name. Unlike the Cordillera Blanca, this mountain range does not have much in the way of glaciers, the terrain is significantly less rugged, and the elevations are a fair deal lower.
It is still a popular destination for outdoor activities though, especially rock climbing and mountain biking. The views of the Cordillera Blanca, seen from across the Callejón de Huaylas valley (which separates the two ranges), are extraordinay.
Cordillera Huayhuash: To the south of the Cordillera Blanca is the Huayhuash range. This is a remote area that is far less visited by tourists, and although the peaks are slightly lower than in the Cordillera Blanca, the terrain is similar: jagged snow-capped mountaintops, deep valleys, and pristine alpine lakes.
The trekking routes here are very challenging, and the most famous is the 10-12 day Huayhuash Circuit, which is considered one of the most beautiful and demanding treks in the world.

Why visit?

Looking out on the lake from Taquile Island. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you really, really relish high mountain scenery, there is nowhere better in Peru or South America to come than here. The sharp, stark impressiveness of the summits in the key three Cordilleras of Blanca, Negra, and Huayhuash beggars belief. And it constitutes the greatest spread of 20,000+ foot peaks anywhere outside of the Himalayas.

And this, combined with the number of trekking, climbing, and even mountain-biking routes within them, plus how well set-up for adventure the tourism hubs like Huaraz and Caraz are, just makes this region unbeatable for high-altitude thrills. It’s just so intoxicatingly tempting and straightforward to get out into the middle of the magnificent mountains here.

Away from the peaks there are plenty of other reasons to visit: exploring mighty pre-Inca civilizations like Chavín de Huantar, discovering the culture of a little mountain town like Chacas, enjoying the excellent bars and restaurants of Huaraz, or just reclining in a mountain lodge looking at the peaks from a distance.

Where are Huaraz and the Cordilleras?

Huaraz and the Cordilleras are about 250 miles north of Lima, which will take around 8 hours if driving. From Trujillo, on Peru’s northern coast and the country’s third biggest city, Huaraz is about 210 miles southeast.

To the northwest, west and southwest of this region is Peru’s North Coast, a mostly arid area of desert. To the east and southeast, roads eventually lead into the north of Peru’s Central Highlands.

The terrain here is mountainous even by the high standards of the Peruvian Andes, of which it is a part. Sporting some of the highest peaks in South America and one of the world’s most dramatic mountain panoramas, this region of jagged mountain summits sits towards the northwestern end of the Peruvian Andes, which run from the northwest to the southeast across most of Peru.

How to get here

As there is no sizable airport in Huaraz or anywhere nearby, the main way that travellers arrive into this region is by bus.

From Lima, high-end long-distance bus companies like Cruz del Sur offer both day and overnight buses starting at around $20 USD for a one-way ticket. Expect the journey to take around 8.5 hours.

Typically, you’ll find one morning departure and then a few late evening departures.

Once arrived in Huaraz, people generally travel onward to other destinations within the region by bus. For shorter distances within the region, destinations served by standard bus include Caraz, Yungay, and Chavín de Huantar.

For less popular routes that don’t merit a major bus company running a regular service, informal combis or colectivos will likely be your best bet.

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Best time to visit

Huaraz and the Cordilleras, like the rest of the Peruvian Andes, have a climate that falls into two distinct seasons: dry season and wet/rainy season.

The dry, season runs from April through September, with the most popular months being June, July, and August.

The wet season runs from October through March, with the wettest months being January, February, and March.

The dry season has much nicer weather, with clear days and nights, but it’s worth noting that wet season has slightly milder temperatures overall.

Temperatures in Huaraz and the Cordilleras don’t change very much from one month or season to the next though, and in general, you will typically find daytime lows no less than 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and daytime highs rarely exceeding 60 degrees. In the mountains, it can of course get much colder than that.

As you may have guessed, dry season is the high season for travel in the region, and it’s certainly the best time of year to visit if you’re interested in hiking and outdoor activities.

Wet season sees far fewer tourists, but that’s with good reason - with regular heavy rains and potentially limited visibility, outdoor activities are not especially pleasant during this period.

High Season (April through September)

The slightly chillier, drier weather in Huaraz and the Cordilleras begins in April and lasts through to October, or occasionally even November. This is the best season for exploring the high peaks for which the area is renowned – visibility is much better and rain is much less frequent.

June, July, and August are the months with the least precipitation, and that fact, combined with the period overlapping with summer holidays in North America and Europe, means this is by far the busiest time for tourism in the region.

Low Season (October through March)

During the low season, you can expect milder but far-wetter weather throughout the Huaraz area. Cloud cover, particularly high up in the big mountains, is far more frequent and the best views will often be obscured.

Average monthly precipitation during this season is in excess of 7.85 inches per month: well over three times more per month than it is in the dry season.

But all that cloud comes with a silver lining: crowds tend to stay away from the region’s big hikes and climbs in low season, meaning that if you brave the elements you’ll be rewarded by largely empty trails. Carnival, the biggest part of the year, also takes place in Huaraz in February, so can be a fun time to visit.

For more info on visiting Peru in each season, check out our guide to the best time to visit Peru.

How long to spend in Huaraz and the Cordilleras

There is no point coming to this region for just a day or two - it’s too remote, will take you too long to get to, and has far too much to see and do for a quick trip to be worth it.

Huaraz & the Cordilleras are utterly devoted to outdoor activities like trekking and mountaineering, most of which require multi-day excursions/hikes, and significant travel time to even get out to the trailheads. If you’re not especially interested in hiking, mountain biking, or mountaineering, then a trip here likely isn’t worth it anyways, so you can skip the region entirely rather than trying to needlessly fit in a too-quick trip.

At the very least, you will need at least 5 days here. That would give you time to to bus in, do the Santa Cruz Trek, and then bus straight out again (adding a sixth day would allow you to do stay overnight in Huaraz on arrival, which is definitely worth it).

But really, if you’ve bothered to come all the way here, it would be much better to spend two or three weeks in the region, doing multiple multi-day treks/mountain activities with a few days of downtime in between them. When not hiking, you can explore the excellent archaeological site of Chavín de Huantar, hang out in mountain lodges, visit some hot springs, or just relax in town.

5-7 days - enough time for one big hike

Five days is the bare minimum you need for this outdoors-focused region where multi-day treks and climbing/biking trips in the mountains are the key reason to come.

Bus in to Huaraz on day one and immediately head to Yungay, where you’ll stay overnight. The next day, set out on the three-to-four-day Santa Cruz trek by taking a morning combi/colectivo to the trailhead at Vaqueria.

With a determined three days of hard hiking and no side-trip hikes, you’ll be finishing up the trek and heading back to Caraz or Huaraz by the start of your fifth day.

If you can spare an extra day or two, it’s better off to spend your first day in Huaraz, staying overnight in the city. Then, with the other extra day, you can set off on a side hike during the trek, or just spend more time in Caraz, which would allow for a day trip out to somewhere like Laguna Parón.

2-3 weeks - for multiple multi-day hikes and extensive mountain adventures

With 2-3 weeks, you have a whole world of possibilities. Spend at least a night at the beginning and end of your mountain adventures in Huaraz, doing an acclimatization hike at Laguna Churup on your arrival. The Laguna Shallap hike, which departs from the same trailhead is another option, but is much longer.

Next, set out on the Santa Cruz trek, but extend it to the full four days, which allows for side-trip hikes to spots such as the stunning mountain-flanked Laguna Arhueycocha.

Follow the trek up with a few days in Caraz, taing a daytrip out to the beautiful Laguna Parón, another day spent doing some downhill biking at Cañon del Pato, and more trips out to the Chavín de Huantar archaeological site and the Pastoruri Glacier.

Whenever you’re ready to leave Caraz and hit the trails again, head south to Pocpa, the jumping off point for the incredible nine-day Huayhuash Circuit trek.

Both multi-day treks I’ve mentioned can be done on your own, but there are also many agencies in Huaraz that organize group treks with a guide.

Not to overcomplicate things, but another option to consider would be to spend your first few days hiking or mountain biking in the Cordillera Blanca, which is at a lower elevation than some of the other mountains and provides a good opportunity to acclimatize.

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Where to stay

Huaraz

Photo: Uwebart, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Caraz

Photo: Fronsvir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chacas

Photo: Ondando, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chavín de Huantar ruins

Photo: Sharon odb, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aside from the places below, which have reasons to distinguish them in their own right, where you should stay in this region will almost certainly be decided by the hikes/mountain adventures that you’re planning. Basically, you’ll end up staying wherever is most conveniently located for those activities.

Huaraz

With perhaps the best array of eating and drinking spots and tour operators anywhere in the Andes outside of Cusco, Huaraz is the visually unspectacular but nevertheless pleasant base for all mountain-based activities in the region. Huaraz is also the transport hub for the region, so is the easiest place from which to travel onwards to other destinations.

The views of the nearby peaks are superb and there are several good acclimatization hikes nearby to help you prepare for the 14,750 ft-plus elevations that you will experience when hiking and mountaineering in this area. The town also has an interesting museum that is worth checking out.

Bank on spending several nights here in total, at the beginnings and ends of the big outdoor challenges you embark on.

Caraz

A smaller and slightly more attractive version of Huaraz, Caraz is well-placed for excellent mountain-biking and trekking routes and has a healthy array of traveler facilities/amenities.

Chacas

The cordilleras’ prettiest town, Chacas is somewhere to take a break for a few nights from the hardcore hiking and climbing action. There’s nothing really to do here, but the pleasure of a visit lies mostly in soaking up the special atmosphere of this mountain town filled with brightly-painted houses.

Chacas is famous for the Don Bosco Wood Carving Cooperative, which vastly improved the fortunes of the locality over the past decades.

Chavín de Huantar

This tiny town doesn’t offer much in its own right, but its the best base from which to explore the really excellent ruins of the same name. Stay overnight and visit the ruins first thing in the morning so that you can see the site when its almost empty, before the day-trippers from Huaraz arrive.

Transportation and how to get around the region

The road between Carhuaz and Chacas. Photo: Lamder, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped from original

Private bus companies

Standard buses travel regularly between the major towns and destinations in the region. Of these, the most popular connections are the 2-hour route between Huaraz and Caraz, Huaraz to Yungay (about 1.25 hours), and Huaraz to Chavín de Huantar (around 2.5 hours south of Huaraz).

For each of these, buses depart at least every couple of hours throughout the day. For the northbound buses, they typically originate in Lima and are heading onward to destinations even further north, picking you up along the way. For southbound routes, it’s the opposite: the bus will have begun its journey somewhere further north and will end it in Lima.

A reliable operator serving these destinations is Movil Tours.

Combis and colectivos

For many of the destinations that you’re likely to be interested in visiting, especially ones outside of the major cities/towns in the region, you’re likely to be reliant on unofficial (but very common and safe) forms of transportation called combis and colectivos.

Combis are shared buses – usually minivans – while colectivos are usually shared taxis. Both operate in a similar way, running fixed routes and making stops along the way to drop off and pick up passengers. They may have some fixed stops on the route, but may only stop if someone requests to get off or if they need to fill an empty seat.

They are not official buses operated by the government, but they’re extremely common and generally very safe. You can't get everywhere with a combi or a colectivo but they run dozens of routes connecting towns and even tiny villages all across the region.

Getting around by combi: from Huaraz, you will find many combis every day heading out all over the region. Their final stop will likely not be where you’re interested in, but as long as your destination is along the route between Huaraz and the combi’s endpoint, you can hop aboard and just tell the driver where you’d like to be let off.

Combis leave throughout the day (always only when full), but there will often be a fairly early morning departure.

From Caraz, one of the other major towns and a tourism hub itself, you will also find many combis heading elsewhere in the region. Combis won’t specifically go to trailheads or other touristic points of interest, but it’s common that they’ll pass by them (or at least somewhere close by) along the route, so are a good option for getting out to the trails.

Always be sure to check with the driver about when they or another shuttle will be passing back the opposite direction though. Also, it’s always best to check ahead of time what the expected morning departure time is for the route you’re interested in.

How combis/colectivos work

Typically, combis and colectivos depart from a fixed location in any given town (although there may be various combi/colectivo “meeting points”), but departure times vary tremendously. As these are not official transport, there is no schedule and drivers will leave whenever they manage to fill their car.

To get where you want to go, you’ll have to ask various drivers if they’re going in your direction. If they are, you’ll then have to negotiate the price of your fare, which may vary depending on how far into the route they need to take you.

In general, getting between destinations around Huaraz and the Cordilleras for which you need to use this form of transport (ie, where public fixed-departure buses do not run) costs no more than a few soles for a combi ride and not too much more for a colectivo ride.

Taxis and private drivers

Taxis and private drivers are also available for transport to all destinations in and around the region, and they can be hired to bring you to most places within a reasonable drive of the key transport hubs. While expensive by local standards, the fares are very affordable by most travelers’ standards.

In many destinations around Huaraz & the Cordilleras, you’ll find lots of “pseudo-taxis” that will offer to drive you around. These are usually just private individuals with a car, not official taxis and they rarely have any government license. While usually safe, it’s best to exercise caution when dealing with private individuals.

Tour operators and tour buses

Local tour agencies, which organize excursions to many of the major sites of the region, especially those reasonably close to the central tourist hubs, are also an option to get to some out-of-the-way destinations. For example, Laguna Parón is often visited as part of a guided tour from Caraz or Huaraz.

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What to see and do in Huaraz and the Cordilleras

1. Have a night on the town in Huaraz

Huaraz has some of the best restaurants and bars in the Peruvian Andes outside of Cuzco: partaking of a few is a nice way to take respite from your mountain odysseys.

For starters, sample some of the best pizza in Peru’s mountains at Mi Comedia and then quaff some standout craft beer at the very cool Los 13 Búhos.

2. Check out the stone sculptures at Huaraz’s Museo Regional de Ancash

The most interesting sight in Huaraz itself is this fascinating little museum near the Plaza de Armas (central square), which boasts a fantastic number of ancient stone carvings, many from pre-Inca cultures like the Wari. It’s deserving of an hours’ look round.

3. Acclimatize on the stunning hike to Laguna Churup

Brilliant as an acclimatization hike for outdoor-loves bound afterwards for bigger treks, Laguna Churup is one of the most popular treks near Huaraz. Start from the village of Llupa, 9 miles east of Huaraz for the seven- to eight-hour out-and-back climb to this sparkling lagoon at 14750 feet altitude below Nevado Churup.

Photo: PercyDextre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Visit Carhuaz

This little town north of Huaraz with one of the region’s loveliest plazas (central squares) and most interesting Sunday markets makes a nice place to linger, potentially overnight, for a break on the way between Huaraz and adventures in among the big peaks of the Cordillera Blanca to the north.

5. Remember the fallen at Yungay’s Campo Santo

Huddling below the formidable double-peaked mountain of Huascarán, the highest point in Peru and in all the Northern Andes, Yungay is mainly famous for the tragedy that took place in May 1970 when an earthquake dislodged rock, ice and soil from the peak and buried the settlement completely.

This is the beautiful memorial to the town and its citizen who lost their lives that day, where gardens and a recreation of the old cathedral mark where the original Yungay lay. For me, this is also a powerful reminder of what this mountain country is capable of, and why it should be respected.

6. Take a dip in Monterrey’s hot springs

These natural hot springs are not Peru’s most photogenic, but hikers and climbers won’t mind: it’s a lovely way to relax post-adventure, though facilities are quite basic. Monterrey is a few miles north of Huaraz, connected by regular combis or a reasonably priced taxi ride.

7. Take in the views at the dazzling Laguna Parón

A candidate for the most magnificent view in the cordillera region, Laguna Parón sits at over 13750 feet above sea level and is one of Peru’s prettiest mountain lakes. Surreally blue waters spread out below a striking backdrop of mountains including 20,000+-feet peaks Charcaraju and Huandoy, and you can hike along the lakeshore.

Visit on a half-day tour from Caraz (day tours run from Huaraz too, but I recommend doing one from Caraz which is much nearer).

8. Zoom down the awesome Andean downhill biking route at Cañon del Pato

Saddle up for some of the best downhill biking in South America, at the point where Cordilleras Blanca and Negra meet: the Cañon del Pato in Callejon de Huaylas.

A narrow road (be warned – buses and other vehicles also use it) corkscrews between awe-inspiring walls of rock, teeters along precipices, and dips through 35 tunnels during its most hair-raising section between Caraz and Huallanca to the north.

Hire bikes and get trail maps from adventure agencies in Caraz.

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9. Do a day hike to Laguna 69 from Yungay or Caraz

Laguna 69 is one of the defining day trips in the cordilleras: a beautiful, shimmering blue mountain-rimmed lake, accessed off the road from Yungay to Yanama (the same road as for Santa Cruz Trek trailhead, Vaqueria, from Yurac Corral).

Climb three hours from the trailhead to the lake at a breath-sapping 15000 feet which clocks cracking views of Peru’s highest peak Huascarán en route: it’s just under nine miles out and back.

It’s one of those places for which I recommend considering going with an arranged tour from Caraz, because of the infrequency of public transport.

10. Relax in a mountain lodge

I know what you’re thinking: relax? In the region with Peru’s best trekking and mountaineering? For a break between exertions, simply unwinding and looking out at the gorgeous peak-peppered scenery is the way to go, believe me.

Here, Llanganuco Lake Lodge, a 45-minute drive from Yungay, leads the pack: perched by Laguna Queushu, it’s a perfect place to be out alone and in peace in the middle of the uninterrupted mountain landscapes hereabouts.

11. Spend a day in Chacas

Visiting the idyllic little mountain town of Chacas shows off the cultural side to the Huaraz region. The pretty place is a superb example of what an intelligently-run cooperative can do, where the Don Bosco Woodcarving Cooperative has, since the 1970s, trained youngsters in woodcarving and other practical skills.

These skills have been used for major projects: the rebuilding of Chacas’ earthquake-damaged church in exquisite Renaissance style, the brightening up of the town’s housefronts and and the financing of numerous other local projects from providing irrigation to constructing mountain refuges.

12. Tackle the famous Santa Cruz Trek

One of the continent’s most famous treks snakes through the Cordillera Blanca north of Caraz and Yanama. Generally hiked southeast-to-northwest from Vaqueria, on the Yungay-Yanama road, to Cashapampa 15.5 miles north of Caraz, this three-to-four-day odyssey traverses some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Americas.

There is no need to wait for a permit or be obliged to go with a guide, as for the Inca Trail, which means you can go under your own steam and enjoy the fierce beauty of peaks that crest the 20,000-foot contour from pristine lake-spattered valleys and passes.

The Vaqueria Pass. Photo: TMbux, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

13. Explore the ancient ceremonial center of Chavín de Huantar

One of the most impressive ancient pre-Inca ceremonial centers in Peru, Chavín de Huantar should pull your attention away from the jagged mountain panoramas for a day.

The buildings here were raised between 1200 BC to 500 AD and are mainly attributed to the Chavín culture: they fan out around a carved monolith known as the Lanzón de Chavín. There is an excellent museum in Chavín de Huantar that exhibits many of the best finds from the site, too.

I recommend an interesting, little-trodden two-day trek from Olleros to Chavín de Huantar as the perfect approach which also gets you great hiking through mountain scenery without the need to spend the time on the trail that the Santa Cruz Trek or Huayhuash Circuit demand.

Photo: Photo: Sharon odb, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped from original

14. Pay a visit to the Pastoruri Glacier

This curved, bowl-shaped glacier in the south of the Cordillera Blanca, 47 miles south of Huaraz, is the most accessible of the glaciers remaining in the Andes. Most people come up to the 16,500 ft glacier viewing point as part of a day trip from Huaraz.

You’ll need to walk 40 minutes from the car park to see this formidable icy sight which – given how much it has melted in recent decades – may not be around forever.

15. Rock-climb in the Cordillera Negra at Hatun Machay

The Cordillera Negra gets overlooked in favour of Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash in terms of the area’s treks, but for climbing, Hatun Machay is top-notch.

There are around 300 climbing routes here, all marked and ranging from beginner level to advanced, situated within a stunning bosque de piedras (rock forest) off Highway 3N about 25 miles south of Catac.

Get a taxi here from Catac, itself on the Huaraz-Lima road 23 miles south of Huaraz and passed through by Huaraz-Lima buses. By the time you’ve goten out here, you’ll want to spend most of the day here, even if you’re not climbing: just hiking around the rock forest and having a picnic is beautiful.

16. Catch one of the best cordillera views at Chiquián’s Mirador San Juan Cruz

It’s worth your while coming to Chiquián, a town close to the beginning of the Huayhuash Circuit trek, solely to hike up from the Plaza de Armas (central square) to this hill, topped by a cross.

Allow an hour or two to climb up, gaze at some of the best cordillera views around (including Yanupajá, Peru’s second-highest summit) and come down again.

Photo: Waterloo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

17. Trek for ten days around the Huayhuash Circuit

Making a high-altitude lap of many of the Cordillera Huayhuash’s mighty peaks, this is another candidate for South America’s best trek. It’s a lung-busting nine or ten days over multiple mountain passes entailing ascents of up to 3900 feet in a day, in a circuit radiating out from the little town of Llamac (many trekkers start at Pocpa and finish in Llamac).

You get to loop round a stunning assortment of summits, several surpassing 20,000 feet above sea level, seeing many mountain-flanked lakes, dramatic waterfalls and time-frozen traditional villages as you go.