Huánuco - A practical guide for visitors

Huánuco

Practical Guide for Travelers

What to visit?

Huánuco Province

Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral

The central fountain from 1845 stands out in the Plaza de Armas (main square). To carve it, the Italian architect Julio Seretti used a large granite stone (pacarina) that was the object of worship for the ancient inhabitants of the area. The cathedral exhibits canvases from the Cusco school and a carving of the Señor de Burgos, king and patron of Huánuco, the work of Jerónimo Scorcetto, declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation. Its silver chandeliers of almost 2 meters high are a great attraction.

Museo Regional Leoncio Prado

Jr. Dos de Mayo 680. Mon-Fri, 9:00-13:00. Entrance fee charged. The regional museum is named after Leoncio Prado, hero of the battle of Huamachuco. It preserves the archaeological, historical, artistic, and ethnographic heritage of Huánuco. The replica of the crossed hands of Kotosh, the halls of Archaeology and Natural History, and the room of photographs and testimonies of the national hero’s life are of great interest for visitors.

Churches

The colonial architecture of this city is best appreciated through its churches (visits during mass or prior coordination with their parish secretariats). San Francisco (Jr. Damaso Beraún 391) is a neoclassical style church, its altars are covered with gold leaf, of colonial and mestizo baroque style. San Sebastián (Jr. Dos de Mayo, cdra. 3) and La Merced (Jr. Hermilio Valdizán, cdra. 4) are also noteworthy.

Puente Calicanto

984 ft (300 m) from the Plaza de Armas of Huánuco (5 min walk)

The masonry bridge was built on the Huallaga river between 1879 and 1884. It has three arches and two central abutments and is 60 meters long. On the sides of the road, on the central jetties, there are four viewpoints with stone benches for rest. Made of granite, the bridge connects the districts of Huánuco and Amarilis.

Sala de Exhibición de Historia y Arte Religioso Churubamba

Jr. Javier Lindo Zárate 110, Churubamba, 21 km north of the city of Huánuco (30 min by car). Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00. Entrance fee charged.

The museum of history and religious art exhibits a collection of mummies found in the archaeological complex of Papahuasi, as well as lithic and ceramic pieces.

Zona arqueológica monumental de Kotosh

3 miles (5 km) west of the city of Huánuco (15 min by car or mototaxi). Mon-Sun, 9:00-16:30. Entrance fee charged.

Three temples form Kotosh archaeological complex dating back to 2000 BC — Nichitos, Blanco and Manos Cruzadas. The latter is named after two sculptures that adorn its larger niche and represent duality. Kotosh is the earliest evidence of public and ceremonial architecture in the Andes. It has a magnetic point that amplifies the visitor’s voice in front of others equidistant from him.

Casa Hacienda Shismay

11 miles (17 km) east of the city of Huánuco (45 min), HuánucoLa Esperanza-Shismay route. Visits after prior coordination. Entrance fee charged. The hacienda was built by German settlers in 1857. It stands on a stone platform supported by 12 stone buttresses standing 26 ft (8 m) high. On the façade, an arched corridor stands out, leading to a colonial altar chapel consecrated to the Virgen de las Mercedes and San Sebastián, patrons of the ranch. Declared a historical monument, it is currently a site museum. It also offers accommodation and a cuisine with an identity based on fresh products from its gardens.

Área de Conservación Regional Bosque Montano de Cárpish

25 miles (40 km) northeast of the city of Huánuco, towards Tingo María (1 h by car). Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00.

The Cárpish mist forest marks the passage from the mountains to the jungle. It is the ideal place to appreciate the wide variety of flora and fauna of the high jungle.

In 2020, the Área de Conservación Regional Bosque Montano de Cárpish was created to preserve a representative sample of the Peruvian yungas and wet punas of the central Andes, and the biodiversity of the Carpish mountain range.

Ambo Province

Jatun Uchco

15 miles (24 km) south of the city of Huánuco (40 min by car) by paved road, then a 20-minute walk (0.3 miles / 500 m). Mon-Sun, 9:00-15:00.

Jatun Uchco, “large hole” in Quechua, is a mysterious cave located 2,570 m south of Ambo Plaza de Armas. The remains of a saber-toothed tiger were found in the cave, and they are currently exhibited in the town hall. Also, from the entrance of the cave, the panoramic view of the city and the valley of the Huallaga river is simply delightful.

Tomay Kichwa / Casa de “La Perricholi”

Tomay Kichwa, 12 miles (19 km) south of the city of Huánuco and four blocks away from the Plaza de Armas (30 min by car and 5 min on foot) Mon-Sun, 8:00-18:00. Entrance fee charged. It is the hometown of Micaela Villegas, “La Perricholi,” lover of Viceroy Amat y Junyent in the eighteenth century. Walking by its narrow streets you can appreciate the traditional houses with large courtyards, and the beautiful landscapes. The house, built in adobe in 1739, preserves furniture from those times. Due to its location on a steep slope, the panoramic view of the village of Tomay Kichwa is amazing.

Lagunas Pichgacocha

22 miles (35.4 km) southeast of the city of Huánuco, on the Huánuco-Conchamarca-Yaurin-Pichgacocha route (1 h by car and 15 min on foot) There are five lagoons, at an elevation of 11,155 - 13,123 ft (3,700 - 4,000 m), connected through streams and waterfalls. In their water mirrors you can take boat trips and practice sport fishing.

Complejo arqueológico Atash

30 miles (48 km) by dirt and paved road. Route: Huánuco-Ambo-Huácar (1 h and 30 min by car). Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00. Entrance fee charged. Atash archeological complex has two areas clearly differentiated — the residential core and the surrounding agricultural area, made up of thousands of platforms and dozens of terraces. This pre-inca archaeological site (13th-15th centuries) has an extension of approx. 10 to 15 hectares.

Fundo Cachigaga

10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Huánuco (25 min by car) Route: Huánuco-Las Pampas-Cachigaga. Mon-Sun, 9:00-17:00. The landed property has sugarcane plantations, used as raw material for the production of aguardiente, and a mill where sugarcane brandy, rum, guarapo, anise, chancaca, panela, cane honey and vinegar are currently produced.

Yarowilca Province

Zona Arqueológica Monumental Garu

47 miles (75 km) northwest of the city of Huánuco on the Huánuco-Choras-Garu (2 h and 30 min by car) route. Mon-Sun, 8:30-17:00. Entrance fee charged. The housing, administrative, religious and defense constructions within the archeological area of Garu indicate that the site might have been the political-administrative headquarters of the Yaros. It was one of the most organized and populated complexes in ancient Peru. From the Lacshahuarina hill (“crown of the Inca”) you can contemplate a panoramic view of the mountain range.

Lauricocha Province

Cordillera Huayhuash: Nevado Yerupajá

Route 1: 72 miles (166 km) southwest of Huánuco (4 h by car and 3 h on foot).

Route Huánuco-Jesús-Baños-Queropalca-Carhuacocha lagoon-Huayhuash mountain range. / Route 2: 63 miles (101.7 km) southwest of La Unión (4 h by car and 3 h on foot). La Unión-Baños-Queropalca-Carhuacocha lagoon-Huayhuash mountain range. Visits from May to September. Entrance fee charged. It is preferable to use a travel agent.

The 9-day trek begins in Queropalca. Huayhuash is a mountain range of 19 miles (30 km) long, located on the border of Huánuco, Lima and Áncash, and it is ideal to go climbing. Its highest and most challenging snow-capped mountains are the Yerupajá (21,765 ft / 6,634 m), the Siula (20,814 ft / 6,344 m), the Sarapo (20,102 ft / 6,127 m) and the Rondoy (19,288 ft / 5,879 m).

Yerupajá is the second highest snow-capped mountain in Peru and a real challenge for climbers due to the steep slope of its ice walls. The lower limit of the snow is at approx. 14,108 ft (4,300 m) high and it occupies an area of 0.8 sq. miles (2.1 km2).

Laguna Carhuacocha

96 miles (155 km) southwest of Huánuco (4 h by car and 3 h on foot via Queropalca). Route: Huánuco-Jesús-Baños-Queropalca-Carhuacocha lagoon. Open from May to September. Entrance fee charged.

The Carhuacocha lagoon is located at the foot of the Yerupajá mountain and it has a beautiful landscape. It is one of the most beautiful lagoons on the trekking route in the Huayhuash mountain range, with a mirror of turquoise water. You can practice sport fishing and boating, and you can camp nearby. There are various animals to watch, such as tarucas, vizcachas, foxes, skunks, and various species of birds (ducks, huachas, puffins, and hawks).

Laguna de Lauricocha

75 miles (120 km) southwest of the city of Huánuco on the Huánuco-Jesús-Cauri-Lauricocha route (4 h and 30 min by car). Mon-Sun, 8:00-18:00.

The Lauricocha lagoon is located at the foot of the Raura mountain range, at an elevation of 13,123 ft (4,000 m). Totora reeds grow on its shores, and trout are the most common fish in its waters. Here you can find tarucas, vizcachas, foxes and skunks, as well as various species of birds such as ducks, huachas, cranes, puffins, partridges, bandurrias, goldfinches and hawks. Nearby, in the Lauricocha cave, the remains of the oldest man in America (10,000 BC) were found.

Aguas termales de Baños

69 miles (111 km) southwest of the city of Huánuco on the Huánuco-Jesus-Baños route (3 h and 30 min by car). Mon-Sun, 8:00-17:00. Entrance fee charged.

In the bathhouse of the Inca there are two wells with channels for hot and cold water where the Inca used to bathe.

Pachitea Province

Bosque Montepotrero

Umari District, Pachitea Province. 34 miles (55 km) from the city of Huánuco, along the Huánuco-Tambillo-Piñaurco route, and about 2,000 ft (600 m) on foot (2 h by car and 20 min by rural road). Mon-Sun, 8:00-17:00. Entrance fee charged. Montepotrero forest is a beautiful and peaceful place, and it forms part of the chain of mist forests that, due to its ecogeographic characteristics, is home to a biodiversity of flora and fauna. It is the ideal place for watching birds, orchids, and native fauna, as well as for practicing eco-adventure.

Dos de Mayo Province

Zona arqueológica monumental Huánuco Pampa

93 miles (149 km) west of the city of Huánuco (4 h 30 min by car) Mon-Sun, 8:30-16:30. Entrance fee charged.

The construction of this Inca administrative center began in 1460 and stopped in 1539 due to the Spanish conquest. The buildings in the archeological site include the Inca Wasi, the bathhouse of the Inca, the three-door palace, the unfinished temple and the Ushno where the Inca celebrated the Inti Raymi (unique in all of Peru). The representation of the Inti Raymi (Festivity of the Sun) takes place every July 27.

Hot springs

Conoc: 1.9 miles (3 km) north of La Unión (10 min by car)

Tauripampa: 1.9 miles (3 km) south of La Union (10 min by car)

The opening hours for both attractions are Mon-Sun, 6:00-20:00. Entrance fee charged.

Beautiful landscapes surround the bathhouse. The water has a temperature of about 113 °F (45 °C) and it is beneficial to people with rheumatic conditions.

Huamalíes Province

Zona arqueológica monumental de Tantamayo

99 miles (160 km) northwest of the city of Huánuco (5 h by car). Huánuco-Tingo Chico-Tantamayo Route. Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00.

Pre-Inca buildings are grouped according to their functions: housing, administrative, religious and defense. Some had up to 5 floors. Susupillo, Selmín Granero, and Piruro I and II stand out in this architectural complex. In the city of Llata you can visit the chapel of Señor de Rondos, a promenade called Vuelta al Mundo and the chapel of Virgen del Carmen.

Leoncio Prado Province

Catarata Santa Carmen

4.3 miles (6.87 km) from Tingo María, at the crossing with the Central highway (La Perla, 20 min by car) via a paved road. Then 1.92 miles (3.10 km) from the Central highway to the Santa Carmen waterfall (30 min walk). Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00. Entrance fee charged.

It has a drop of approx. 60 ft (18 m) forming a natural pool of crystal-clear water.

Aguas sulfurosas de Jacintillo

3 miles (5 km) from Tingo María (7 min by car), paved road. Mon-Sun, 8:00-18:45. Entrance fee charged. The sulfurous waters of Jacintillo form a beautiful natural pool located on the route to the cave Las Lechuzas. The turquoise waters have a high concentration of sulfur and are attributed with medicinal properties to treat skin diseases. The average water temperature is 64 °F (18 °C) throughout the year.

Catarata Honolulo

12 miles (19 km) from the city of Tingo María, southeast of the San Miguel de Honolulo hamlet, Mariano Dámaso Beraún District (30 min by car and 20 min on foot). Mon-Sun, 9:00-16:00. Entrance fee charged. It is a circuit of waterfalls surrounded by abundant vegetation (ferns, medicinal plants, and forest trees), where rappelling and climbing are practiced. You can also enjoy a refreshing dive in its waters (hydrotherapy).

Catarata Otorongo

48 miles (76.9) km from the city of Tingo María, in the town center of Maronilla, Pucayacu District (1 h 20 min by car and 20 min on foot). Mon-Sun, 8:00-16:00. Entrance fee charged.

It is located in the buffer zone of the National Park Cordillera Azul. It is surrounded by abundant vegetation, birds, butterflies, and wild animals. It is recommended to bring a change of clothing and appropriate footwear.

Tingo María City

75 miles (120 km) northeast of the city of Huánuco (2 h 30 min by car)

The city rests on the banks of the Huallaga River and, because it is close to the jungle, it boasts beautiful landscapes and tourist routes. From the Cruz de San Cristóbal viewpoint, you can see the Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty) mountain range and the city of Tingo María. From the Jacintillo viewpoint (2.5 miles / 4 km away) you can see the basin of the Huallaga river to the north and the meeting of the Monzón river with the Huallaga river to the south. 14 km away is the beautiful Velo de las Ninfas waterfall, around which adventure sports are practiced.

Parque Nacional Tingo María

6 km southwest of Tingo María (close to the Cueva de las Lechuzas) /17 km from Tingo María (near the Tres de Mayo sector). Mon-Sun, 8:30-17:30.

Entrance fee charged.

It occupies the mountain range of the Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty), known for the silhouette formed by its peaks, which resemble the profile of a woman lying down. It has a variety of 104 species of wild animals. The National Park of Tingo María is home to the Cueva de las Lechuzas, a gigantic limestone cave where the guácharo (a native bird) lives.

Catarata Gloriapata

9 miles (14 km) (30 min by car), then 1.8 km (45 min) on foot Mon-Sun, 8:00-15:00.

To entry to this beautiful place, you need to pass the Tambillo Grande suspension bridge walk for about 45 minutes. During the tour you can see rocky mountains, insects (butterflies, beetles), birds, medicinal, forestry and ornamental plants. Its crystal clear waters will refresh you and fill you with energy.

Laguna de los Milagros

15.5 miles (25 km) north of the city of Tingo Maria (30 min by car) to El Milagro, then a 0. 12 mile (200 m) hike (5 min). Mon-Sun, 9:00-16:00. Fed by two small streams, the lagoon has a wide variety of fish and birds. The place is home to local food restaurants that offer boat rentals and excursions to Bethlehem hill and the surrounding areas. On the way, you can visit the Villa Hidalgo fish farm, which specializes in the breeding of paiches.

Puerto Inca Province

Río Hirviente de la Amazonía

It is 240 miles (385.9 km) to the district of Honoria (9 hours by car and approx. 30 min sailing along the Pachitea river). Mon-Sun, 8:00-17:00. Entrance fee charged.

The heat of Shanay-Timpishka (“boiled with the heat of the sun”) comes from an ancient crater. The water of the Mayantuyacu boiling river exceeds 194 °F (90 °C) and form a unique geothermal ecosystem. The inhabitants say that the spirits of the waters dwell in this place, which makes it a sacred place.

Huánuco

City Center

Urban zone

Catedral de Huánuco

Iglesia San Francisco

Iglesia San Sebastián

Iglesia La Merced

Puente Calicanto

Museo Regional

Leoncio Prado

Cl. JorgeChá vez

Av .Perú

Cl. 8 de Enero

Av.18deAgosto

0 200 400 meters

Elevation: 6,273 ft (1,912 m)

Cl.César Vallejo

Cl. Buenos Aires

Av.Aparicio Pomares

Parque

Cl. El Lindero

Cl. Simón Bolívar

Pje. Cusco

Cl. Cusco

Cl. Miraflores

Cl. El Amauta

to the airport to Tingo María to Pucallpa

ga

Jr. 12 de Diciembre

Av.AlamedadelaRepública

Real Plaza Huánuco

Av. Alfonso Ugarte

Jr.14deAgosto

Jr.PedroBarroso

Cl. Fausto Meza

Cl. Tacna

Cl. Puno

Cl.Amazonas

Cl.Ñuñash

Cl.LosÁngeles

Jr.LosPinos

Jr.Independencia

Jr.Independencia

Jr.Leoncio Prado

Jr.San Martín

Jr.Aguilar

Jr.PedroPuelles

Parque Tabaco

Cl.Illathupac

Jr.SanMartín

Jr.CrespoyCastillo

Jr.DámasoBeraún

Jr.GeneralPrado

Mercado Modelo

Jr.AbtaoAv.Huallayco

Pje.Ramírez

Jr.Progreso

Jr.2deMayo

Plaza de Armas

Jr.Huánuco

Estadio Leoncio Prado

Jr.Tarapacá

Jr.Junín

Jr.Ayancocha

Pje.Mayro

Jr.Mayro

Pje.DosAguas

Jr.Libertad

Jr.SeichiIzumi

Av.LosLaureles

Jr.LosTulipanes

Jr.LosJazmines

Girasoles

Jr.Cahuide

Jr.28deJulio

Jr.Hermilio Valdizán

Jr.Bolívar

Malecón Daniel Alomía Robles

Puente San Sebastián

Primer Parque

Jr.Humalíes

Pje. Lima

Cl.Ica

Cl.Perú

Jr.14deAgosto

Jr.PedroBarroso

Av.AlamedadelaRepública

Jr.PedroPuelles

Jr.Constitución

Jr.Hermilio Valdizán Jr.Bolívar

Cl.SanCristóbal

Jr.Ayacucho RíoHuallaga

Jr.Loreto

Jr. Abancay

Jr. Túpac Amaru

Jr. Mariano Melgar

Jr.Áncash

Jr. Cusco

Cl.Lima

Jr. Colonial Av. Circunvalación

to Lima

Cl.Tacna

Puente Esteban Pavletich

Malecón Centenario

Jr.San Cristóbal

Car. Central Huánuco (Carretera Interregional)

Puente Señor de Burgos

Puente Calicanto

Jr.PillcoMozo

Jr. Mayro

Cl.LasRosas

Cl. Pasco

Cl.Piura

Pje.Florián

Jr. Lambayeque

Cl. Napo

Cl. Tambopata

Pr.Majes

Huánuco

Location

Mountains and northeastern forest of Peru

Capital

Huánuco (at 6,273 ft / 1,912 m)

Elevation

Min.:

Max.:

548 ft (167 m) (Honoria)

13,451 ft (4,100 m) (Yarumayo)

Weather

Rainy season: December-March

Drought season: March-November

How to get here?

By land

Lima-La Oroya-Huánuco: 255 miles (410 km) / 10 h

Pucallpa-Huánuco: 228 miles (367 km) / 9 h

Huaraz-Huánuco: 216 miles (347 km) / 7 h

Lima-Canta-Huayllay-Huánuco: 235 miles (378 km) / 7 h

By air

Lima-Huánuco: 45 min

Huánuco

LA LIBERTAD

Huacrachuco

San Buenaventura

SAN MARTÍN

San Pedro de Chota

Pinra

Huacaybamba

ÁNCASH

Cochabamba

Tantamayo

Jircan

Department capital

Province capital

District capital

Tourist attraction

Provincial border

Main road

Paved road

to Tarapoto UCAYALI LORETO

Catarata Otorongo

o Hual l a ga

Aguas sulfurosas de Jacintillo

Zona arqueológica monumental de Tantamayo

Llata

Baños termales de Conoc

Aguas termomedicinales de Tauripampa

Zona arqueológica monumental Huánuco Pampa

Aguas termales de Baños

Pachas Choras

Zona arqueológica monumental Garu

Baños

Airport

Protected Natural Area

Jesús

Laguna de los Milagros

Dirt road Rí o P a c h

Río Hirviente de la Amazonía

Cueva Las Lechuzas

Parque Nacional Tingo María

Catarata Gloriapata

Las Palmas

Área de Conservación

Regional Bosque Montano de Cárpish

Unchog (zona de avistamiento de aves)

Zona arqueológica monumental Kotosh

Conchamarca Churubamba

Complejo arqueológico de Atash

Nevado Yerupaja Queropalca

Zona Reservada Cordillera Huayhuash

LIMA

Laguna Lauricocha

Laguna de Carhuacocha

Tingo María

Catarata Santa Carmen

Cascada Velo de las Ninfas

Catarata Honolulo

Acomayo

Bosque Montepotrero

Huánuco

La Unión Chavinillo Panao Ambo

San Rafael Monzón

Mosca Colpas Huacar

Chaglla

Casa hacienda Shismay

Lagunas Pichgacocha

Tomay Kichwa Fundo Cachigaga

Casa de la Perricholi

Cueva de Jatun Uchco

to Pasco to Lima

Codo del Pozuzo

Distances

From the city of Huánuco:

DESTINATION

Ambo (Ambo Province)

La Unión (Dos de Mayo Province)

Llata (Huamalíes Province)

Tingo María (Leoncio Prado Province)

½ day

1 day

Historic Center and Surroundings, Kotosh, Tomay Kichwa, and Casa Hacienda Shismay

Garu monumental archaeological zone, thermo-medicinal springs of Tauripampa, and thermal springs of Conoc. Huánuco Pampa monumental archaeological zone. Las Lechuzas cave and Gloriapata waterfall (from Tingo María). Pichgacocha Lagoons, Sala de Exhibición de Historia y Arte Religioso Churubamba.

2 days

Huayhuash Mountain Range

Tingo María National Park

Tantamayo monumental archaeological site, city of Llata, chapel of Señor de Rondos, Vuelta al Mundo promenade and chapel of Virgen del Carmen.

Huánuco Negritos © Miguel Mejía / PROMPERÚ

Jun 24

Jul 27

Aug 15

Oct 15

Oct 27-30

Dec 24-Jan 19

Feast of San Juan

Feast of the Sun

Anniversary of the Spanish Foundation of Huánuco

Anniversary of Tingo María

Festivity of Señor de Burgos

Festivity of Negritos de Huánuco in honor of the Child Jesus

Tinkuy Carnival Feb. - mar.

Locro de gallina and picante de cuy are popular. Potato is used in savory preparations such as pachamanca, and in desserts such as sweet potato. Desserts such as prestiños and picarones are not to be missed. To drink, the chicha de jora, aguajina (aguaje drink), shacta and chicha de molle stand out. In Tingo María you must try the juanes, tacacho with cecina, stir-fry of cecina and frozen coffee.

What to buy?

In Huánuco, craftsmen produce artwork with straw and cabuya fiber, a kind of local cactus. Its embroidery, masks, ceramics and carvings in leather, horn and topa wood are also traditional.

iperu@promperu.gob.pe

The information contained in this brochure has been updated in September 2023. To prepare it, PROMPERÚ has used information from the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (DIRCETUR) - Huánuco and other official sources.

The opening hours and telephone numbers are subject to vary at each tourist attraction. Confirm the hours and telephone numbers with IPERÚ.

Published by PROMPERÚ - Peru for Exports and Tourism Promotion Agency Calle Uno Oeste 50, 14th Floor, Urb. Córpac, San Isidro, Lima, Perú Tel. +511 616-7300 www.promperu.gob.pe © PROMPERÚ. All rights reserved

Legal Deposit in Biblioteca Nacional del Perú No. 2023-10875

Printed by WORK UP E. I. R. L. (Calle Albert Einstein 165, Ate, Lima) Lima, October 2023