Province of Ayacucho

Capital: City of Ayacucho
Altitude: 2.746 m.a.s.l.
Distance: 500 kilometers from Lima

Founded in 1540 with the name San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga.The city was re-baptized by Simon Bolivar in 1825 as Ayacucho, in homage to the battle that put an end to the Spanish domination.

The province is located in the South-Central sierra of the Andes.
The city of Ayacucho, capital of the province, is one of the most remarkable colonial urban settlements. Known as "Sevilla Peruana" for its religious festivities of Semana Santa (Holly Week) and "Ciudad de las Iglesias" (city of the churches) for its several temples and beautiful houses of European style. Beautiful houses with ample patios and valious museums constitute interesting tourist centers.

It is interesting to visit its 33 colonial churches of renaissance baroque and mestizo styles, with stone fronts and insides carved in wood and covered with layers of precious metals.

The Cathedral (1612), San Cristobal (from 1540, is the oldest temple of the zone), San Agustin (1657), Santo Domingo (1548), San Francisco de Paula, La Merced (1540), La Compañía (1605) and San Francisco de Asís (1552).

The handicrafts of Ayacucho, some of the best of Peru, are admired all over the world. Its reredoses with every-day-life scenes are popular (made of alabaster with lime figures), the wooden crosses with the symbols of the passion of the Christ, the fine weaving of alpaca and vicuña wool, the stone sculptures of Huamanga and the jewelry in silver filigree.


Tourist Site Attractions:
Valle of Huanta, located at 50 kilometers from Ayacucho. It is known as "Esmeralda de los Andes" for its favorable location and rich biodiversity in flora and fauna. In this valley it can see many ecological steps from jungle to snowy peaks.

The Valley of Huanta is famous for its liquors of fruit and bee honey.
The National Sanctuary of Titankayuq (Titancayoc), located at 110 kilometers from the city of Ayacucho. With 440 hectares and an average of 300 plants per hectare; it is the biggest "puya" forest in the world. This plant, that can be up to 10 meters high, has the most blossoms of the vegetal realm (over 1 millon blossoms).

At 25 kilometers on the route Ayacucho - Quinua, in the county of Huari, are the remains of the broad archeological zone identified as the capital of the Wari Culture, the first Andean empire that had a population of 50.000 inhabitants.

Town of Quinua, located at 36 kilometers from Ayacucho. This little town of pottery artisans is near the famous pampa where the independence of Peru was gained.

National Reservation Pampa Galeras Barbara D´achille, located at 870 kilometers from Ayacucho. It is the most important Andean Reservation of the region. It is characterized by a landscape of plains surrounded by valleys and ravines. The Reservation is known for protecting 18.000 vicuñas.

Archeological Site of Vilcas Huaman (Vilcashuaman), located at 110 kilometers from Ayacucho, in the county of Cangallo. There is a momumental fortification of the Incas that means "halcon sagrado". The citadell conserves magnifiscent buildings of stone, including the temple of the Sun and Moon and the Graded Pyramid of Ushnu.

The Ushnu is a cut-short, graded pyramid with five superposed platforms. The stones of the construction were carved and assambled with great accuracy. On the upper part, the "sillon del Inca" (Inca`s chair) stands out, a monolithic stone block with two seats from where, according to the popular tradition, the Inca and the Colla assisted the military and religious ceremonies that were carried out on the plaza Vilcashuaman.

Archeological site Intiwatana, located at 98 kilometers from Ayacucho. For some researchers, this place was a rest area for the Inca elite, due to a palace, fortified tower and some baths stands out.

Next to the palace is the sun-dial or Intiwatana and a construction called "El Torreon", of circular shape and small enclosures in the inside, it is assumed that it had ritual functions.

Parinacochas Lagoon, located at 720 kilometers from Ayacucho. Known as "Laguna de las Parihuanas". It has a white and red feathered flamingoes. The lagoon is characterized for its natural beauty, due to being surrounded by the mountain range of Huanzo, the volcano Sara Sara and the volcano Achatayhua.