Ayacucho – The pride of Peru

The city of Ayacucho is the headquarters of Peru’s Huamanga Province. This city and province constitutes the Ayacucho region of the nation. The city is home to some 151,019 residents.

The city is situated at a height of 2,761 meters above the sea level and history tells us Ayacucho was founded in the year 1540. However, during those olden days the city was referred to as “San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga.” It was only in 1825, when Simon Bolivar re-baptized the city to its present day name. The logic behind the current name of the city is the tribute to the battle waged by the natives of the land to end the domination over the land by the Spaniards.

Recent researches have revealed the existence of human settlements, which date to more than 15,000 years ago, at a place known as Pikimachay, which is around 25 kms in the northern direction from Ayacucho. These studies will only add to the historical sites of the city, which is already rich in ancient resources and is one of the favorite sites for researchers and history lovers.

The city is famous the world over for its 33 churches, which are commonly referred to one for every year of Jesus Christ’s life. The city hosts numerous religious activities during the annual Holy Week celebrations. The activities in this part of the world are quite unique vis-à-vis as seen in other parts of the world. Ayacucho sees horse races, which feature a Peruvian Caballos de Paso. Besides, there are other activities such as the running of Bulls, which is a traditional activity of the land and more popularly referred to as jalatoro or pascuator.

Overall, the city and the nation are largely influenced by the Spanish culture owing to the fact of long spells of domination of the Spaniards over the land. The local jalatoro resembles the encierro of the Spaniards in many ways; the only striking difference seen in the Peruvian version is the bulls are spearheaded by the horses of the Morochucos.

Coming to the economy of the city, the economics is primarily agrarian and the other major aspects of the economy are the light manufacturing activities, which includes the leather goods, pottery, textiles, besides the filigree wares.

However, in recent times, the tourism industry is playing a major role in nourishing the economy of the entire region. In fact the foreign exchange earnings from the tourism sector are on the rise year after year and this aspect is only leading to the all-round development of the city and region. The city can thus hope for a bright future with regards to the tourism opportunities.

Let’s go through some of the attractions of the city in brief.

Valle of Huanta:

The Valle of Huanta of situated at a distance of some 50 kms from the city of Ayacucho. This valley is also referred to as Esmeralda de los Andes and the reason behind this name is due to the strategic location of the valley, which is rich in flora and fauna. Once in the valley, it is easy for you to view the so many ecological steps of the region ranging from snowy peaks to jungle.

Besides, the natural surroundings, the valley is also famous the world over for its bee honey and fruit liquors.

The National Sanctuary of Titankayuq or Titancayoc: This sanctuary is all about a huge 440 hectares of land with an average of 300 plants per hectare. The place holds a very unique distinction of being the largest “puya” forest in the whole world.

Quinua:

The small town of Quinua is located some 36 kms from the city of Ayacucho. This tiny town is famous for its pottery artisans and is in close vicinity to a very important landmark of the region, the famous pampa, which is the same historical place where Peru first won independence.

National Reservation Pampa Galeras Barbara D´achille:

This is undoubtedly the most significant Andean reservation in the entire region. The place is full of plains along with ravines and valleys. The reservation is believed to protect some 18,000 vicuñas.

Archeological Site of Vilcas Huaman (Vilcashuaman):

This ancient site is part of the Cangallo County. The reservation preserves the marvelous buildings, which are made of stone and include the Sun and Moon temple besides the Graded Pyramid of Ushnu.

Intiwatana:

This is another famous archeological site and is located at a distance of some 98 kms from the city of Ayacucho. Intiwatana has a reputation of being a resting place for some of the noted researchers owing to the fortified tower, the Palace and the baths of the area.

The Cathedral:

The Cathedral dates back to the 17th century. The Cathedral is a must visit on your next visit to the city. It is considered one of the most beautiful structures in the entire nation of Peru. The Cathedral boasts of exquisite internal decorations of the Churriguerra style. In fact, the Cathedral laid the foundation for the evolution of these styles as the later structures like San Francisco de Paula of 1713 is a classic example of the evolution of building styles based on the Cathedral.

Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo:

This church and convent is located on 9 de Diciembre Street on block 2. The structure was built between the 16th and 17th centuries with the use of the baroque style. Without a shadow of a doubt the church can be termed as the prettiest in the entire city of Ayacucho. The structure is characterized with a spectacular front side, which has a marvelous stone carved cross. The convent came into existence in 1548.

Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco de Asís:

This is another church and convent of the city. The structure is situated at 28 de Julio Street on block 3. The structure goes back to 1568 and a striking feature of the entire masterpiece is its huge dimension, which is considered the best in the nation.

Once you get inside, you will not be able to take your eyes off the spectacularly carved altars. Besides, there are collections of paintings and other stone carvings to experience as well.

The convent came into existence in the year 1642 and is a place full of peaceful and a calm atmosphere. The place is full of orchards, gardens and cloisters, besides a library full of old books as well.

Templo de la Buena Muerte: This temple is situated in the Jr. Arequipa. The structure goes back to the year 1726 and was founded later in 1741. A striking feature of the structure is the closet in the sacristy, which is a masterpiece in its own right as it is a wonderful work of wooden art.

Huari:

Huari is a huge archaeological site in the Ayacucho region. The site used to be the center of the empire and covered the most strategic areas of the region. Most of the highlands and the coastal regions of the modern day Ayacucho and Peru in general were under the Huari.

The Huari empire occupies a significant place in the history of the land as it laid the foundations for the following Inca Empire.

The city of Ayacucho has also produced some fine personalities, who over the years have carved a niche for themselves in their respective fields and professions and in the process have also gone to make the city proud. Some of the prominent sons of the soil are Raúl García Zárate, a prominent guitarist; Luis Guillermo Lumbreras, an archaeologist, Juan de Mata Peralta Ramirez, a noted writer, Alberto Arca Parró, a marvelous lawyer and economist, Harry Guillermo Mendoza, a famous urban scientist and Efraín Morote, a university provost and anthropologist.

The city also hosts some important annual occasions. Some of the main occasions marked in this part of the world include the Holy Week, which comes up every year during the months of either March or April varying from year to year. The occasion sees huge processions symbolizing the dead and the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ sees huge crowds.

Some of the other noted attractions of the city include the Regional-national agro fair, which is all about folklore and handicrafts of the region

Listed below are some of the questions which may be on your mind.

How do I reach the city of Ayacucho?

The city of Ayacucho boasts of an airport, however, international flights do not operate in this airport. Hence, in order to enter Peru, you need to fly into the capital city Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport. This airport is without a shadow of a doubt the best in Peru.

The airport hosts a series of daily international flights from the major US cities as well as other important cities from around the world.

Once, you have set foot in Peruvian territory, you have a number of options at your disposal to proceed to your destination. You can travel to Ayacucho via a domestic flight and the entire journey will not exceed 45 minutes.

Besides, you can also take the roadway to reach your destination. The road distance between Lima and Ayacucho is around 338 km and the journey should take around 8-9 hours by the services of a hired cab. Let me assure you, during your road trip you will experience the best in greenery of the region.

Where do I stay during my Ayacucho trip?

The city of Ayacucho boasts of some wonderful accommodation facilities to its visitors. The options come in various budget categories as well. Some of the prominent landmarks of the city are Plaza Hotel, Hotel Misky Samay, Hotel Santa Rosa, Ayacucho Hotel, La Crillonesa, Marquez de Valdelirios and  Hostal La Florida.

When is the best time of the year to visit Ayacucho?

You may visit the city at any time of the year as the place is full of life throughout the entire calendar year. However, it is normal trend seen in this part of the world; the months from June to August are very crowded. These months coincide with the peak tourism season of the city and the hotel rates and other general rates also tend to peak.

It is recommended you visit the place during the months of May through November as the temperatures are cool and ideal for a holiday.

In conclusion, the city of Ayacucho is a wonderful holiday destination and I can only guarantee you will never experience a dull moment in this part of the world. The place is full of history and the history lovers will have their hands full here. The best part about the city is there are so many sites to be visited and there are chances that you may explore something unique yourself for the world to witness.

Secondly, the place has earned a reputation of being a safe holiday hot spot. This reputation has not just been given by any authority, the city has earned this wonderful reputation and the whole credit for this goes to the authorities of the city and its natives. The city is crime free for the last few years as there have been no reports of any untoward incidents reported from this part of the world.

Usually, it is a common trend seen in other popular destinations worldwide as there are incidents of robberies and murders with the main motive being to steal the valuables of the visitors. However, this is not the case in Ayacucho as there have been no such reports of such crime acts.

Hence, you can always expect to enjoy a wonderful, clean and safe holiday as there is no fear of traveling during the night. Parents can also relax as they are assured about the safety of their kids and loved ones.

So, what are you waiting for, just go ahead and plan that all important trip to Ayacucho.