Mirador de Shallapa

Huaraz & the Cordilleras


After admiring the Chavin ruins from ground (and underground) level, you can climb up to this trio of crosses grafted onto a crag high above town for a full view of the archaeological site. Walk four blocks north of Plaza de Armas on Jirón Huaca, turn left, and take the stony, well-marked path uphill. It’s around 3km round-trip.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Huaraz & the Cordilleras attractions

1. Chavín de Huántar

0.23 MILES

In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most…

2. Museo Nacional de Chavín

0.96 MILES

This outstanding museum, funded jointly by the Peruvian and Japanese governments, houses most of the intricate tenon heads carved with horror-stricken…

3. Laguna Purhuay

19.05 MILES

In a scoop of a valley 8km above Huari and just inside the Parque Nacional Huascarán, this idyllic lake is well set up for day excursions, but is…

4. Huellas de los Dinosaurios

19.62 MILES

When the Antamina Mining Company needed a paved road to move mining equipment from Yanacancha to the Conococha crossroads (some 200km east of Huaraz),…

5. Pastoruri Glacier

22.23 MILES

Still hanging on by the skin of its teeth high up in the Cordillera Blanca, the rapidly retreating Pastoruri glacier is one of the few remaining glaciers…

6. Mirador de Retaqeñua

23.16 MILES

Mirador de Retaqeñua is about a 45-minute walk southeast of the center and has great views of the city and its mountainous backdrop. Unfortunately,…

7. Jirón José Olaya

23.59 MILES

On the east side of town, Jirón José Olaya is the only street that remained intact through the earthquakes and provides a glimpse of what old Huaraz…

8. Piscigranja de Truchas

23.71 MILES

At the trout hatchery, Piscigranja de Truchas, you can see the stages of the trout-hatching process from eggs to adults. By the entrance, the Recreo de…