Home | get to know peru - huancayo & satipo

Peru

Heir to ancient cultures and a rich colonial tradition, Peru is a magical spot which involves one of the richest biodiversities of Earth, and is a melting pot of different cultures who together are forging the promise of a better future.

Ten thousand years of history are lived through 180 museums and historical places. While Peru inevitably evokes images of Machu Picchu and the Inca empire, the country is also riddled with archaeological sites which are a legacy of even more ancient times, when great civilizations bequeathed a legacy of their art, customs and rituals, their wisdom and skills.

As home to 84 of the 104 life zones that exist on our plant Peru is privileged destination for nature lovers. Close to 20% of the world birds and 10% of the world's reptiles live here. Peru has converted 13% of its territory into Protected Natural Areas.

Peru is a country that sings and dances in joy and sadness with color and a great deal of paraphernalia. Peruvians celebrate some 3,000 festivals all over the country.

The gastronomy reflects the diversity of a nation that has mixed its native traditions with the cuisines of Europe, Arabia, China, Africa and Japan. The result: unique flavours that make Peruvian cuisine one of the best and most varied in the world.

DEPARTMENT OF JUNIN

Satipo and Huancayo are located in the Department of Junin.

The Junin region includes highlands of the Andes mountains as well as Amazonian jungle. To the west, at the border with the Department of Lima, the mountains are steep and snowy. Towards the east, he landscape is made of glacial valleys and high altitude plateaus. At the rim of the jungle, deep narrow gorges and mist forests abound.

The Department of Junin has nine provinces, two of which are Huancayo and Satipo. The city of Huancayo is located in the province of Huancayo, in the Mantaro River valley, one of the most fertile valleys in the central Andes. Its inhabitants make a living from agriculture, cattle raising, trade, and tourism. Long ago, the area was the realm of the Huancas, a tribal enemy of the Incas who according to legend were finally subjugated by Pachacútec after ferocious resistance.

Half an hour away from the city of Huancayo, in the province of La Concepción, you come across the Convent of Santa Rosa of Ocopa. Franciscan missionaries built it in 1725 for the purpose of establishing a base for evangelizing the jungle peoples. There are still preserved old, Colonial cloisters and an impressive library with more than 25,000 volumes.

From the city of Jauja, the first capital of the Peruvian Vice-royalty, you can visit the lovely PacaLake. The city of Tarma, the city of flowers, is celebrated for its attractive countryside and excellent climate. However, the department is not only mountainous. It also contains jungle valleys with splendid countryside and typically tropical climate like Satipo and Chanchamayo, where the cities of San Ramon and La Merced are located.

The department is also home to the Chacamarca Historic Sanctuary and the Junin National Reserve, which protects the second largest lake in Peru where the Junin grebe lives, a bird nearing extinction.

Tourism

Junin is a priviledged Departament for the tourism because of its open markets and religious festivities, but the most important is the Sunday Open Market of Huancayo, that takes place in the famous Way of the Inca. Another curiosity is the typical position of the sellers, who stay crouching for hours. The MantaroValley offer great landscapes such as Paca lake. San Jerónimo de Tunán is a village for artisans working with silver, and Hualhuas, for weaving cloths.

The Convent of Ocopa, in the district of Santa Rosa de Ocopa, province of Concepción, has an impressive colonial library. Tarma is a village with many religious customs and a very rich Holly Week celebration. Streets are full of colourful carpets made with flowers.

The jungla opens an exotic World for the visitor: San Ramón, Chanchamayo, La Merced, Satipo. In Puerto Ocopa you have the opportunity of seing the union of the rivers Perené and Pangoa, forming the Tambo river, and, of course, the Great Pajonal. It stands also the Misión of Cutivireni, in the river bank of Cutivireni river, a natural paradise where the visitor can enjoy the three impressive waterfalls of 200 hundred meters. Nearby is the Asháninka National Reserve of Cutivireni, where you can visit the villages of this tribe and explore the territories with deep vegetation and interesting wild fauna.

Main attractions

Other attractions

Gastronomy

The most famous dish in the region of Junin is "Papa a la huancaína", that has extended to the whole country. Other favourite dishes are pachamanca, picante de cuy, roast lamb, fried trout, patasca, yacu chupe, red cuy, huallpa chupe, red chicharrón, tarmeña hen and sancochado oroyino.

Among desserts are typical gelatina de pata, peach sweet, cakes with the shape of guaguas (new born babies).

Traditional drinks are chicha de jora y "calientito" (liquor mixed with tea) for the cold.

In the Jungla part of the region of Junin the tradicional drink is called MASATO, and it made of yuca (Cañiri) and camote (Koricha). This drink is prepared by the natives of the Amazonia: Asháninkas, Amueshas, Piros, and Nomatsiguengas, among others.

Holidays

HUANCAYO CITY

Huancayo (Wankayo in Quechua) is the capital of the Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. It is located in HuancayoProvince, of which it is also capital. Situated near the MantaroValley at an altitude of 3,271 meters, it has a population of approximately 430,659. Huancayo is the cultural and commercial center of the whole central Peruvian Andes area.

The area was originally inhabited by the Wankas. At around 500 CE, they were incorporated into the Wari empire. Despite efforts to defend its independence, the Wankas were eventually subdued by the Inca leader Pachacutec in 1460 and the region was incorporated into the Inca empire. It subsequently became a notable stopping point along the Inca Camino Real.

After the Spanish colonization (1534), Huancayo was overshadowed by Jauja, 18 km to the north, which the conquistador Francisco Pizarro established as a provisional capital of Peru until Lima took over that role.

Today, in addition to its importance as a center of commerce, Huancayo is known for the crafts and the many festivals of the surrounding towns. It has remaining colonial buildings.

The city of Huancayo has a rainy and cold climate with an annual average maximum temperature of 23°C (74°F) and a minimum of 4°C (39°F). The rainy season starts in October and ends in April.

SATIPO CITY

Satipo is the Ecological Capital of the Central Jungle of Peru.

At only 9 hours mediate of the city of Lima, for terrestrial route; considered The Capital of the Waterfalls and The Ecological Capital of the Central Jungle, Satipo is known for the high jungle in flora and wild that surrounds the city. It is also known for the waterfalls that abound in the area.

Satipo has a hot climate coming to temperatures of 30ºC in summer. The rainy months are from January to April.

In Satipo you will find the typical gastronomy of the Jungle, such as food prepared based on fish of the river. If we speak about citrus fruits, we are speaking about the region that produces the best oranges of Peru. The following are typical dishes of Satipo: palometa, pique de cesina, doncella frita (fish with fried sweet plantain, fried yuca frita and salsa criolla), tacacho con cesina, chicharrón de doncella, venado al vino, asado de Zamaño (wild pork), patasca, juanes. Popular drinks are juice of carambola, anona, papaya, piña, guanabana, maracuya, arazá, taperibá, aguaje, cocona, etc., but also masato (a drink of the jungla with yuca or camote, that is used by the natives for greeting visitors), andshapo (a cold drink prepared with banana, milk, and clavo).

To travel to Satipo is to travel to the heart of the Central Jungle, to the paradise of the waterfalls; from Lima you will notice a contrast for the coast, then rising we will come to the Andean region, coming to the highest point (Ticlio, Mountain chain of the Widow), we will happen for the highest railroad of the world; then from the highest point we start going down up to coming to the valley of Chanchamayo, followed Pichanaki and finally Satipo's Ecological City.

In the surroundings of SatipoCity you will find archaeological places (petroglifos) in Huanacaure (Pampa Hermosa), Paratushali (Pampa Hermosa), Canuja (River Tambo), and Sanquenaronto (River Tambo).

From the city of Satipo you can also visit the National Park Otishi and the Communal Reserve Asháninka.

Different native communities live in the area, such as Ashaninkas (campas) and Yaneshas (amueshas). The Native Community Betania is located in River Tambo.

In Satipo city the most important religious festivity takes places in October 24. Around the city there are other important religious holidays in Mazamari (June 24), and Pangoa (May 06). The Festival of the Orange takes place in June.

In Satipo you can get crafts elaborated with ecological material of the jungle.

While you are in Satipo you will have the opportunity of doing bird and butterfly watching, visiting impressive waterfalls, navegating in boat in the rivers Perene, Tambo and Ene, and doing ecotourism, agricultural tourism, trekking and tourism of adventure.