Central Sierra

The Central Sierra is a mountainous region east of in the center of Peru.

Cities

• 1 Caraz — near the Cordillera Blanca and the famous Santa Cruz trek, it's a good place for preparing a multiday trek or doing some day hikes
• 2 Cerro de Pasco — the capital of the Pasco region, it is one of the highest cities in the world
• 3 Chiquiá — northern gateway to the Huayhuash.
• 4 Huánuco — near Kotosh, an archaeological site containing a temple of the Late Archaic period
• 5 Huaraz — a great starting point for getting supplies for expeditions, and for visiting the Wari ruin of Wilcawain
• 6 Oxapampa — where the Selvamonos Music and Arts Festival is held
• 7 Pozuzo — traces of the German and Austrian settlers remain in the architecture and culture of the district
• 8 Villa Rica — close to the Mountain of Salt which pre-Columbian and colonial Peru indigenous people exploited to transported salt downriver by raft to people in the Amazon Basin

Other destinations

• 1 Chavín de Huántar - The ruins of Chavín de Huantar are one of the earliest and best-known pre-Columbian sites - dating from 1500 to 300 BC. They are a striking complex of terraces and squares, surrounded by structures of dressed stone with zoomorphic ornamentation. It can be reached by public transportation or a tour (around S/20). The entrance is S/11 and there is a 50% discount for students. There is a small site museum.
• 2 Huascarán National Park — a park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers almost all of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, with trekking and outdoor recreation opportunities
• 3 Cordillera Huayhuash — a mountain range south of the Cordillera Blanca, also popular with trekkers and climbers, best accessed from Chiquián.