Huaraz is a city nestled into the mountains of the Ancash region of Peru, sitting at an elevation of over 10,000 ft above sea level. It’s a gritty place. Walking into town there are areas with no sidewalks, lots of garbage litters the streets, and I’ve honestly never seen so many stray dogs in my life. Thankfully they seemed pretty well fed and looked after.
Looking beyond the grit of Huaraz though, this place has a lot of charm. Cute little restaurants where you wouldn’t expect them to be. A beautiful main square and well-maintained park. Not to mention the surrounding areas of Huaraz, which you’ll struggle to take your eyes off of. Unfortunately, many people that travel to Peru fly into Lima and head straight for Cusco to hike Machu Picchu. This means Huaraz is often overlooked.
Huaraz sits right outside of Huarascan National Park. This is home to some of the most breathtaking hikes you could possibly do in Peru. This makes Huaraz a great base and an amazing place to travel to. If you’ve already made up your mind about visiting Huaraz, I promise you’ve made a wonderful decision. You will not be disappointed! Keep reading on for the absolute best hikes you can do in this region of Peru.
For anyone planning to visit Lima, check out my last blog post on how to make the most of your time in the capital of Peru.
How To Get To Huaraz
Huaraz is a relatively easy destination to get to. From Lima, it’s about an 8-hour drive heading up north. I looked into flying there, but with no luck finding an airport close to Huaraz, I opted for the night bus. Night buses are a big thing in Peru and South America in general. They are safe and clean, and it’s easy to actually get a good night’s sleep. However, these buses also run during the day. If you’re someone that doesn’t sleep well in a moving vehicle and you don’t want your sleep schedule disrupted, that’s also an option.
I booked my night bus ahead of time on Busbud, a travel website that allows you to compare cheap bus and train tickets and shows you all of the time slots available for your chosen dates. I would suggest booking your bus ticket out of Javier Prado, a very central bus station in Lima. The main bus operators I’d suggest booking are either “Cruz del Sur” or “Civa.” They are both reputable companies. You can also book your ticket right at the station. This could potentially save you some money, but there’s a chance you don’t get the exact bus you want.
Once you arrive at the station, there’s an area where you can check your bag. Just make sure you hold on to your ticket. And then keep an ear out for when your bus is being called. I don’t speak Spanish very well, so I asked other people around me. Thankfully, we all managed to make it onto the correct bus. Your bus ticket will have an assigned seat. Get settled in and be prepared to wake up in the beautiful mountains of Huaraz.
How To Prepare for Huaraz
The altitude in Huaraz is very high. Obviously, depending on where you’re from and where you’ve traveled to, it may not be as much of a shock to you. However, 10,000 feet for me, was drastically higher than anything I have ever experienced in my life. And once you start hiking, the altitudes continue to rise.
There are a few things you can do to help combat potential altitude sickness and get your body to feel more adjusted. But you must understand that everyone’s body is different and adjusts at its own pace. Some people can be at this high altitude for a day or two and feel fairly normal. Others can take over a week and still find themselves struggling to catch their breath. Remember to be patient with yourself.
Before departing for Huaraz, walk into any pharmacy in Lima and ask for “soroche pills.” These are pills that prevent and relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness. I would suggest taking one while you’re on the bus, a few hours away from reaching Huaraz, and then any day you’re planning on doing a hike.
Another thing I would suggest is buying cocoa leaves and/or coca candies, which you will find at any market. There are usually people selling them along the route of any major hike as well. Coca leaves are technically the raw material for cocaine. However, the percentage of cocaine that is found in coca leaves is so minuscule and the effects of chewing the leaves are drastically different. Chewing the leaves helps to combat the effects of the altitude, including nausea, breathlessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, and headache. This plant has been used by indigenous South Americans for thousands of years and there’s a reason they’re still so prevalent today. I personally loved putting the leaves in my tea in the morning as well as chewing them along the trail.
The Best Hikes in Huaraz
Now that we’ve covered some of the basics, let’s get to the exciting stuff- the best hikes you can do during your time in Huaraz:
#1 Rataquenua
Rataquenua is a local hike right in the city of Huaraz. You don’t need to book a tour or a guide- this is something that can be done all on your own. I would suggest doing this hike within your first few days of arriving in Huaraz, ideally before doing any other hikes. It will help you see how your body is acclimating and challenge you a bit without going over the edge.
So, there are a couple of options for going on this hike. If you really want to challenge yourself and get your steps in, you can walk the entire way, which is what I did. From Huaraz’s main center, it’s about a 45-minute walk to the start of the trail. Once you hit the trail, it’s another 35-40 minutes until you reach the top. Obviously, depending on how fast you walk and how often you stop for breaks.
If you’re not keen on walking the entire way, you can take a taxi or colectivo to Cementerio Pedro Garcia Villon, which is the local cemetery. The beginning of the trail is very close to here, which allows you to skip over the first 45 minutes if you so choose to.
The beginning of the trail is a little tricky to spot. Thankfully Google Maps really came through. If you’re worried about your phone not working properly, I would suggest downloading maps.me before going on the hike. The trail will eventually start looking like a trail and soon you’ll be climbing higher above the city. The views are outstanding and you really get to see how beautiful and colorful Huaraz is from above. After quite a few switchbacks you will find yourself at the very top of the mountain and the end of the trail. You’ll know you’re there when you see the gigantic white cross.
#2 Pastoruri Glacier
Pastoruri Glacier is one of the few glaciers left in the tropical areas of South America, which makes it a unique hike to do while visiting this region of Peru. Located in Huascaran National Park, it takes about an hour to reach from Huaraz.
I booked a tour through Viator ahead of time, which covered my transportation to and from Pastoruri Glacier as well as my entry into the National Park. You can also book a tour in town, which may potationally save you some money. The ride there is beautiful but extremely bumpy. If your someone that gets car sick easily, I’d highly recommend taking Dramamine.
After entering the park theres quite a few stops that the tour makes along the way, the first one being a bathroom break. These stops are helpful for allowing your body to feel the climbing altitude. You’ll also see some outstanding views!
This was by far the highest altitude that my body had ever experienced and it can be a little bit unpleasant, especially when it comes to catching your breath. Take your time going up and down steps and work on breathing steadily in and out of your nose. This is also where the coca leaves and candies will really come in handy.
By time we reached the beginning of the trail, we were at 17,000 ft above sea level. Thankfully, the hike itself is only about 40 minutes. However, because of how high the altitude is, this seemingly easy hike becomes very difficult. Take lots of breaks, drink water, and really take your time. There’s also an option to ride a horse instead of walking, if you’re really struggling with the altitude.
Regardless of how you get there though, making it to the end of the trail is a very rewarding feeling. And laying your eyes on the incredible snow capped mountains, stunning lake, and impressive glacier will leave you speechless.
#3 Laguna Paron
Laguna Paron is another incedible destination located in Huascaran National Park and may have been one of the most fascinating places I got to lay my eyes on while in Huaraz. It’s the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca and is breathtakingly beautiful.
I also booked this tour on Viator which covered the cost of my transportation to and from Huaraz as well as entry into the park. From Huaraz, the drive is about three hours into the mountains. It’s another bumpy, steep ride with plenty of narrow switch backs. Eventually you’ll reach around 13,600 ft above sea level.
When we finally arrived to the lake, we were so disappointed to see the entire area filled with a thick fog. Just under the fog we could see the crystal blue water but the scenery and views around us were very distorted. The rain came in shortly after which only added to the disappointment we were feeling.
There’s a small indoor area where visitors can use the bathroom and buy snacks, so we sat in there to get out of the rain. I met another solo female trailer who was from Mexico. We got acquainted while sharing stories about our travels through Peru as well as our disappointment for this failed day.
About half an hour later we heard screaming and saw everyone running back outside. We looked up to see the rain had stopped and the fog lifted. The screams were just from everyone’s excitement. We ran outside ourselves barely believing our eyes. Right in front of us was an incredible masterpiece of unbelievable natural perfection. The view was 100% worth the wait.
Unfortunately, rain and fog like this is very normal, especially at higher altitudes. Some people get lucky, as we did. Others do not. But this day trip was still completely worth it in my opinion. Because of the initial weather, we didn’t actually do the hike though, which is about 40-minutes and takes you to a different view point of the lake. Instead, we just admired our view once the fog cleared and I was absolutely satisfied with this.
#4 Laguna 69
Full disclosure: Even though I’m putting it on my list, I didn’t actually hike Laguna 69. I had the tour booked, but the morning of, I was not feeling well. The altitude was still bothering me quite a bit and I didn’t feel prepared for how difficult of a hike Laguna 69 is. It’s a full 12 hour day trip with about 5 hours of hiking at an altitude of 15,000 ft above sea level.
With that being said, if you plan properly and are feeling up for it, Laguna 69 is meant to be one of the most beautiful, popular hikes to do while visiting Huaraz. And from what I’ve heard it’s 100% worth doing.
This concludes my list of best hikes to do in Huaraz, which I hope you found helpful and informative. Huaraz is such an incredible, underrated destination with endless beauty to offer. If you’re considering adding Huaraz to your Peru itinerary, I can promise you, you will not be disappointed. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below and as always, happy travels!
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