Ayacucho
A Colonial City Of 33 Churches, Famous For Its Holy Week Processions, One Of The Most Elaborate In South America, And For Carved Huamanga Stone And Retablo Altars. Near The Wari Capital Of Huari And The Pampa De Quinua Battlefield Of 1824 Independence. · Ayacucho, Ayacucho
Ayacucho, also called Huamanga, is a highland city at about 2,750 m in the central Andes, known for its 33 colonial churches, its whitewashed arcades around the Plaza de Armas and its Holy Week, one of the biggest in South America. Nightly processions, carpets of flowers and coloured sawdust, and crowds from all over Peru fill the streets, and hotels sell out months ahead at roughly triple the normal price. Outside Holy Week it is a calm, friendly and little-visited city, with craft workshops, a lively market and good food. Close by are the Wari capital, the village of Quinua and the Pampa de la Quinua, where the 1824 battle ended Spanish rule in South America. The 1980 to 2000 years of political violence left a deep mark here, and the city remembers them with care. It is reached by a flight of about one hour from Lima or a night bus of 9 to 10 hours. Allow two or three days, more for the ruins, and bring warm layers because the nights are cold even in the dry season, while the days are bright and the air is thin.
Highland colonial city at about 2,750 m in the central Andes, with the Plaza de Armas, 33 colonial churches and the Wari ruins about 25 km away, Ayacucho, Ayacucho, Peru
The streets, plaza and market are open every day. Most churches open for a few hours in the morning and again in the late afternoon, and many close at midday, so confirm locally. Entering a church is usually FREE; museums and ruins charge small fees and some close one day a week. During Holy Week the plaza and streets stay busy until late at night.