Ayacucho

A colonial Andean city said to have 33 churches and famous nationwide for its Holy Week, with the Wari ruins, the pottery village of Quinua and the turquoise natural pools of Millpu nearby.

Ayacucho (formerly Huamanga) is the capital of the Ayacucho Region in the Andes of south-central Peru, at about 2,760 m. Founded by the Spanish in 1540, its old town preserves a wealth of white-stone colonial buildings and is said to have 33 churches, earning it the nickname “City of Churches.” The Battle of Ayacucho, fought in 1824 on the Pampa de Quinua just outside town, ended Spanish rule in South America, and the city takes its name from it. Sightseeing falls into three areas. First, the old town around the Plaza de Armas: the cathedral, the Jesuit church of La Compañía, Santo Domingo church, the Arco del Triunfo and the market are all within walking distance, with the Santa Ana artisans' quarter and the Acuchimay lookout to the south. Second, a half-day loop to the northeast covering the ruins of the Wari capital, the obelisk on the Ayacucho battlefield and the pottery village of Quinua. Third, longer day trips: the turquoise natural pools of Millpu in a canyon to the south and the Inca ruins of Vilcashuamán to the southeast, each about 3–4 hours away by road. The dry season from May to October is sunny and dry and the best time to visit; in the rainy season (Dec–Mar) mountain roads are often disrupted. Holy Week before Easter is one of Peru's grandest religious festivals, lasting about 10 days, with candlelit night processions, horse races and fairs; accommodation is tight, so book ahead. Getting there: about 1 hour by air from Lima, or 9–10 hours by long-distance bus. Allow 3–4 days and watch for altitude sickness on arrival. The city is generally safe, but keep an eye on your belongings at night.

Top sights

• Plaza de Armas de Ayacucho – The heart of Ayacucho's old town, surrounded by a cathedral, arcades and colonial mansions, with an equestrian statue of Marshal Sucre in t…
• Ayacucho Cathedral – A Baroque cathedral completed between 1632 and 1672, with gold-leaf altars inside. It is the central church for Holy Week ceremonies.
• Wari Archaeological Complex – The capital site of the Wari Empire (c. 600 to 1000 AD), the first empire of the Andes, with underground tombs, temples and a site museum.
• Pampa de Ayacucho Historic Sanctuary – The battlefield of the 1824 Battle of Ayacucho, whose victory sealed South American independence. A 44-meter white obelisk stands on the gr…
• Millpu – Cascading travertine natural pools in a canyon, their water a turquoise green. In recent years it has become Ayacucho's most popular natura…
• Quinua – A small Andean village famed for pottery, where every rooftop displays a clay “little church” for blessing, and where you can visit pottery…
• Church of the Company of Jesus, Ayacucho – A 17th-century Jesuit church whose reddish-brown Baroque façade and twin bell towers make it one of the most photogenic churches in the old…
• Church of Santo Domingo, Ayacucho – A 16th-century Dominican church with an arcaded balcony projecting from its front façade, a design rarely seen among Peru's colonial church…
• Arco del Triunfo & San Francisco de Asís – A yellow triumphal arch commemorating the Battle of Ayacucho, framing the Church of San Francisco behind it, making it the old town's most…
• Mercado Andrés F. Vivanco – A central market beside the Arch of Triumph where you can eat Ayacucho home cooking such as puca picante and fried pork, and buy cheese and…
• Santa Teresa Church & Monastery – A late-17th-century Carmelite convent with a gold-leaf altar in its church, where nuns sell homemade pastries through a turntable.
• Barrio de Santa Ana – A traditional craft quarter on the southern slope of the old town, home to weaving, retablo and Huamanga stone-carving workshops where you…
• Museo de la Memoria (ANFASEP) – A small museum founded by an association of victims' relatives, telling the stories of Ayacucho's victims between 1980 and 2000.
• Mirador de Acuchimay – A viewpoint on a small hill south of town, topped by a white statue of Christ, overlooking the whole Ayacucho basin and its many churches.
• Museo Histórico Regional Hipólito Unanue – A regional museum focused on artifacts from the Wari civilization, with pottery, stone carvings and colonial-era religious paintings.
• Casona Boza y Solís – An 18th-century colonial mansion beside the Plaza de Armas, now a government office, where visitors can enter the stone-walled courtyard an…
• Vilcashuamán – An Inca administrative center with a five-tiered stepped ushnu platform and a church built on the foundations of the Temple of the Sun and…

Where to eat

• Las Flores Restaurant – A longtime Ayacucho institution, open for more than thirty years and famous for wood-fired guinea pig from its own farm.
• Sukre – A second-floor balcony restaurant on Plaza de Armas serving regional dishes with fusion touches, with views of the cath…
• La Huamanguina – An affordable traditional restaurant beside Parque Sucre, popular for its qapchi and puca picante stew.
• ViaVia Café – A traveler café on the square serving breakfast, trout ceviche and cocktails made with local ingredients.