HUANCAVELICA by the road 
ROAD PLAN
DAY 1
LIMA-LA OROYA-CONCEPCION- HUANCAVO
174 miles, 5 hours
Surfaced road in good condition
Lima - La Oroya: 98 miles, 3 hours 8031 ft above sea level
La Oroya - Concepcion: 63 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes, 10,770 ft. above sea level.
Concepcion - Huancayo: 13 miles, 20 minutes, 10,660 ft. above sea level
For those wanting to avoid the city we recommend staying the night in Concepcion. We were sad to learn that the enchanting and traditional Huaychulo Hotel has closed. We stayed in the new Loma Verde Hotel, which has a fine view over the valley and extremely comfortable rooms with fireplaces! Double room with bath $50. There are other cheaper hostels both in Concepcion and Huancayo
DAY 2
HUANCAYO-IZCUCHACA- SACHAPITE-HUANCAVELICA
88 miles, 4 hours.
Huancayo - lzcuchaca: 42 miles, 2 hours lzcuchaca - Huancavelica: 47 miles, 2 hours, 12,400 ft. above sea level.
Unsurfaced road in regular condition.
Some 30 miles before we reached Huancavelica the road was surfaced, but in very poor condition because of the rains. lzcuchaca is an essential stop. You can lunch there or take a picnic and stop on the way. 8 miles before Huancavelica is the Petrified Forest of Sachapite. We stayed the night in Huancavelica, at the Hotel Presidente (formerly the Hotel de Turistas), which is very well sited (on the Main Square) and has a very fine facade. The service is average as there is no competition - it should be improved. Double room with bath: $50. There are also some small hostels charging S/. 15 per bed per night.
DAY 3
HUANCAVELICA-LIRCAY-HUALLAY GRANDE
47 miles. 2 hours, 10,500 ft. above sea level
Unsurfaced road in good condition.
We left very early for Lircay. It is a great trip through little villages where they breed alpaca, more than 13,100 feet above sea level. 32 miles along the road is the turn-off to Julcani (Buenaventura mines). Arriving at Lircay we visited the old square and carried on to Huallay Grande (5 miles further), with its 19th. Century chapel, which is worth to visit. We returned to Lircay to have lunch and then went to the impeccably maintained thermal springs at Huappa. We returned to Huancavelica to spend the night.
DAY 4
MINA SANTA BARBARA-EXCURSION TO SACSAMARCA
13 miles, 45 minutes, 13,780 ft. above sea level.
Unsurfaced road in average condition.
The turn-off to the Santa Barbara mine is five miles from Lircay. Before you get to it there is a vantage point, which has a beautiful view of the city of Huancavelica. A fine trip, which we finished on foot, to the hamlet of Sacsamarca, where the car was waiting for us. In the afternoon we strolled round the streets and churches of Huancavelica: the Main Square, Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo and the Plaza Bolognesi, which contains the churches of San Francisco and San Sebastian.
DAY 5
YAULI-SACHAPITE-USHKUS INKANAN
11 miles, 45 minutes, 11,070 ft. above sea level.
Unsurfaced road in average condition.
Yauli is a village of artisans. Every Saturday a fair is held (from 8 a. m. to 3 p. m.) where people from all the surrounding villages come to buy. The fair is worth a visit to see the young chopccas people courting in their traditional clothes and hats. We took the side road again to the spectacular Petrified Forest of Sachapite and the turn-off to Ushkus Inkanan (5 miles).
DAY 6
HUANCAVELICA-STA. INES-RUMICHACA-HUAYTARA-SAN CLEMENTE-LIMA RETORNO A LIMA POR LA RUTA DE LOS ESPEJOS
339 miles, 8-9 hours
Unsurfaced road in regular condition as far as Rumichaca, where it joins the Los Libertadores Highway, which is fully surfaced and in excellent condition.
Huancavelica - Sta. Ines: 40 miles, 1 hour 45 minutes
Sta. Ines-Humichaca: 15 miles, 45 minutes.
Rumichaca- Huaytara: 78 miles, 1 hour 45 minutes.
Huaytara - San Clemente: 68 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes.
San Clemente - Lima: 138 miles, 2 hours 30 minutes.
On the road to Castrovirreyna after passing Astobamba and Chonta, which is the highest point on the route (16,240 ft. above sea level), we hit the "road of mirrors" a series of marvellous lakes one after the other. From Sta. Ines we took the road to Humichaca (south- east) and hit the highway. It is worth stopping briefly in Huaytara to visit the church. If you have time go to Tambo Colorado on the Los Libertadores Highway. We joined the Southern Pan American Highway at San Vicente, 137 miles from Lima, on our way back to the Capital.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES ROUTES BACK TO LIMA
LIRCAY-AYACUCHO-LIMA
Approx. 9 hours.
This option would be very attractive for those having a 10-day holiday. Lircay - Ayacucho, 80 miles, 3 hours Unsurfaced road in good condition A stop at Julcamarca (42 miles) is well worthwhile to visit the church of San Juan Bautista. Spend the night in Ayacucho to see the city and its 33 churches.
Ayacucho - Lima 341 miles, 7-8 hours
Los Libertadores Highway and Pan American Highway South, fully surfaced.
Arequipa Huancavelica Cajamarca Nasca
Sacred Dance Mochica Culture Orchids