Recreation

Ayacucho [1] has a variety of mountain biking routes in the area, mapped out by Peruvian mountain bike champion George Scoffield and available from Warpa Picchu Eco-Aventura (Portal Independencia 65, Plaza de Armas, tel. 066/31-5191, verbist [at] terra [dot] com [dot] pe). There are also river float opportunities on the Río Pampa, although you need your own gear, as well as treks to waterfalls near Cangallo, a village reached by a branch highway on the Wilcashuamán [2] route.

Tour Agencies and Guides

The best agency in Ayacucho [1] is Warpa Picchu Eco-Aventura (Portal Independencia 65, Plaza de Armas, tel. 066/31-5191, verbist [at] terra [dot] com [dot] pe, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Sat.). Belgian owner Pierre Verbist conducts tours in French, English, and Dutch, and partner Carlos Altamirano is probably Ayacucho’s most knowledgeable guide; he speaks Spanish and Quechua and has a good knowledge of English.

For a group of two, the agency charges US$10 pp for a city tour, US$15 for Huari [3] and Quinua [4], US$30 for Huari and Quinua plus a Huanta hike, US$33 for the waterfalls around Cangallo, and US$34 for Wilcashuamán [2]. Verbist has also mapped out a series of interesting walks and mountain-biking routes in the area. His new pet project is four-wheel drive adventures in the surrounding hillsides.

Another recommended agency is Perla Tours (Tres Máscaras 200, tel. 066/31-4066, juan_perlacios [at] hotmail [dot] com,). Led by Professor Juan Perlacios, these Spanish-only tours are very well informed and visit the major tourist destinations, like Huari [3], Quinua [4], and Wilcashuamán [2]. Juan is the author of the recent book Huamanga: Tierra de Halcones, a complete history of the Ayacucho [1] area.