To travel back in time, and have an adventure in the process, hop off the highway along the coast and follow a dirt road into the mountains. If there is a village at the end of the road, a colectivo or combi is sure to take you there.
The fastest route from the coast to Huaraz [1] is along the smooth highway that branches off from the Panamericana at Pativilca, 200 km north of Lima [2].
But if you are in the mood for fabulous scenery and a rush of adventure, there are three wild rides to Huaraz — one from Casma [3] over the Cordillera Negra [4], another from Chimbote through the famous Cañon de Pato [5], and a completely hairball, multiday overland route from Cajamarca [6].
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca/huaraz
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/lima
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca/huaraz/adventure-routes-huaraz/the-casma-route
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca/trekking-the-andes/cordillera-negra
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca/huaraz/adventure-routes-huaraz/the-canon-de-pato-route
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/peru/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca/huaraz/adventure-routes-huaraz/the-cajamarca-route