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28 September, 2009 10:05:53 | in Tarma, Chanchamayo

Tarma: Warm Landscapes

By María Henea Tord
For El Comercio

This traditional and welcoming city is a launching point for various excursions to fertile valleys, picturesque towns and deep caves.

Tarma is a city that is visited more and more often by Limeños, due to the city’s close location to the capital (only four hours away), the lovely climate, the beautiful flowered valleys, and also because it is a strategic point of communication between the sierra and the central jungle.

The Way to San Pedro

Very close to the city there are various excursions that combine culture, nature and history. The classic day trip in Tarma begins with a visit to San Pedro de Cajas, a picturesque town full of traditional textiles, which are recognized for their colorful use of alpaca and sheep’s wool. This town is located just 40 kilometers from Tarma. Once you are in San Pedro, you should ask about the famous artisan workshop called Teodolo Ulloa.

Valleys and Flowers

During the journey you will pass through beautiful landscapes such as the Valley of the Flowers (Valle de las Flores), one of the principal attractions in Tarma. A few minutes later you will arrive at Andean plains at more than 4,000 meters above sea level, which are covered by ichu, an Andean grass that is a food source for camelids, among them, the elegant wild vicuñas which pass comfortably through the plains

In this area there is also a great quantity of rocky shelters, which were once a refuge to the ancient nomadic peoples who inhabited this region some seven thousand years ago. Telarmachay is located close by, close to the lake Junín. Telarmachay, is the seat of a long tradition where the French archeologist Danielle Lavallée found the first signs of the domestication of camelids in the Andes, as well as the ovens which were used to heat rocks in the style of “pachamanca.”

The trip is a beautiful spectacle; carpets of infinite yellow and golden grain seedlings are juxtaposed with flowering landscapes. Make sure you are ready to leave by 9am, as that is when the sky is finally clear. Just moments before you arrive at San Pedro, you will find Cachipozo, a structure with two pools of water inside which represent masculine and feminine elements. Newlyweds often visit Cachipozo to seal their commitment to each other. Every year, at the beginning of July, there is a traditional cleaning ceremony at the site.

Deep Caves

The next point is the cave of Huagapo, 25 minutes away, which is considered the most extensive cave in South America with a length of 2,800 meters. Visitors can generally visit the first 300 meters, where one can appreciate the thousand year old sculptured forms created by the stalactites and stalagmites as well as cave paintings on the rocky walls.

Mountainous Landscapes

Regressing to the road, you’ll pass by the lookout tower Palcamayo as well as Picoy, where the picturesque tiled roofs depict a prosperous community that lives off the harvest of its lands. The valley of Palcamayo is actually known as the vegetable capital. In its plaza one can find large sculptures that represent flowers and cabbages.

The journey through the extensive valleys in the area is gratifying. Women with wide brimmed hats pass through their land harvesting their crops, while the tall mountains that surround the villages tell us that here, it’s different than other towns in the country; for here, one can live off the earth and live well.

Farms with History

The old haciendas or farms abandoned since the 1940s have become part of the landscape. Each one has a singular history and interesting characters as well. These farms, in their majority, have not been reconstructed and they stand as mute witnesses to the passing of time. Within their crumbling walls, surrounded by fertile land waiting to be harvested, these farms create a sort of panoramic nostalgia.

Only two hacienda houses have been converted into welcoming hotels, La Florida y Santa María, and they are characterized by offering a stay based upon learning and taking part in the customs of the area.

First Class Lodging

The hotel options in Tarma now include comfortable grounds, such as the hotel Los Portales, which has recently opened the discoteca Kimera, with capacity for 500 people. The hotel has also opened the elegant restaurant Odría, which has a novoandino menu and is located in the elegant rooms of what once was the Hotel de Turistas. The investment in the reconstruction of the building and the discoteca has been one worth 1.5 million dollars.

Elements of the Past

If you have time, don’t miss visiting the archeological complex of Tarmatambo, located just six kilometers south of the city. It was an important administrative settlement that formed part of the Inca Trail which united Cusco with Jauja.

How to Get There
From Lima it takes from 4 to 5 hours to get to Tarma, via Ticlio and La Oroya. It is also possible to travel from Canta to Tarma.

Lodging

Hotel Los Portales: They offer promotional packets for groups in which you can spend three days and two nights in Tarma and the central jungle for $95 a person (includes lodging, transportation, excursions and the entrance to the discoteca).

Hacienda La Florida
Hotel Hacienda Santa María

Translated by: Katrina Heimark

tags : tarma, lima, excursions, peru

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5 Comments

# Curtis says :
28 September, 2009 [ 10:28 ]

Thanks for the article. What is the best time of year to see the flowers?

# Julio says :
30 September, 2009 [ 02:02 ]

Hi Curtis, the best time is between february and March, before Easter celebration or in October.

# julito says :
3 October, 2009 [ 04:15 ]

Any time to get out of Lima is a good time.

# ezekiel goldstone says :
7 October, 2009 [ 10:06 ]

Tarma is a nice place to stop on the way to the far-more-interesting destination, La Merced and the fertile valley of chanchamayo.

# Ana Romagosa says :
21 October, 2009 [ 07:46 ]

If God let me do it, we would like to Visit Tarma as soon is possible and the Senor of Muruhuay as well.

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