8 Best Sights in Huaraz, The North Coast and Northern Highlands

To see Huaraz's colonial remnants, head to Jirón José Olaya, a pedestrian-only street that's one of the few places left untouched by the 1970 earthquake. The handsome white-and-green facades stand east of the town center, on the right-hand side of Raimondi and a block behind Confraternidad Inter Este.The best time to visit is on Sunday, when there's a weekly feria de comida típica, a regional street festival with local food and craft stalls.

For a down-to-earth look at Andean culture, head to this market, where you'll see fruits and vegetables grown only in the highlands, as well as cuyes, chickens, ducks, and rabbits, all available for purchase alive or freshly slaughtered.

The lookout point has an excellent view of Huaraz, the Río Santa, and the surrounding mountains. It's a 45-minute walk up, and the directions are complicated, so it's best to hire a guide or, better yet, take a taxi.

What draws visitors to this small museum is the park out back, which has a delightful assortment of pre-Hispanic statues from the Chavín and Recuay cultures. The musicians, warriors, and gods here will keep you company as you reflect on the mummies and ceramics you've examined in the museum's inner rooms. Upstairs, numerous skulls bear the scars (or rather holes) from trepanation, the removal of bone from the skull. There are also textiles, metalwork, and a room dedicated to ancient Andean beliefs about the afterlife.

A popular day-trip from Huaraz is a visit to the Pastoruri Glacier, where you can hike around the 8-square-km (3-square-mile) berg. The rapidly shrinking ice field, which could disappear within the next few years, has become a symbol of global climate change. On this trip you'll ascend to well above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet), so make sure you're used to the high altitude. Wear warm clothing, sunscreen, and sunglasses, as the sun is intense. Drink lots of water to avoid altitude sickness. The easiest and safest way to get here is with a tour company from Huaraz. The tour costs about S/30 to S/40 and takes eight hours. You can also hire diminutive horses to take you up to the glacier from the parking lot for about S/15. It's not the most spectacular glacier in the world, but if you've never seen one up close, it's worth the trip. The glacier is 70 km (43 miles) south of Huaraz, off the main highway at the town of Recuay—a journey of about three hours.

This pretty square is the key spot for people-watching in Huaraz. The cathedral looks splendid when lit up at night, and tiendas artesenales (artisanal kiosks) border the central fountain.

Some 8 km (5 miles) north of Huaraz, this small archaeological site contains a Wari temple, dating from AD 1100, that resembles the larger temple at Chavín de Huántar. Each story of the crumbling three-tiered temple has seven rooms. There's are also a small museum, basic bathroom facilities, and a limited restaurant. Trained and knowledgeable local students will be your guide for a small tip (suggested minimum: S/10).