Travel Peru, Peru Blog

National Park encompasses virtually all the Cordillera Blanca mountain range tropical highest in the world, and is located in the department of Ancash, Peru, in the provinces of Huaylas, Yungay, Carhuaz, Huaraz, Recuay, Bolognesi, Pomabamba, Huari, and Marshal Luzuriaga Assumption. It covers an area of 340000 hectares.

This National Park is home to rich flora and fauna, mountains and beautiful landscapes. Several of the peaks and lakes of this range are world renowned for their beauty, what makes this mountain region into an attractive internationally. There is snowy Huascaran, Peru’s highest peak and one of the largest in America, with a height of 6768 m.

Presents seven life zones that host a wide range of microclimates, which makes this area a mosaic of different vegetation types intimately linked with each other. We have identified 779 species of flora altoandina distributed in 340 genera and 104 families.

This floristic diversity, the family of Bromeliaceae is represented by the Puya (Puya Raimondi), a species which has the largest inflorescence in the world. There are also relics of forests queñual (Polylepis spp.), and many grasses that make up the pajonal puna.

Associated with this plant are numerous species of fauna that have not yet been sufficiently studied or inventoried. Preliminary data indicate 112 bird species from 33 families.

Among the mammals were detected eight genera and more than ten species. Among the threatened species are the wild cat (Oncifelis colocolo) and the Andean cat (Orailurus jacobita), the bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the guemal (Hippocamelus antisensis) and vicuña (Vicugna vicugna). In birds, we have the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the torrent duck (Merganetta armata), and partridge puna (Tinamotis pentlandii), among others.

From April to November, the weather is dry and conducive to conducting practices andi agency, mountaineering and trekking in many circuits. The places most visited by tourists are gaps Chinancocha and Orconcocha (Llanganuco) and the snowy Pastoruri.

The main objective of the Huascaran National Park is to protect the flora and fauna, geological formations, archaeological sites and scenic beauty of the Cordillera Blanca, promoting and encouraging scientific research on natural and cultural resources. It also seeks to contribute to raising the living standards of local people, through the development of tourism to generate socio-economic benefits.