7 Best Sights in The Central Highlands, Peru

The Central Highlands' Ferrocarril Central Andino once laid claim to being the world's highest rail route. With the 2006 opening of China's Qinghai–Tibet Railway, the Peru route was knocked down to second place. No matter, though: this is one of the country's most scenic areas, and tracks cut through the mountains and plains all the way from Lima to Huancayo. The line these days is a shadow of what it once was, and trains ply the route only a few times a year. Tickets are easy to come by, but you will have to plan around the infrequent departures if you want the journey to be a centerpiece of your visit to Peru. The railway's website lists departure dates, with Lima–Huancayo service operating just a handful of days between April and November. Trains depart the capital's Desamparados train station for the 12-hour journey to Huancayo, twisting along the 335-km (207-mile) route through the Andes at an average elevation of 4,782 meters (15,685 feet). The engine chugs its way up a slim thread of rails that hugs the slopes, traveling over 59 bridges, around endless hairpin curves, and through 66 tunnels—including the 1,175-meter-long (3,854-foot-long) Galera Tunnel, which, at an altitude of 4,758 meters (15,606 feet), is the climax of the journey. Snacks, lunch, and soft drinks are included in the price. You can request oxygen if you get short of breath over the high passes, and mate de coca flows freely at all hours. The decades-old clásico cars are okay in a pinch, but the newer turístico cars are much more comfortable, with reclining seats and access to the observation and bar car.

In front of the Río Shulcas, the Capilla de la Merced is a national monument marking where Peru's Constitutional Congress met in 1830 and the Constitution was signed in 1839. In addition to information about this historic gathering, the Chapel of Mercy also exhibits Cusqueña paintings.

This ruined temple was built by the pre-Inca Huanca culture between 800 and 1200 AD. It consists of stone walls enclosing cells where captives were held prior to being sacrificed, as well as underground conduits to bring water to the region. You can still see the sacred spring that flows through the channels; legend says that this spring gave rise to the foreparents of the Huanca people. Several mummies have been discovered at the site. The closest village is Huari, which has a little museum on the main square with ceramic figures, pottery, and a few bones and skulls.

Look for the well-preserved rainforest creatures and butterflies from the northern jungles among this museum's more than 10,000 objects. Local fossils and archaeological relics are also on display.

The focus of the beautiful Parque de la Identidad Huanca is the pre-Inca Huanca culture, which once occupied the area but left few clues to its lifestyle. A 5-km (3-mile) drive from Huancayo, the park has pebbled paths and small bridges that meander through blossoming gardens and past a rock castle just right for children to tackle. An enormous sculpture at the park's center honors the local artisans who produce the city's mates burilados.

An all-in-one amusement site 1 km (½ mile) northeast of the city, the Parque del Cerro de la Libertad lets you picnic in the grass, watch the kids at the playground, swim in the public pool, dine at a restaurant, or stroll through the zoo. Folkloric dancers and musicians perform at the Liberty Hill Park amphitheater on weekends. A 15-minute walk from the park brings you to the site of Torre Torre, a cluster of 10– to 30-meter (30- to 98-foot) rock towers formed by wind and rain erosion.

When the Spanish founded Huancayo in 1572, the Plaza Huamanmarca was the city center and the site of the weekly feria dominical (Sunday market). Today Huamanmarca Square is fronted by the post office, the telephone agency, and the Municipal Hall, and the feria dominical now takes place on Avenida Huancavelica.