Official language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Time zone: UTC -5
Currency: Sol (PEN)
There is a gold mine in the city – Yanacocha. It is the fourth biggest gold mine in the world, being valuable source of profits for its region.
In Cajamarca, like in most of the Peruvian cities, during period of carnival, the streets get filled with celebrating citizens. The party lasts one month, but main events take place during the last eight days.
Interested in regional dishes? Among tons of them, it is worth to mention Verde de Papa – potato soup or dishes whose main ingredients is – you read it right – a guinea pig.
Cajamarca – a capital and the biggest city of region Cajamarca. It is an important spot on the cultural map of Peru. Situated in the mountain area, in the north Andes, on the altitude of 2700 metres above the sea level, in the valley of the river Mashcón. It is famous for milk products.
If while travelling you are looking for beautiful landscapes, contact with nature or historical routes, Cajamarca will be a perfect destination for you. You will find there abundant, green vegetation, on which healthy animals pasture and thanks to that cheeses produced in that place get a title of the best ones in Peru. If you like to try local titbits, Cajamarca is also the place for you!
One of the most popular places in the city is El Cuarto del Rescate, the only preserved building in Cajamarca, that was erected by Incas. Definitely go there it you are interested in history. It was there where the Incas chief Atahualpa was executed and that event is considered to be the beginning of the end of era of this tribe. You can’t enter the room, but you can have a look inside. The old town is attraction in itself, while sightseeing it, pay attention to its colonial architecture.
How will you get to the city? Every day from Lima there are flights and buses. An airport, Aeropuerto Armando Revoredo Iglesias, is located three kilometres from the city’s centre and handles flight to the capital of the country. The flight takes 1,5 hours, but if you prefer land trips – be prepared for a fifteen hours ride by bus when you set out from Lima.
Dishes in Cajamarca are dominated by milk products, which the city is famous for. If you fancy a dinner in the Peruvian style, go to restaurant Salas, located by Jr. Amalia Puga 637. If after whole day of sightseeing you feel like getting something sweet – step by Heladeria Holanda at Puga 657, where you can taste delicious ice-creams, we especially recommend ones produced from local fruits.