The central highlands of Peru include some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the country, as well as many of the country?s liveliest traditions and festivals. The cities of Ayacucho and Huancayo, and the surrounding towns, have some of the finest craft traditions in Peru, with many villages dedicating themselves to ancient crafts, still carried out in the ways of the villagers? forefathers. These towns also celebrate festivals throughout the year, with dancing and music never far off. And as the area still receives relatively few tourists, many of these places are virtually unspoilt.
The area is a must for any lover of nature, with superb mountain scenery around Ayacucho and Huancayo, and the second largest lake in Peru, Lago Junín, located here. Possibly the most spectacular scenery in all of Peru is to be found in the descents into the jungle from the central mountains, with the incredible road from Tarma to Chanchamayo descending almost 2,500m in less than 70km. Here, there are beautiful waterfalls with tropical pools for bathing, winding rivers and deep caves waiting for exploration.
The central highlands of Peru is probably the least visited area of the country by travellers. Much of this is due to the terrible history of the area in the 1980s and early 1990s, when terrorism gripped the area making it very dangerous to visit cities, let alone towns and villages, in the area. The rise of the Sendero Luminoso started in Ayacucho as a protest against the terrible poverty suffered by the majority of the inhabitants of the area. This quickly descended into a full-scale war between the Sendero and the army, with most ordinary people caught in the middle suffering terribly. However, the decline of terrorism throughout Peru includes this area, and it is now free from problems in all but a couple of isolated spots. Although the area has also been used to grow coca, and parts of the high jungle were under the control of drug traffickers, this activity has also declined, and it is now safe to travel throughout virtually the whole of this amazing area. However, it is still best to check up on the current situation before heading out to a remote area.
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