This national reserve is perfect for discovering the high Andean fauna and flora, as well as enjoying its incredible landscapes and traditions such as the Chaccu.
The Pampa Galeras - Bárbara D'Achille National Reserve (RNPGBA) is spread over a plain whose altitude varies between 3,850 and 4,150 meters above sea level. It is in the district and province of Lucanas, department of Ayacucho.
The reserve was created on May 18, in the year 1967 with the objective of preserving the vicuña and, years later, in 1993, it received the name of Barbara D'Achille in homage to the journalist and conservationist murdered by the terrorist organization Sendero Luminoso.
It is the refuge of some 6,000 vicuñas and other typical animals of the Andean highlands, such as Andean foxes, Andean cats, tarucas and vizcachas. They also inhabit birds such as mountain gulls, hummingbirds, kestrels and Andean eagles. Another attraction is to appreciate the flight of the Andean condor in its vicinity.
It has a natural beauty that falls in love with visitors, with more than 6,500 hectares. Its flora is represented by natural pastures known as ichu, pajonales and small areas of forests with qishuar and queñuales.
There are several hiking routes that you can do in Pampa Galeras to see up close chullpas of stone, cave paintings and dry forests and stone.
Every June 24 the Fiesta del Chaccu is celebrated, an ancestral rite whose objective is to shear the wool of vicuña and that counts on dances, music and traditional ceremonies. In Quechua it means "capture of vicuñas". This fiber is one of the most sought after in the international market and one of the great attractions of the area.
In addition, the place houses a Museum of Site, where you can appreciate a sample of the flora and fauna, as well as a photo gallery on the Chaccu.
When to go
You can visit all year round but the best time is in the dry season, which runs from April to November.
Admission is free and visiting hours are from Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Weather
The weather of the typical puna place: cold and dry. The rainy season goes from December to March, while the dry season occurs in the months of April to November.
Due to its altitude, the nights in Pampa Galeras are extremely cold and temperatures below 0 ° C are often present.
How to get there
It is 696 kilometers southwest from the city of Ayacucho. You must take the Panamericana Sur highway, via Nazca. The journey takes 10 hours by car.
If you travel from the capital, the reserve is 543 kilometers far from Lima, which is equivalent to 9 hours by land on the Panamericana Sur highway.
Recommendations
The checkpoint and the place of reception for visitors of the reserve are located at km 89.5 of the South Interoceanic Highway (Interoceanic Road Corridor South-Section 1).
You can stay in the reserve, but it only has capacity for 80 people per night. To do this you must contact the reception center and indicate the name of the persons and their identity documents.
Take sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, insect repellent and water during your visit. It is also good to wear warm clothes because it is a destination of height.
Because it is a protected natural space, the entry of pets is prohibited, as well as the hunting or collection of wild flora.
Pampa Galeras National Reserve - Barbara D'Achille map
Come and discover Pampa Galeras National Reserve - Barbara D'Achille
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