CENTER REGION

Ancash
The department of Ancash starts on a slightly hilly coastal strip and climbs up to the highest snow-capped mountains in Peru.
Spread out along the Callejon de Huaylas, a dazzling valley stuck between two mountain ranges, the Blanca and Negra Cordilleras, you will find picturesque and pleasant cities like Recuay, Carhuas, Yungay, and Caras, while the urban and commercial center of the area is the capital of Ancash, the energetic city of Huarás. It was between the years 1200 b.C. and 200 b.C. that the Chavín lived in the region, the same that left as their legacy the impressive archeological complex of Chavin de Huantar, which, in 1985, UNESCO placed on the World Cultural Heritage List.
Throughout the entire department, you can see the most spectacular snow covered mountains, among them Mount Huascaran (6,768 ma.s.l.), the tallest peak in Peru. In addition, there are hot springs and spectacular lakes as those of Llanganuco; in all, it is an area perfect for adventure sports like white water rafting, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and trekking.
The Huascaran National Park, placed on the World Natural Heritage List by UNESCO, guards wildlife species in its beautiful surroundings like condors, vicuñas, deer, pumas, Andean foxes, and viscachas.

Lima
The city of Lima, founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, was considered the vice-royal capital of South America for three centuries. After Pizarro’s decision to make Lima the capital of his government, different Hispanic authorities established their residence in the city. Its official name was Ciudad de los Reyes (City of Kings), although after a while, people preferred to call it Lima. For some researchers, the name Lima is a transformation of the name of the river on which it was founded, Rimac. Others instead suggest that the name was the old word for the lands of Taulichusco, the lord who ruled the valley when the Spanish arrived.

In 1821, Lima became the capital of independent Peru. During the first decades of Republican life, it was the scene of political fights among different leaders. The advent of the twentieth century implied a renovation since the city modernized and grew in the attempt of trying to keep up with other great capitals of the world. In 2002, the Department of Lima was divided into the Departament of Lima and Metropolitan Lima, the capital of the country.