Ayacucho enjoys excellent weather with sunshine most of the year. It rains from December to March; the coldest temperatures are between May and June. One of its principal attractions is the Holy Week (Semana Santa).

The city of Ayacucho is full of beautiful old temples, colonial houses, museums, and offers rich folklore and religious traditions.

Places to visit:

Churches: The exposure of the town’s religious past is manifest through the old and beautiful Catholic temples, of high and architectural steeples, decorations in carved stone, paintings and finely elaborated images, and entrance arches. Ayacucho is known as the city of the 33 churches.

• The Cathedral

Of baroque style. Its construction began in 1632 and ended in 1672. It is consecrated to the Virgin of the Snows.

• Santo Domingo

This convent was founded in 1548. It still preserves the original piazza, while the current construction dates from the first years of the 18th century. Its bells were the first ones greeting the last victory of the American emancipation.

• Saint Augustine

Of renaissance architectural style. It was annexed to the convent in 1637 by the Augustinian Fathers. At the moment the Salesianos Fathers have the chaplaincy. Within the squares the three scenes of the Passion of Christ are of some artistic value.

• The Company

Declared a national monument, it is of simply beautiful, consistent and majestic architecture that shows a strong baroque accent, while the altarpiece of the largest altar is of churrigueresque style.

Necessary time for this part of the tour: A full day.

• Quinua

With many ceramic stores offering typical clay bulls and churches, Quinua offers natural landscapes and a site museum. Quinua celebrates its main festivity, the Virgin of Cocharcas on September 8th.

It is highly recommended to finish the circuit with Huamanguilla, a picturesque town with archaeological ruins and impressive landscapes.

One kilometre away from the city and at 3300 meters above sea level is the place where the Battle of Ayacucho took place on December 9th, 1824. This battle sealed Continental America's independence from Spain. A commemorative shaft of 44 m. of height and the Condorcuncan Hill are the main attractions.

Necessary time to visit Quinua: 4 hours.

Location: 35 km of Ayacucho 3,300 meters above sea level.

• Huanta

Known as the "Andean Emerald", with exuberant vegetation, landscape and tourist sites. They celebrate many important festivities, such as the "Party of the Crosses", the "Festival of the Avocado" (May) in Lauricocha and the "Regional Fair of Maynay" (September).

Necessary time to visit Huanta: 4 hours.

Location: 50 km from Ayacucho

Area : 43,815 km²
Population : 550,751 inhabitants
Capital : Ayacucho (2,746 meters above sea level)
Climate : Between 0° and 15°C