Pampa Galeras National Reserve Tour

$80.00

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Tour info

Duration:
5h30
Transport:
Buz
Tour Type:
Nazca Tour
Group size:
20
Location:
Departures
From: 7:00 hrs (preferably during mornings)

About the Tour

In the province of Lucanas, this natural area contains the largest population of vicuñas in the country and the world, concentrated in a very small space. It is also home to animals such as the Andean fox, vizcachas, and weasels, in addition to the Andean condor, the Andean flamingo and the Andean tinamou. Other attractions of this national reserve are its rock paintings, the site museum and the Interpretation Center, where species of flora and fauna are exhibited.

Pampas Galeras national reserve protects the high-altitude habitat of the threatened vicuña, the timid and elegant relative of the alpaca and llama. If you’re lucky enough to see one of these adorable, delicate creatures in the wild, it’s easy to understand why the Incas considered them sacred.

Though there were some 2 million vicuña roaming in the mountains at the height of the Incan Empire, the cinnamon-colored animals were almost hunted to extinction after the arrival of the Spanish. The conquistadors were after their extremely valuable wool coat—the luxuriously soft and warm fleece of the vicuña is one of the finest and most expensive natural fibers in the world.

Today, Pampas Galeras is one of the largest sanctuaries working to protect this lovely creature. About 5,000 vicuña live within the boundaries of the reserve at altitudes of over 10,000 feet. The national reserve also helps support the rural Andean communities that live in harmony with the regional wildlife. One successful conservation method has been to give the local villages a stake in the vicuñas’ protection
by bringing back the centuries-old chaccu shearing ceremony.

Each June, the villagers corral the vicuña, shear the wool without harming the animals, and release them back into the wild. The shearing is often followed by a traditional feast with music, drinking, and dancing. This ritual benefits the isolated mountain communities by giving them the right to sell the animals’ expensive fleece, with the added benefit of deterring would-be poachers.

Why book this experience

Admire the national symbol of the animal wealth of this country.

Itinerary

At the indicated time we will begin our tour and we will go across the desert and the mountains in search of such an appreciable animal, owner of the finest wool in the world. During the Incan Empire it was forbidden to kill the vicuña, so the wool was gathered in a humane
shearing ritual known as chaccu, and the silky fleece was only worn by nobility. Unfortunately, the Spanish conquistadors used guns to hunt the lucrative animals, a practice that lasted for centuries until the vicuña was designated an endangered species in the 1970s.
We will make some strategic stops to appreciate them more closely and enjoy the beautiful natural landscape.

Admired and with information still in process, we will return to the city of Nazca and drop you off at your hotel or somewhere in the city. Grateful for having chosen us for your visit to the millenary and amazing nazca lines will be the end of our services.

Exclusions

Meals

Additional Info

Take into consideration that in Nazca we are 450 meters above sea level and in Pampas Galeras we can reach 4100 meters above sea level.

Pampa Galeras National Reserve Tour

$80.00

About Pampa Galeras National Reserve

The Pampas Galeras national reserve, which is high in the Andes in the Peruvian department of Ayacucho, guards the high-altitude habitat of the endangered vicua, a timid and graceful relative of the alpaca and the llama. If you’re fortunate enough to come across one of these cute, delicate creatures in the wild, it’s clear why the Incas revered them.

Discount:
Departure:
Total: 80
Category:

Accompanied service

Hotel pick- up and drop-off roundtrip Transportation from select Nazca hotel Bilingual tour guide/driver (English / Spanish7 italian / French

Schedule

Pampa Galeras National Reserve

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