Visit Canchaqué and San Miguel de El Faiqué

A trip to the Pre-Hispanic past, to the top of a mountain, and to the foot of a cascade.

 

Sunset from the top of Guayanay Mount. | All photographs provided by Andrés Facundo, distributed by FACTORTIERRA.

 

HUANCABAMBA, Peru – If you are in Piura City and you have a full free day, rather free at the afternoon and the following morning, here you have a tour that will bring you to the Pre-Hispanic past, raise to the top of a mountain, drown into the water flowing inside out of it.

 

It’s just three hours by car from Piura City (146 km or 91 miles to the east). It’s accessible around the year, although the best season is between May and October. Its difficulty levels are multiples so it easily fits to your age and current physical condition. In addition, it connects you to other very popular local attractions.

 

The circuit extends between Districts Canchaqué and san Miguel de El Faiqué, between 1100 meters (3600 feet) and 1270 meters (4170 feet) altitude, already in the Andean Range amid an exuberant vegetation. Indeed, the mountainous landscape is painted in green tones around the year.

 

Keep much memory and battery because you will take many pictures. Also, mobile internet networks are steady in almost every operator so it will be easy to share quickly with your social media contacts. The order we feature every stop of the tour is what we suggest based on a better experience for you.  But, you can set it up as you like.

 

Check out the weather conditions in Canchaqué and San Miguel de el Faiqué right now.

 

 

San Miguel de el Faiqué Petroglyphs

Let’s start going to the past, maybe 4000 years ago when Amazonian peasants migrated to the west, leaving evidences of their pass carved on the rocks. First, you have to arrive to san Miguel de El Faiqué Town (1050 meters or 3444 feet altitude), capital of the same name’s district.

 

From this place, we walk up 3 km or almost 2 miles, about 20 minutes at average step. An intriguing rocky forest receives us, which origin was not studied yet. But, just rising the eye, we notice Guayanay Mount (1270 meters or 4167 feet altitude)

 

This fact reminds us to Archaeologist Daniel Dávila Manrique, a FACTORTIERRA contributor, who sustains the Pre-Hispanic people liked to mark or build their significant places according to the landscape’s peculiarities. As we go forward amid this environment, we have connected him online just in case  we find surprises quite ahead.

 

Walking up a couple of minutes more, we get to the petroglyphs or drawings carved on the rock. There are five panels so far. Its conservation state is very good because of a shed protecting it from the Sun and the rain.

 

The biggest rock is about 3 meters (9 feet) length by 2 meters (almost 7 feet) height – it contains the most patterns, mainly faces with caps over head, zigzags, and spirals. We send the pictures to the Archaeologist Dávila who usually is in Lima City: “they remember Samanga-style petroglyphs, pretty extended at Piura Highlands,” he answers us.

 

All that FACTORTIERRA learned about Samanga Tradition.

 

Guayanay Lookout

We get back to San Miguel de el Faiqué and go up 2.5 km (1.5 miles) to Palambla, Canchaqué District. We stop here, start another climb by on our feet, maybe 20 minutes in average step. Our goal is reaching to the top of Guayanay Mount (1270 meters or 4167 feet altitude).

 

When you get to it, you have an amazing view: in front, Palambla Village and Canchaqué Town kept by Mounts Campanas, to the south, and Mishahuaca, to the north, and the whole Upper Piura Valley at your vanishing point.

 

Circuits of trekking and adventure sports start here, so if you like the intense physical activity, bring up everything you need. At the top of Guayanay Mount, there are a cross and a chapel where the Virgin of Holy Water is venerated. Her festivity is on the second week of november.

 

If you come in at the afternoon, you can pause the tour here to appreciate how the Sun sets behind the range [look at the picture beginning this entry], only if the weather is clear. After that, you can spend the night in San Miguel de el Faiqué, Palambla, or Canchaqué (1167 meters or 3829 feet altitude).

 

Do you want to do a coppers tour across Piura Department? Check out the places identified by FACTORTIERRA.

 

 

Santa Rosa Coppers

Ending your day or beginning the next one, what do you think about taking a bath outdoors?  If you didn’t spend the night, or you are not in Canchaqué, you have to get to it, then going down the road to Piura. But you only must advance 3 km (1.9 miles)  to Santa Rosa Village.

 

Starting here, you must walk up 5 minutes until getting to an open where there are three ponds, popularly called coppers, full of clear water flowing out of the mountain.

 

The first one is 3 meters (9 feet) diameter by 1.5 meters (5 feet) depth.  The second one is 3 meters length by 2 meters width and 1.9 meters (a little above 6 feet) depth. The third one is 1 meter (a little above 3 feet)length by 80 cm (almost 3 feet) width and 1 meter depth. Additionally, it was built little ponds or lagunillas, 1.8 meters (almost 6 feet) diameter by 80 cm depth.

 

If the weather is sunny, the water is temperate. But as we go up to a cascade, it turns colder. The water falls through 10 to 13 meters (33 to 42 feet) until a pond where a huge fig grows leaving it in shadows – that explains why the water is that temperature.

 

This place is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. everyday. If you are interested to visit the full circuit, contact us here for further information.

 

Check out other touristic destinations across Piura department.

 

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