The traditional town of Vilca is located 17 km from the Huancaya district, Yauyos province, south of the Lima region. The place has a dry and cold climate, with an average temperature of 14°C during the day and 5°C at night, and can drop to -2°C. Since May 1, 2001, it is part of the Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve, the first landscape reserve in Peru.
Among the most important buildings is the main square called “La Plaza de los Ocho Mártires”, which has the figure of a trout carved into it. Likewise, the main church stands out, which began its construction in the colonial era and the communal shelter built in 1995, it is here where food and accommodation services are currently provided. Additionally, the traditional town of Vilca has much more to offer very close to the plaza such as the Centenario Bridge, the Pukacha Waterfall, Bosque del Amor, Laguna Papacocha, Mirador San Cristóbal and Cantagallo.
On your visit to Vilca, be sure to try its delicious Pachamanca, fried trout, traditional cheese made in an artisanal way and the famous Chamis, a typical celebration drink.
Cost of the Tourist Ticket: S/. 10.00 (General Admission), S/. 5.00 (Older adults and children up to 12 years old). This ticket allows you to access all the tourist resources of the Traditional Town of Vilca.
The community of Vilca is eminently livestock farming whose economic activity is carried out by its residents.
However, tourism is a thriving activity for the population and the history of Vilca is framed in the archaeological sites of Pachachaca, Paccha and Caramachay and Capina.
It is a beautiful landscape on the Yauyos River, immersed in a karkac forest (Escallonia myrtilloides) for which it is named Forest.
Also, the Forest of Love, named for its natural beauty more than any story that can be recreated about it.
The most notable thing is that it is part of a landscape whose value is highly appreciated by tourists and residents.
Natural viewpoint of the Forest of Love from where you can contemplate the passage of the crystalline waters of the Yauyos River.
Because of them, they are the same ones that surround the town and form beautiful waterfalls, as if they were natural gardens.
It is a natural dam formed by nature over the years, surrounded by cattails, leafy Karkak trees (Escallonia myrtilloides), and quinches.
Without a doubt, its waters flow into the Forest of Love which makes an emblematic panoramic landscape contrast, where turchas and the kingfisher live.
Therefore, it is one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes, perhaps one of the most characteristic and representative of the Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve.
Furthermore, this impressive plant formation captivates every visitor who comes to the community of Vilca.
Construction based on stone and lime on the Yauyos River that combines with the beautiful waterfalls that surround it, a communication route with the Pachacayo route in Junín.
This small valley of waterfalls with crystal clear waters, in this place it is possible to see the trout that live in the river, do sport fishing or swim in its lagoon.
Above all, the surroundings can be seen better in the rainy months as the flow increases.
In addition, the landscape is best observed from the Cantagallo and San Cristóbal viewpoints.
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
