Huayllay Stone Forest

About this place

The Huayllay Stone Forest is a field of huge rock formations in Huayllay National Sanctuary on the Bombón Plateau in the Pasco region of central Peru, about 31 km south of the city of Cerro de Pasco in a straight line. The sanctuary is known for these rocks and for its native plants and animals. The formations date from the beginning of the Cenozoic, when volcanoes laid down layers of hardened ash, or ignimbrite, forming a plateau on top of sandstone, limestone and conglomerate. Ignimbrite is porous and erodes easily, so about 20,000 years ago, in the last ice age, meltwater seeped into its cracks and froze and thawed again and again, widening them until large parts crumbled away, leaving these carved towers. Grey and brown towers and pillars stand scattered across wide grassland in strange shapes in which visitors see faces and animals; they are often compared to the Shilin Stone Forest in China and the Garden of the Gods in the United States. Wide blue skies and big white clouds hang above. It is a major destination for hiking and sightseeing and an international draw for rock climbers. The climate is cold and dry, with temperatures between 13.8 °C and −8 °C, and the altitude is high, so bring warm clothes and walk slowly.