Chiquián offers three different starting points for planning your trip: the festival honoring Saint Rose of Lima, the stone high reliefs in the main square, and the landscape of the Cordillera de Huayhuash. Culture is reflected both in the festival and in the depictions in the square; the landscape is represented by the Río Aynín, the peaks of the Cordillera, and the viewpoint at Cascada Usgor. This lets you decide in advance whether to focus on a visit during the festival, the motifs around town, or a walk to a waterfall.

Festival Honoring Saint Rose of Lima

The festival honoring Saint Rose of Lima is celebrated in Chiquián from August 15 to September 4 and is recognized as National Cultural Heritage. If you are traveling for the festival, this period will help you plan your visit. On the main day of the festival, the procession goes around midday to four chapels at the four corners of the main square. The festival period identifies when the celebration takes place; the procession anchors its main day in the space of the main square.

Reliefs in the Main Square

In Chiquián’s central square, stone high reliefs depict dairy and livestock farming, agriculture, folklore, traditional cuisine, and traditional clothing. They also feature historical figures and landscapes of the Cordillera de Huayhuash in Bolognesi Province. Dairy and livestock farming, agriculture, and cuisine name themes related to work and food; folklore and clothing add cultural forms of expression. Historical figures and landscape motifs expand the picture to include people and their surroundings. The Cordillera de Huayhuash appears here as a motif carved in stone and, with its high peaks, as part of Chiquián’s landscape.

Landscape and the Route to Cascada Usgor

Chiquián’s green landscape is irrigated by the Río Aynín, and the high peaks of the Cordillera de Huayhuash can be seen in the surrounding landscape. The viewpoint at Cascada Usgor offers another view of the area: from there, you can see both the silhouette of the town and the Cordillera. For a specific route plan, there is also a marked trail from Plaza de Chiquián to Cascada Usgor: it is two kilometers long and takes about 25 minutes on foot. This walking time is for the route itself, not for any time you might spend at the viewpoint. As trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

Traveling by Bus

The public bus journey from La Victoria in Lima to Plaza de Chiquián is listed as covering 353 kilometers and taking 6 hours and 30 minutes. Check current operators and timetables before traveling. The Plaza is both the destination of the bus journey described and the starting point of the marked walking trail to Cascada Usgor.

For the broader travel overview: Bolognesi Province.