Caraz is a small, sunny town at the northern end of the Callejón de Huaylas, the long valley that runs between the Cordillera Blanca and the lower Cordillera Negra, and it is one of the pleasantest bases in the Peruvian Andes. The town sits at about 2,250 metres, where the air is mild and the sky usually clear, and its low houses and quiet plaza look up to a wall of snow peaks, among them Huandoy and Huascarán, both above six thousand metres. The Santa River runs through the valley, and orchards and fields cover the lower slopes.
The ride along the valley from Huaraz is a delight. The road is paved, with long, easy bends, and follows the river past small towns and farms, with the white peaks standing above to the east. Yungay, a town of about five thousand people, lies twelve kilometres to the south and has a sombre history. In 1970 an earthquake triggered an enormous avalanche from the slopes of Huascarán, burying the old town and killing tens of thousands of people, and the site is now a memorial. Carhuaz, a similar-sized town, lies further south.
Caraz has fuel, shops, restaurants, hotels and a friendly market, and it is a good place to stop for a few days if you want to explore. It is known for its sweets, especially manjar blanco, a thick milk caramel sold in small jars, and for the honey and fruit grown in the valley. Try the local trout, fresh from mountain streams, with potatoes and chilli sauce. The plaza is a good place to sit in the evening, when families take their walk and the mountains turn pink.
The valley has long been a crossroads. Before the Incas, the region was home to the Recuay culture, whose stone sculptures and tombs are still being studied, and the colonial history is evident in the churches and houses of the old centre. Nature is the main attraction, with lakes such as Laguna Parón, a turquoise lake beneath a ring of peaks, and Llanganuco within easy reach. Early morning is the best time to see the mountains, before the clouds gather. It is a gentle base for a high adventure.