Tarma is known as the Pearl of the Andes, and the nickname fits a town of about fifty thousand people that sits in a sheltered, sunny valley at around 3,050 metres, framed by green hills and fields of flowers. It stands on the eastern side of the central Andes, where the high plateau drops toward the jungle, and the climate is mild and dry, with the air cool in the mornings and warm by midday. The town has a pleasant, unhurried atmosphere, with a handsome plaza, a cathedral and a lively market, and in the surrounding hills, small farms grow potatoes, maize and flowers.
It is also famous for its Holy Week, when the streets are covered in carpets of flowers and coloured sawdust, laid out in elaborate patterns for the processions to walk over. The tradition draws visitors from all over Peru, and the preparations go on through the night. A short ride from the town stands the sanctuary of the Lord of Muruhuay, an important place of pilgrimage with a church that is crowded on festival days. Nearby, a deep cave known as Huagapo, with a long underground river, is a popular excursion for those who like caving.
From Tarma, the road east drops steadily toward the cloud forest, with a series of tight bends through green gorges, dense with tree ferns and orchids. The surface is paved in places and broken in others, and landslides are common in the wet season from December to March. Fog and rain come and go, and visibility can be poor. The change in climate is rapid, from cool and dry on the plateau to warm and humid in the valley, and a waterproof jacket and layers are essential.
Tarma has fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and guesthouses, and La Oroya, a mining town some twenty-five kilometres away, offers more of the same. Food in the area is hearty, with trout from mountain streams and a local dish called pachamanca, in which meat and potatoes are cooked in an earth oven heated with stones. Enjoy it in the sun, wander the plaza and consider that you are about to leave the highlands for a very different world.