Vicunas are found in such locations as the popular trekking destination of Huascaran National Park in the Cordillera Blanca. Travelers who come here for some unforgettable hiking in Peru will see vicunas roaming the hillsides. Southern Explorations offers a ten-day Cordillera Blanca Hike Peru trip that visits the park.
Another scenic location where vicunas are likely to be spotted is on the way to Lake Titicaca from Cusco. Six of Southern Explorations’ Peru tours and one tour extension make this trip by car. A unique Peru tour option is the day-long train ride aboard the Andean Explorer between the two destinations. In the southern highlands, from Cusco to the coast, one passes the Pampa Galeras-Barbara D’Achille National Reserve on the way to Nazca. The reserve is home to over 50,000 vicunas, the world’s greatest concentration.
Heading southwest between Lake Titicaca and the coast during their Peru tours, travelers will see vicunas on terraced hillsides in the vicinity of one of the country’s major hiking destinations, Colca Canyon and the nearby, scenic city of Arequipa. Visitors who travel to Peru for the first time are astonished at the proximity of the country’s top attractions. On the way to Colca Canyon from Arequipa, one passes the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, a protected area for vicunas.
If ever there was a time to spring for a vicuna fleece scarf or other apparel, it is during one’s travel to Peru. Shoppers should note that vicuna fiber which is not of high enough quality to be used in mass manufacturing is made into lower-quality garments and sold at a lower price. Most vicuna apparel is woven in the species’ natural cinnamon color rather than being dyed.
