CAJAMARCA ENTERS IN EUROPE THROUGH THE QHAPAQ ÑAN

The Ambassador of the EU highlights the potential of tourist and thermal development of the Cajamarca Region.

The routes related to the Qhapaq Ñan, in Cajamarca Province are being rehabilitated by the Regional Camara deTurismo (CARETUR) and the Civil Association for the Rescue of the Ecosystem of Cajamarca (APREC) that already had installed the first two hygienic services and a mirador in the route to Necropolis of Combayo.

The illustrious visitor after conversing with people of the communities working in the APREC project, highlighted the importance of this collaboration because that means "a guarantee of success in the execution of the work when having the support of several actors such as those local authorities."

According to John Herdin, member of APREC, "The signposting of the this ecological touristic route offers an alternative for the tourists practicing the hiking and soft hiking and for those enjoing to contemplate the wonderful landscapes that offers the Valley of the Cajamarca district."

The Incan people developed this monumental public work that in Quechua languaje means "Great Path." In some places this road is known as Inca Ñan or Inca Road. Later on, it was called "Camino Real" by the Spanish chroniclers.

The Route to Sangal is a secondary branch of the Great Path, where the hummingbird has its hábitat, a kind of bird in dander of dying out, located in the northern portion of Peruvian Andes.

Studies carried out by ProAves Perú, during a visit to Cajamarca in February of 2001, at Sangal, identified an area large enough to guarantee the permanent protection of the hummingbird.

The project was promoted by John Herdin, general manager of the Hotel Laguna Seca, located in Baños del Inca, in Cajamarca. This project are participated by several public and private institutions. The local authorities have given their support aware of the importance of preserving the species.

The necropolis of Combayo of 3.500 years antiquity, is the testimony of the biggest historical relevance in the culture of Cajamarca. The cemetery is carved in volcanic rock in form of cavities knowm as "Windows of Combayo."

The Incan people tooks advantage of the roads built by their ancestors, they improved and inserted them in their imperial vial net. In this Route there is a small track with one of the best samples in the technique of roads paving in the pre-Incan and Incan roads that are still in Cajamarca.

BAÑOS DEL INCA

During the visit to Tourist-thermal Complex of Baños del Inca, important SPA, formerly well-known by the name of Pultumarca, the Ambassador of the EU was interested in the remodeling works and his thermal patrimony: the Perolitos ( the Pots ).

The PerolitosThe Perolitos are natural springs of hot and crystalline medicinal water that sprout to the surface hot over 70ºC. Its denomination is due to the fact that they looked like a group of large pots boiling, besides the coppery yellow color of the stones of the bottom caused by the sulphurous composition of the waters.

In his journey through the installations, he had occasion of admiring the living space where it is the famous Puddle of the Inca that measures four meters long by four of wide and a depth of one metre and seventy centimeters. In this place, according to the historians, the Emperor Atahualpa recovered his strengh before undertaking new conquestes.

At the present the Spa consists of 4.5Has. where several infrastructures have been built in order to attend the national and foreigners tourists. But actually these structures are not sufficient even to meet the demand of the national tourism.

In the vicinity of the Complex, he could observe the excavations where were found the remains of what it could be rooms in the antiquity where the old residents of Baños del Inca already used the thermal waters for their healing therapies. The works of excavation was carried out by the Japanese Mission in the Peru.

Before he abandons the thermal place, the Ambassador of the EU expressed his admiration for the tourist and productive potential of Cajamarca. He said "it is important and have a great future, both, the thermal waters of the district of Baños del Inca and the landscapes of the cajamarquian area, completely beautiful and attractive."

In this sense he remembered that most of europeans like these landscapes where the natural beauties are still preserved and where the hiking can be comfortably practised, sport with many followers in Europe.

Goldstein indicated that the European Union cooperation through PRODELICA follows different focuses, analysing the projects where EU is participating, keeping in mind the priorities and preferences of Cajamarca Region. In a same way, he said that now Peru and Cajamarca are stable and reliable partners for the donations carried out by the European Union that contemplates this region with a great potential of tourist development.

Finally, he informed that the European Union had dedicated 10 million dollars to carry out projects in Cajamarca, being administered by PRODELICA, and he was optimist when affirming that "Baños del Inca have a future with a great development, we are sure that soon they will have a great thermal center for local, national and foreign visitors, ready to fulfil expectations regarding services of high quality, we believe that here, with the thermal waters, you have an enormous potential of tourist development."

The richness of the medicinal-mineral water of the Cajamarca city, known as "Thermal Village of the Incans" by international institutions , is a cultural and historical good of Perú, and it supposes a value added to the tourist and economic potential that generates this North-Andean part of the Qhapaq Ñan.

For more information: www.aprec.org

TERMAS WORLD AGENCY