Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

El Señor de Muruhuay


This white shrine visible on a hill 1.5km from Acobamba is one of Peru’s top pilgrimage sites, built around a rock etching of Christ crucified. A small chapel replaced the previous roughly thatched hut at the site in 1835 and the present sanctuary, inaugurated in 1972, is a modern building with an electronically controlled bell tower. It's decorated with huge weavings from San Pedro de Cajas. Acobamba is 9km from Tarma.

The image of Christ supposedly appeared to smallpox sufferers during a regional epidemic, healing them when authorities had left them for dead. Historians claim it was carved with a sword by a royalist officer who was one of the few survivors after losing the major independence Battle of Junín, but this story has less cachet and legends relating to the image’s miraculous appearance persist.

The feast of El Señor de Muruhuay, held throughout May, has been celebrated annually since 1835. At this time, Acobamba and the shrine morph into bedlam with devout from across the country converging. There are religious services, processions, dances, fireworks, ample opportunities to sample local produce and even a few gringos. Stalls sell chicha (fermented corn beer) and cuy (guinea pig), but be wary unless your stomach is travel-hardened.

Visitors usually stay in nearby Tarma, although Acobamba has accommodations.


Contact

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Yanamarca

2.36 MILES

A dramatic hilltop testament to both the power of the pre-Inca peoples and the extent to which their cultures are barely known about. The buildings here,…

2. Astronomical Observatory

5.59 MILES

A small astronomical observatory above Hospedaje Central takes advantage of Tarma's high-elevation location, where the clear nights of June, July and…

3. Cathedral

5.67 MILES

The town’s cathedral is modern (1965), and it contains the remains of Tarma’s most famous son, Peruvian president Manuel Odría (1897–1974). He organized…

4. Tarmatambo

9.19 MILES

The best known of the myriad archaeological ruins near Tarma, this was the capital of the Taruma culture and later a major Inca administrative center. The…

5. Gruta de Huagapo

10.19 MILES

This huge limestone cave ranks among Peru’s largest subterranean systems. A proper descent into the Gruta de Huagapo requires caving equipment and…

6. San Pedro de Cajas

15.6 MILES

Peaceful San Pedro, some 40km into the hills from Tarma, is the production center for the country’s finest tapices (tapestries). Most of the village is…

7. Camino del Inca

19.76 MILES

A well-preserved Inca road runs from Jauja to Tarma. The most spectacular section is from Tingopaccha (30 minutes from Jauja by taxi) to Inkapatakuna (30…

8. Catarata El Tirol

26.08 MILES

There are many impressive waterfalls around San Ramón, but this 35m cascade is the most visited. El Tirol crashes down 5km east of San Ramón off the La…