Palcamayo District

Map of the Province of Tarma in the Department of Junín.

The District of Palcamayo is one of the nine that are found in the Province of Tarma, located in the Department of Junín, under the administration of the Regional Government of Junín, in the central highlands of Peru. It borders on the north with the District of San Pedro de Cajas; to the south with the District of Acobamba; by the east with the District of Huasahuasi; and, to the west with the District of La Unión.

Etymology

History

Before being created as a district, Palcamayo belonged to Acobamba as an annex to it. For this purpose it was created as an annex on January 12, 1857 and being responsible: Manuel Arrieta (Considered the first mayor of Palcamayo), José Pantoja, Manuel Vargas Macassi and Baldomero Porras.

Later, during the government of José Pardo y Barreda, the Congress of the Republic decreed to elevate it to a district on October 3, 1904, being its first mayor Pedro Basto who organized the town into four neighborhoods that to date are maintained and are the following: Shaca neighborhood, Yauman neighborhood, Ochonga neighborhood and Marcarac neighborhood. Then the following mayors were appointed by vote and decision of the people.

Geography

It covers an area of 168.73 km² and rises to an altitude of about 3,250 m s. no. m.

It is located between the convergent ravines of Shaca and Marcarac and coming out to the small valley of shiquipampa, being surrounded by the San Cristóbal, Run Run, Ticlan and ochonga at whose base is the valley of Palcamayo.

It has two rivers: Shaca River, whose tributaries are the waters of the Huagapo cave, and Marcarac River.

Authorities

Municipals

• 2019 - 2022
  • Mayor: Leoncio Jesús Navarro Porras, of the Sierra and Selva Regional Movement with you Junín.
  • Regivers:
  1. Juan Fermín Yachachin Calderón (Movimiento Regional Sierra y Selva Contigo Junín)
  2. Amancio Sireneo Solano Tinoco (Movimiento Regional Sierra y Selva Contigo Junín)
  3. Faustino Nicanor Espinoza Diaz (Movimiento Regional Sierra y Selva Contigo Junín)
  4. Miriam Elvira Quincho Poma (Movimiento Regional Sierra y Selva Contigo Junín)
  5. Claudio Flores Surichaqui (Popular Force)

Previous mayors

• 2015-2018: Ymmer Castro Huamán, Peru Libre Regional Political Movement (PL).
• 2011 - 2014: Guillermo Barjas Vásquez, Force Party 2011.
• 2007 - 2010: Leoncio Jesús Navarro Porras.

Police

• Tarma police station
  • Commissioner: Cmdte. PNP Dante Zúñiga Arenas.

Education

Educational Institutions

I.E N.º 30744 - Immaculate Conception (Formerly Women's School)

I.E N.º 30743 - San Judas Tadeo (formerly a Boys' School)

Tourism

It has several tourist attractions such as:

• The Grotto of Huagapo
• The Cocon Lagoon
• The ruins of Yaumanpata
• Choquemarca
• Racashmarca
• Ticlan
• Plug and others.

Huagapo cave

It is located at 3 572 m s. no. m. in the district of Palcamayo, to visit it you can get there by these two accesses or highways:

• One: it is from Lima (Capital of the Republic of Peru), La Oroya, Tarma, Acobamba, Palcamayo and the Huagapo Grotto.

• The Other access is Lima, La Oroya, Condorin, San Pedro de Cajas and Huagapo.

The Grotto is located on the Racasmarca hill and the dimension of the entrance is approximately 18.90 meters high by 33.50 meters wide, on the right side there is a tunnel of approximately 100 meters through which its waters flow and These in turn form endless cascades that look like a bride's veil (Being best seen in February, March and April).

Its name comes from two Quechua words: Huaga and Apu, the first one means "tears"; the second," powerful" thus forming: "tears of the mighty".

The opening of the mouth of the cave is 18.90 x 33.50 meters, inside it has stalactites and stalagmites, in a thousand shapes, such as the lion, the virgin and others, as well as cave paintings of animals such as a llama, taruka, guanaco, snake, worm and some hunting scenes.

The Huagapo cave became known more or less in the year 1969 when a Peruvian expedition led by César Morales Arnao arrived, whose members were Enrique León, Tomas Guerrero, Arturo Morales and Hermilio Rojas. Managing to explore 480 meters deep.

In 1972, a Polish expedition from the Wysokogorsky Club arrived and traveled 1,000 meters, reaching the siphon. The same year the British expedition from the Empire College Club of London arrives and manages to explore 1600 meters deep.

In 1976 the French expedition of the Aixois D Club arrives, this expedition (Le Marbre Agir) manages to enter and dive the siphon for the first time. Because he had all the necessary implements for such a feat.

In 1988 the Peruvian expedition arrives (Ceespe and the underwater world) reaching a depth of 2000 meters.

In 1989, the expedition (Ceespe and the underwater world) entered for the second time, reaching a depth of 2,200 meters and the French-Peruvian expedition managed to reach the 2,747 meters known today. The expedition was in 1994.

• more information...

Legend of the Huagapo Grotto

It is said that the first settlers of Palcamayo who had settled in Racasmarca were very hard-working people, united, fulfilling their duties, obedient and respectful of their God, the Sun. He lavished them with all the benefits. In gratitude they erected a temple on the slopes of Cerro Racasmarca, which was under the care of priests and priestesses. Every morning they offered sacrifices of gratitude.

One day an evil spirit came and took over the hearts of the priests and priestesses, evil, vice and wickedness spread. From there he went to the town. The men became vicious. Despite the fact that their God admonished them, they did not obey and continued on the path of evil. Enraged, the deity ordered its destruction.

Then the servants of God came down and destroyed the temple. The priests were turned into stones and the priestesses placed in deep dungeons and dungeons, where they cry eternally for their sins.

So the waters that come out of the grotto are the tears of the sinners and the stalagmites are the priests.

Cocon Lagoon

The Cocón Lagoon is located in the highlands that surround the Palcamayo Valley, at the intersection of the Andean massifs and where the climate is cold.

The name of Cocón comes from the presence of oconales or swamps, abundant in the area and where an important vegetation is developed, made up especially of totorales, cacti, wild flowers and grasses that serve as food for cattle and sheep raised by the locals.

The lagoon is located at the foot of the Morrión, Sillagaga and Pucatoro mountain ranges: the water mirror measures 10 ha and reaches a depth of 2m in summer. Its very crystalline waters have an approximate temperature of 16 °C.

The Cocón Lagoon is the habitat of a great variety of birds such as lichish, moorhens, coots and huachuas. Likewise, they can be found among the stones of the hills to the vizcacha or wild free.