Ocongate: Viewpoint, Cultural Heritage and Andean Landscape

Ocongate combines a viewpoint in the town with destinations elsewhere in the district: the Mirador Natural de Ocongate and the Church of San Pablo Apostol de Ocongate are part of the townscape; Ausangate, lagoons and the Santuario del Señor de Qoyllurit’i are located in the district.

Ocongate from the Mirador Natural

The Mirador Natural de Ocongate is located on Cerro San Francisco. From there, you can look out over the main square and the Ocongate temple, the mostly two-story adobe houses, and the Río Mapacho to the left of town. A 600-meter footpath leads from the main square to the Mirador Natural de Ocongate in about ten minutes. This route connects the town center with a specific viewpoint over the town and its surroundings.

The viewpoint has wooden benches and a roofed structure where visitors can sit and admire the district’s landscape. Along the way, you can spot various plants, including medicinal plants, as well as Andean sparrows. Another viewpoint in the district is the Mirador Natural de Tinke, which is used for landscape viewing, photography and walks in natural surroundings.

Cultural Heritage and Culture in the District

The Church of San Pablo Apostol de Ocongate was declared a Monument of Peru’s National Cultural Heritage on November 4, 2005, by National Director’s Resolution No. 1492/INC. It is a specific destination for anyone interested in the town’s cultural heritage.

In Ocongate District, the Santuario del Señor de Qoyllurit’i is located in the Sinak’ara Gorge, in the communities of Mahuayani and Tayancani, at an altitude of 4,900 meters. A seven-kilometer footpath leads from the Comunidad Campesina de Mahuayani to the sanctuary in about three hours and 30 minutes. The route begins in Mahuayani, providing a separate point of reference for visiting the sanctuary.

At the sanctuary, the image of the Lord of Qoyllurit’i is depicted on a dark gray basalt boulder weighing about ten tons. It wears a silver crown and an alpaca-fiber cloth decorated with images of llamas, alpacas and Andean deities. In the district, techniques for making traditional clothing from natural fibers such as alpaca and sheep’s wool have also been preserved and passed down through generations. This cultural tradition is part of life in the district; it is not the same as a visitor workshop.

Ausangate and Lagoons in the District

Nevado Ausangate is located in Anexo Pacchanta in Ocongate District, reaches an altitude of 6,385 meters and lies in the heart of the Cordillera Vilcanota. A trekking route approximately 70 kilometers long goes around the mountain. In the Cusco Region, Ausangate is regarded as a protector of people and a deity that provides water and life; it is also associated with the ancestral cultures of the communities living there.

The lagoons also offer different points of reference. Laguna Oqe Qocha lies about ten kilometers from Anexo Pacchanta at an altitude of 4,620 meters. It is the third lagoon visited on the Seven Lagoons circuit and is distinguished by its blue-gray water. The seasonal color change of Laguna Sigrenacocha is specifically described: from June to November, the water is turquoise; from December to May, it is green. Laguna Q’omer Q’ocha has intensely emerald-green or turquoise water and is part of the Ausangate Twelve Lagoons circuit.

The Aguas Termales de Pacchanta comprise seven pools of different sizes and depths; the water temperature is 38 to 44 °C. One large pool, with an area of 60 m² and a depth of 1.60 m, was described as being under maintenance. Therefore, check the current pool configuration before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Checacupe, Ollantaytambo, Huarocondo, Quillabamba, Chillca, Huaro, Maras, Oroya

For the main travel overview: Cuzco.