Where to eat and sleep in Matucana

• Pachamanca (stone- or pot-baked)

  The emblematic dish: meats and tubers cooked with hot stones.

• Spicy cuy (guinea pig)

  An Andean classic; Matucana even holds the Festicuy cuy festival.

• Fried trout

  Fresh river fish, light and tasty.

• Sancochado

  A hearty broth with meat and vegetables, perfect for the highland climate.

• Patasca

  A traditional, comforting hominy soup.

• Squash mazamorra

  A homemade sweet squash pudding.

• Ishcuape

  A pudding of yellow corn and lime, a very local flavour.

On weekends, the main square fills up with the town's food fair: stalls serving freshly made traditional dishes, pachamanca, picarones and sweets. It's the best spot to try a bit of everything, and the plan many travellers add to their hike to the waterfalls.

Let's be honest: lodging in Matucana is modest. There are simple guesthouses and country restaurants with rooms, aimed mostly at the weekend visitor heading up to the waterfalls. Don't expect big hotel chains — think family-run places in the town.

To see and contact real businesses in the town — with their WhatsApp and phone — head to the directory. There, each guesthouse or restaurant posts its own details.