Azpitia is a town of peaceful beauty 80 km from Lima. Accessing its quiet countryside is obtaining a privileged view of its fields of apple trees, lucumos and pacaes, as well as the magnificent valley of the Mala River. A true 'Balcony of heaven'.
The king of Azpitian food is shrimp, but rice with duck and, of course, sweets made with quinces, medlars and peaches are not far behind. In Azpitia you can practice mountain biking and hiking, as well as ATV and horseback riding.
A beautiful valley called Azpitia is located near Mala. Its tourist infrastructure is complete and going there is almost mandatory for anyone who wants to relax or practice adventure sports.
Here, you can take refuge in the sun and taste the rich gastronomic offer based on shrimp, prawns, pork rinds with wine and more. If you are a lover of trekking or mountain biking, its winding hills will be fabulous for you to train your body and your eyes. As if that were not enough, Azpitia is perfect for camping or spending a quiet weekend. Of course, do not forget a cap, sunglasses or repellents.
In 1901, President Eduardo López de la Romaña granted the concession to irrigate the Azpitia pampas. Upon receiving the news, ten days later, the landowners of the place determined that every March 11 the foundation of Azpitia would be remembered and they named San Vicente Mártir as their patron saint.
In Azpitia you will find fruit trees such as vines, apple trees, lúcumos and pacaes, at whose feet you can take a nap. It is also ideal for strolling, either on foot or by mountain bike, along the river's edge.
The name of the town of Azpitia comes from a Spanish city called Azpeitia. This event occurred during the conquest of the Inca Empire, thanks to a natural soldier from the province of Guipúzcoa in the Basque country.
The character that gave Azpitia its name was Captain Don Nicolás Sáez de Elola, who arrived in the country together with Francisco Pizarro. Having participated in the capture of the Inca Atahualpa in Cajamarca, Sáez de Elola appeared in the Record of the Distribution of the Booty, receiving the sum of 8,880 gold pesos and 3,393 silver marks, dated June 18, 1533.
As the rivalry between Pizarro and Almagro was known due to the possession by Cuzco, both characters had a meeting in the middle of 1537 in Mala, obtaining no conciliation as a result of it.
It is said that from this event, Nicolás Sáez de Elola decided to leave the lands of Azpitia and return to Spain with a great booty of wealth, arriving at his native town of Azpeitia towards the end of the year 1541, where he was received in the best way. and built parishes and various important works.
In 2007, the story of Captain Nicolás Sáez de Elola took on more force since, during a restoration in his hometown where there is a recumbent statue of Elola, a tombstone was found with the following inscription: «Pantheon of Nicolás Sáez of Elola, intrepid Captain and conqueror of Peru, fervent Christian, founder of this chapel, erected in 1555 and restored in 1898».
This destination offers a diverse list of activities for all tastes. You can start with a quiet walk getting to know the place, continue with horseback riding and finish driving an ATV.
Another important reason why you cannot miss this destination is the perfect view of its majestic green areas, a place that you can visit on a weekend with friends or family.
You may be wondering why Azpitia is known as “The balcony of the sky”. This town, hidden between the hills of the Panamericana Sur, has earned this nickname due to the incredible view of the Mala River valley. However, this is not its only attraction. We invite you to discover all the tourist attractions it has to offer:
Shrimp is the star of Azpitia's cuisine. For this reason, tasting the chupe, the tortilla and the ceviche, made based on this tasty river ingredient, is an experience that you should not miss.
Riding the Peruvian Paso horse is the favorite activity of the guests and visitors of the hotel and restaurant in Las Cabañas de Azpitia. In addition, they have a weekly show performed by a chalan to the rhythm of the music of Chabuca Granda and Óscar Avilés.
San Vicente de Azpitia and Santa Cruz de Flores have 18 producing wineries, among them Sarcay de Azpitia stands out. If you decide to meet her, you will be able to discover the production process of her piscos and wines. In addition, you can taste its best varietals recognized worldwide such as muscatel, toronquel and albilla. In addition, you will be able to visit its bar-restaurant and toast with pisco sour and its different fruit macerates.
The meadows and natural routes of Azpitia make up wonderful landscapes, but they are also the favorites of cyclists and lovers of trekking. It is not necessary to bring your own bicycle since you can rent one to explore the hills surrounding the Mala River and observe fields of apple trees, lucumos and bananas.
This gastronomic establishment bears the name by which Azpitia is also known. Its perfect location on the hill that directly overlooks the Mala Valley allows you to have an unbeatable view of it. However, its shrimp-based dishes deserve to be highlighted as well.
In addition, you cannot miss the gastronomy of this destination, its shrimp-based dishes will captivate your palate from the beginning.
The gastronomy of this place offers dishes made with fish and shellfish, as well as dishes prepared with meat and poultry. However, Azpitia is characterized by offering dishes with delicious shrimp, as you can see in the photo, the restaurants in the area offer various dishes such as shrimp ceviche, shrimp pork rinds or shrimp chupe.
Azpitia is surrounded by fruit fields such as apple trees, lucumos or pacaes, this makes it look like a calm and natural environment for the pleasure of all its visitors. Its majestic view of the Mala river valley makes it known as "The balcony of heaven".
Visiting Azpitia is a great option for nature and relaxation. Likewise, we recommend other tourist attractions near San Vicente de Azpitia so that you can complement your visit and continue enjoying green spaces.
Azpita is located an hour and a half from Lima.
By car. To get there, go along the Panamericana Sur until km 80, at the height of León Dormido beach, and then take the detour under the tunnel that leads to San Antonio. From there, you must take the detour to the left, at Cl. Pablo Nosiglia, which leads to the district of Santa Cruz de Flores, and continue the trail until you reach San Vicente de Azpitia.
By Bus. Follow the Lima-Mala route. You can take the buses that go to Mala (better known as “maleños”) and then take a combi or taxi to Azpitia. (Between S/2 and S/15). From Monday to Saturday the buses charge you S/. 4.00 and Sundays S/. 5.00. On holidays the ticket can cost S/ 20. It takes an average of 2 hours and a half. The character that gave Azpitia its name was Captain Don Nicolás Sáez de Elola, who arrived in the country together with Francisco Pizarro. Having participated in the capture of the Inca Atahualpa in Cajamarca, Sáez de Elola appeared in the Record of the Distribution of the Booty, receiving the sum of 8,880 gold pesos and 3,393 silver marks, dated June 18, 1533.
As the rivalry between Pizarro and Almagro was known due to the possession by Cuzco, both characters had a meeting in the middle of 1537 in Mala, obtaining no conciliation as a result of it.
It is said that from this event, Nicolás Sáez de Elola decided to leave the lands of Azpitia and return to Spain with a great booty of wealth, arriving at his native town of Azpeitia towards the end of the year 1541, where he was received in the best way. and built parishes and various important works.
In 2007, the story of Captain Nicolás Sáez de Elola took on more force since, during a restoration in his hometown where there is a recumbent statue of Elola, a tombstone was found with the following inscription: «Pantheon of Nicolás Sáez of Elola, intrepid Captain and conqueror of Peru, fervent Christian, founder of this chapel, erected in 1555 and restored in 1898».
This town is located between San Antonio and Azpitia. The main reason for its name is due to the number of crosses that are located on the hills that surround it. The main activity of this town is the production of homemade wines and pisco.
This district, located in Cañete, is surrounded by beautiful orchards. Known mainly for the production of apples, Calango is located 20 km east of Mala. In this place you can visit the Colonial Temple, the Plaza de Armas and some other petroglyphs of Retama and Cochineros, which, according to scholars, date back to 1000 years B.C.
If you have decided to discover everything that Azpitia and the Mala River Valley have to offer, you just have to take the following route:
Leave Lima and travel the Panamericana Sur until km 80. When you reach the height of León Dormido beach, you must take the detour under the tunnel towards San Antonio.
Then, take the detour to the left along Calle Pablo Nosiglia to Santa Cruz de Flor. There you will continue along the trail and you will arrive at San Vicente de Azpitia.
Follow the Lima-Mala route. You can take the buses that go to Mala (better known as “maleños”) and then take a combi or taxi to Azpitia. (Between S/2 and S/15). From Monday to Saturday the buses charge you S/. 4.00 and Sundays S/. 5.00. On holidays the ticket can cost S/ 20. It takes an average of 2 hours and a half.
