Pampa Galeras Barbara D' Achille National Reserve

Ayacucho Region, Peru

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Pampa Galeras Bárbara D'Achille National Reserve in Peru's Ayacucho Region spans 6,500 hectares of high Andean puna grassland at 3,800-4,200 meters elevation, established in 1968 to save the vicuña from extinction when global numbers had dropped below 6,000.

Named after conservationist Bárbara D'Achille, murdered by terrorists in 1989, it now hosts around 5,000 vicuñas—the world's largest population—alongside guanacos, Andean foxes, pumas, and birds in a fragile ecosystem of ichu grass and wetlands. 

The annual Chaccu festival in June revives Incan traditions where communities herd, shear, and release vicuñas sustainably, boosting local economies while showcasing cultural dances and feasts amid stunning plateaus.