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A wide mountain valley in the Cordillera Vilcabamba covered in high-altitude grassland and shrubs, with a small river cutting through the slope and fog hanging over the peaks

Páramo of Peru

The páramo of Peru refers to the high-altitude tropical ecosystem found between the treeline and the permanent snowline, typically ranging from about 10,000 to 14,500 feet in elevation. Though more extensive in countries like Colombia and Ecuador, Peru contains smaller patches of páramo, especially in its northern Andean regions, where humid conditions and unique plant communities thrive. While páramo itself covers less than 1% of Peru’s total land area, its ecological importance is immense—these zones act as vital water sources, trapping moisture and feeding rivers that support both highland and lowland communities.

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A vast high-altitude plain dotted with grazing alpacas beneath jagged, cloud-covered peaks of the Cordillera Vilcanota in southern Peru

Steep cliffs and winding valleys filled with native pine trees and a mountain stream define this highland stretch of the Vilcanota range

A lush green páramo basin at the foot of dark rocky mountains in the Cordillera Vilcanota, where a narrow stream winds through the center

A mountainous landscape in the Vilcanota range with vibrant green slopes and steep rocky outcrops beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds

A panoramic view of the Cordillera Vilcanota’s glacier-capped peaks with layered dark volcanic rock and green highland plains below

A fast-flowing rocky stream cutting through dense páramo vegetation and green hills in the Humantay region, with distant hikers and horses barely visible along the ridge

A lone rider on horseback traverses a steep green slope in the Humantay páramo, with snow-covered peaks emerging dramatically through low-hanging clouds in the background