TUMBAYA

Leaving the small town of Volcán, and after heading north for 7 km, on a road bordered by willows and elms surrounding planted fields, irrigated by canals, the traveller will reach another small town called Tumbaya, also on the banks of the Río Grande.

Tumbaya is one of various towns based in a pre-Hispanic settlement of the Omaguacas. Today it offers the visitor a few streets laid out in an octagonal pattern around the small, tree shaded, Main Square where you will find the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Candlemas.

During the Viceroyalty it was the administrative centre for the Catholic Church in the region. Today it holds a population of little more than 200 people and stands at 2094 m.a.s.l. It is located at the foot of a mountain in the southern part of the Puna region, which has a very irregular landscape, especially in its northern and eastern parts.

The climate is dry and mild in the lower parts, but very cold in the higher ones. The eastern part of the Department gets most of the rainfalls. There is a profusion of high mountains and fruit plantations. There are also many stands of teasels.

The plant life is determined according to the altitude or local habitat. The mountains are covered with forests of pnes and alders. In the gorge you will find willows, carobs, elms, pepper trees, teasels, charquis and queñoa. The wild animals are: vizcachas, foxes, pumas, condors, eagles and waterfowl such as guayatas and duck.

San Francisco Solano payed a visit to Tumbaya. A statue and a fountain in the town bear eitness to his presesence.

ATTRACTIONS

The Tumbaya Church
It was originally built in the half of the XVII century, but was rebuilt in 1796. After parts of it had fallen it was definitely reconstructed in 1944 to hold the image of Our Lady of Sorrows, who is the Patron Saint of the town. It also holds valuable paintings of the famed Cuzco Scholl of Paintings and interesting gold and silver pieces.

The church is built in the Mudejar Andalusian style, very frequently used in the region. Of one nave, a single tower and thick adobe whitewashed plaster walls that support a wooden spar roof with an overhang to protects the walls.