Calipuy National Sanctuary, Protected natural area in La Libertad, Peru.

Calipuy National Sanctuary is a 4,500-hectare protected area on the western slope of the northern Andes in La Libertad, Peru, next to the larger 64,000-hectare Calipuy National Reserve. Its terrain runs from plains to gently sloping hillsides between roughly 3,600 and 4,300 metres, with small semi-woody shrubs, grasses and cacti on rocky, stony ground. Guanacos with reddish-brown backs and white bellies graze among the low shrubs.

The sanctuary's land belonged to the Ganoza family of Trujillo as a hacienda with over 10,000 head of cattle until the 1969 agrarian reform transferred it to the workers' SAIS, which in October 1972 set aside 3,000 hectares for guanaco protection behind stone walls. The sanctuary was created on 8 January 1981 by Supreme Decree No. 004-81-AA. Terrorism destroyed the SAIS and left the area invaded until INRENA took over administration in mid-2001.

Twenty-two settlements with about 5,000 inhabitants lie within the sanctuary and reserve, among them Collayguida inside the reserve with 70 families and El Molle, Quiguir, Cachubamba, Uningambal and Mungurral around the sanctuary. Farming and herding are the main work, and pack animals are still used for transport. The name Calipuy comes from the former hacienda.

Bring warm clothing since temperatures shift considerably at elevation and weather can be changeable throughout the day. It helps to prepare for mountain conditions and remain flexible as weather patterns may shift during your visit.

Calipuy holds the northernmost population of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in South America, with more than 600 individuals at the limit of the species' natural range. The sanctuary itself protects the largest number of guanacos in Peru. The animals are listed as vulnerable, and illegal hunting and land encroachment remain pressures on the herd.