Ampay National Sanctuary is Abancay's best reason to stop. The protected area rises from the edge of the city into a steep world of puna grassland, dwarf Andean forest, lagoons, and the 5,235-metre Ampay glacier.
The sanctuary protects one of the last forests of intimpa, a native Andean conifer, along with endemic birds and highland wildlife. You can visit the lower forest and lagoons as a demanding day hike from Abancay, but altitude and steep trails make an early start worthwhile.