Cajamarca's Plaza de Armas is one of the finest in Peru — a broad, elegant square flanked on two sides by the colonial buildings of the Cathedral and the church of San Francisco, both built in the golden volcanic stone that gives this city its warm colour. A large central fountain anchors the space, and the arcaded buildings around the perimeter house cafes, shops, and government offices.
The Cathedral was begun in the 17th century and finished in the 18th, with an unusual baroque facade that incorporates both stone and wood carving. The church of San Francisco opposite is slightly older and has a catacombs museum in its crypt. Both are open to visitors during daylight hours. Spend some time on the plaza in the evening, when the lights come on and the buildings glow with reflected warmth — the stone takes on an almost amber colour in the dusk.