Peru: Why is Villa Maria del Triunfo's Ticlio Chico the coldest place in Lima?

Photo: ANDINA/Juan Carlos Guzmán Negrini

Photo: ANDINA/Juan Carlos Guzmán Negrini

09:00 | Lima, Jul. 3.

The temperature in Lima keeps dropping, with greater intensity in the southern part of the city —particularly in Villa Maria del Triunfo district's area known as Ticlio Chico, the coldest place in the Peruvian capital.

Why does this phenomenon occur in that zone? Will temperatures really drop to 10 degrees Celsius?


For those unfamiliar with Villa Maria del Triunfo, the large district borders Villa El Salvador, and a few kilometers further lies the Pacific Ocean.

The hills, which for decades formed part of its arid landscape, now appear completely overrun by informal housing, despite the area's harsh conditions.

The residents of Ciudad de Gosen are an example of resilience against the low temperatures of the well-known Ticlio Chico. 

Ciudad de Gosen is a settlement located at the highest point of the district and notable for the Health Ministry's campaigns to prevent respiratory illnesses.

Every morning, its inhabitants begin the day surrounded by thick fog, which becomes denser with the arrival of autumn and winter.


Recently, women in the area described the different strategies they use to cope with the low temperatures, especially at night.

They indicated that using five to six blankets together was not enough.

In the area, drying clothes can take up to one or two weeks due to high humidity levels.

Why is it so cold in Ticlio Chico?

Ticlio Chico is the area where the cold is felt most intensely in Lima Metropolitan Area during winter, due to geographic and atmospheric factors that amplify the chill.

"Its proximity to the coastline and its location in the south of Lima make the humidity in this area higher compared to other districts of the city," explained Yersing Ninanya, specialist at the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (Senamhi).


He detailed that in Ticlio Chico, relative humidity often reaches 100%, saturating the atmosphere and generating a more intense feeling of cold.

Moreover, this high level of humidity contributes to more frequent and intense drizzles, which worsens the chill in the streets and homes of the area.


"The atmosphere is heavily saturated; therefore, the feeling of cold increases, and drizzle is also more frequent and intense in this southern part of Metropolitan Lima," Ninanya specified.

Due to these conditions, Ticlio Chico tends to record the lowest temperatures in Lima during the early mornings, becoming a constant monitoring point for Senamhi every winter.

Will it drop to 12 degrees?

The specialist stated that temperatures in Ticlio Chico continue to fall. It cannot be ruled out that it could drop to 12 degrees Celsius during the winter.


Senamhi has a weather station in the lower part of Villa Maria del Triunfo, where daytime temperatures have already been recorded around 15.5 °C – 15.6 °C, among the lowest in Lima so far in 2025.

Where is the real Ticlio?

Ticlio —the place that gave rise to the nickname "Ticlio Chico" (Small Ticlio) used for the highlands of Villa Maria del Triunfo— is a mountain pass in the Peruvian Andes located in Chicla district, Huarochiri province, Lima region.

Located at 4,818 meters above sea level, Ticlio experiences harsh temperatures for any human being: between 8 °C and -5 °C.

Its atmospheric pressure is approximately 50% lower than at sea level, which is why many people suffer from altitude sickness, known as "soroche."

The place also known as the Anticona Pass— is a key route to reach towns such as La Oroya, Morococha, Huancayo, Cerro de Pasco, Tarma, as well as others in the Central Jungle: La Merced, Perene, Pichanaqui, Satipo, Mazamari, Pangoa, Oxapampa, and Villa Rica, among others. It can be reached via the Central Highway.

(END) KGR/LIT/JMP/MVB

Published: 7/3/2025