This article is about the river in the Ancash Region, Peru. For other uses, see
Yuraqmayu (Lima).
Santa Cruz
The Waripampa valley (on the left) and Santa Cruz Creek (on the right) along
Sintiru (center right, snowless) as seen from the Alpamayo-Quitaraju plateau
It originates in the
Cordillera Blanca southwest of
Taulliraju, near a lake named
Tawlliqucha. It flows from northeast to southwest through lakes
Jatuncocha and
Ichiccocha and passing by the village of Llamacorral, flanked by the mountains
Pucajirca,
Quitaraju and
Santa Cruz in the north and by
Sintiru,
Artesonraju and
Caraz in the south. Southwest of Santa Cruz, near the village of Cashapampa,[1] it turns to the northwest and then joins the Santa River near the villages of Colcas and Pacamayo,[1][2][5] 140 km before the Santa River reaches the
Pacific Ocean.[6]
The toponymy Yuraqmayu is of
Quechua origin, possibly meaning: yuraq white, mayu river,[7] "white river".