Tingo MarÃa
Tingo María on the map of Peru
Tingo María is the capital of the province of Leoncio Prado in the region Huánuco, Peru, and with about 55,000 inhabitants ( June 2007), by far the largest town in the province.
The city was founded on October 15, 1938 at the confluence of Monzón and the Huallaga. It is located 545 km northeast of Lima, 660 meters above the sea on the " Carretera Marginal de la Selva" ( " jungle border road " ) in the rainforest of Peru. In the vicinity are several caves; the most famous of which is called " Cueva de las Lechuzas " ( " Cave of the Owls " ), although it is not about owls, but fat Schwalme ( Steatornis caripensis ) at the resident birds. A landmark of the city is " La bella durmiente " (literally " the sleeping beauty " = " Sleeping Beauty" ), a ridge, whose silhouette gives the impression of a reclining woman.