Ancash is a region in northern Peru. The region is bordered by the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the east, the La Libertad region on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Lima region on the south. Huaraz is the capital city, and Chimbote is its largest city and port.

The region is a land of contrasts. It has two longitudinal valleys which combine the mountain characteristics of the Alley of Huaylas and the ones of the sylvan Alto Maranon. Kilometres of sandy beaches abut the blue waters of the Pacific. The area of the coast, Andean punas and high plateaus of the Ancash Region are flat, while the rest of the region is very rough. In the west, slopes with strong declivity form narrow canyons with abrupt and deserted sides.

The region is crossed by two mountain ranges; on the western side, it is the Black Mountain Range which has peaks without glaciers, and on the eastern side, it is the White Mountain Range, which has many peaks covered with snow and ice. Between these two mountain ranges, the Santa River flows through the so-called Callejon de Huaylas. This alley narrows to form the Duck Canyon. Along the Pacific slopes, the Santa River has shaped a wide valley in the punas which narrows into the Cordillera Negra where the Canon del Pato canyon was formed.