Chachapoyas: The Hidden Gem of Northern Peru

Paprika Tours

Chachapoyas: The Hidden Gem of Northern Peru

The Chachapoyas region is one of the most fascinating in northern Peru. It lies in a mid-altitude mountain area close to the Amazon rainforest. The landscapes feature dramatic relief with lush, semi-tropical vegetation, giving them a very special beauty. The sites of Kuelap, Gocta and Karajia are among the most spectacular in the country, but the lack of air access to Chachapoyas limits how many people visit. All the better for the few adventurous travelers willing to take on the long overland journeys!

Chachapoyas is a small town, or rather a large village, located at an altitude of 2,300 meters. The climate is temperate, generally sunny, with a constant temperature of 18ºC all year round. The town center around the main square is pleasant.

Less than 10 kilometers from Chachapoyas lies the village of Huancas, known for its ceramic craftsmanship, practiced exclusively by women. A viewpoint offers a spectacular view over the canyon of the Sonche River, 800 meters deep at this point.

But the Chachapoyas region is mainly visited for the citadel of Kuelap. Perched on a promontory at 3,000 meters altitude, this site towers more than 1,000 meters above the Utcubamba River. From the top, the view is magnificent, stretching for dozens of kilometers in every direction. It was clearly a strategic point of the highest importance for the Chachapoyas people, and the fortress they built there is one of the most impressive pre-Columbian structures in Peru.

The entire Kuelap site is built on a platform surrounded by walls more than 10 meters high, a truly colossal undertaking, especially given the site's topography. With the scale of its construction, the beauty of its semi-tropical vegetation and the splendid views from the site, Kuelap is reminiscent of Machu Picchu — lacking only its fame!

Another excursion not to be missed in the region is the one to discover Gocta Falls. In a cirque with knife-cut cliffs, this small river drops 770 meters in two stages, making it one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. A marked trail leads to the foot of the falls from the village of Gocta through the region's dense vegetation. The round trip takes about 5 hours.

The Karajia sarcophagi are another site well worth an excursion. Belonging to the Chachapoyas culture, they appear to hang suspended in the cliff face, like many constructions in the region.

Other points of interest in Chachapoyas include the Leymebamba museum with its collection of mummies, and the chullpas, or funerary houses, of Revash. For adventurers, the region's magnificent landscapes are also well suited to multi-day treks, far from the classic tourist routes.