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Chachapoyas: The Complete Traveler’s Guide

In a remote corner of the northern Peruvian Andes lies Chachapoyas, a region steeped in an ancient culture unlike any other you’ll find in the country.

Whether you want to explore unusual and pristine ruins, hike through lush forest to one of the highest waterfalls in the world, or climb along cliffs to witness ancient tombs clinging to the rocks, Chachapoyas, a town well off the beaten track, is possibly the most adventurous place you’ll visit in Peru.

Where is Chachapoyas?

Tucked into the cloud forest of the Amazonas Region, 650 kilometers northeast of Lima, Chachapoyas is a small town that’s rising out of obscurity to become a firm spot on the tourist circuit.

The region is named for the Chachapoya civilization, a people known as the Cloud Warriors or Cloud People of Peru because they lived in the cloud forest of the northern Peruvian Andes.

The life of the Chachapoya people was completely different from all other Peruvian cultures and their old homeland has grown in popularity among tourists because of the variety and beauty of what lies in the surrounding hills.

Chachapoyas is a place of adventure, where there is still a lot to discover in the thick forests of the area. The town itself is quiet and inviting, with lots of restaurants, a big market, sidewalks paved with fossils, and squares thronging with life.

However, visiting the attractions beyond the town and into the surrounding valleys requires a number of day trips, so it’s definitely worth adding a good few days in Chachapoyas to your Peru travel itinerary in order to fully experience the region.

What to do and see in and around Chachapoyas

1. Take a cable car up to the mountaintop citadel of Kuelap

Part fortress, part city, Kuelap was the Chachapoya’s stronghold in the mountains.

Not only was it built centuries before the better-known Machu Picchu, but it’s home to the largest ancient stone structure in the Americas, thanks to its enormous, 20-meter-high defensive wall that still protects it to this day.

Surrounded by superlative mountain scenery, this site’s popularity is growing rapidly, and it’s since been dubbed the “Machu Picchu of northern Peru” because of its lofty hilltop position and its appeal to visitors.

The original circular stone houses of the Kuelap citadel near Chachapoyas Peru
The round houses and views of Kuelap

Built between 500 and 800 A.D., this fortified city was occupied until 1470, when they were conquered by their southern neighbours, the Inca.

What you’ll notice when visiting the site is how distinctive the architecture of Kuélap is when compared with other pre-Colombian Peruvian civilizations.

One of its most striking features is its round houses, around 500 of which remain, with just a handful decorated externally with zigzag patterns, likely indicating that they belonged to the nobility.

Something else that sets the houses of Kuelap apart is that most contained two or three graves. Slightly terrifyingly, mummies were buried in one-metre-wide holes, effectively beneath the floorboards of the house, and then covered with a large stone.  

Death was a very important part of the Chachapoya culture and if it sparks your curiosity, be sure to investigate the Sarcophagi of Karajia and Mausoleums of Revash (see below).

The towering stone walls of the Kuelap fortress on a mountain top close to Chachapoyas Peru
The first view of Kuelap as you reach the top of the mountain

Unlike Machu Picchu, the site has not faced any substantial restoration, and it remains in the same state it has been for the past 500 years, with the orchids and bromeliads still growing wild amongst the ruins.

Because of this, and the variety of structures, unusual history, and valley views make this archaeological site an absolute must-see in northern Peru.

A llama in the ruins of the stone citadel of Kuelap near Chachapoyas Peru
Many llamas wander the ruins but they are wild so don’t get too friendly

How to get to Kuelap

It takes about three hours to drive from Chachapoyas, but this route is becoming very uncommon since the construction of a cable car in 2017. I recently hiked down it, but even in that direction it’s very unkind on the knees – but it will help you appreciate why it took the Incas so long to conquer this ancient fortress.

An hour’s drive from Chachapoyas is the cable car station in Tingo Nuevo (buses from the terminal in Chachapoyas can get you here), from where a 20-minute ride takes you up the mountain to the entrance to Kuelap, granting you views down the valley as you soar through the air.

However you arrive, you will reach La Malca, the entrance to Kuelap. Site entry costs S/20 ($6) and you have to walk about 20 minutes uphill to where the city sits at the apex of the mountain.

There are horses available for those who can’t make it,

You can get a full guide to visiting Kuelap here.

2. Hike to the stunning Gocta Waterfall

Your first impression of Gocta Waterfalls does little to persuade you that you’re not dreaming.

In fact, it looks like something straight out of a Jurassic Park movie, with lush green forest clinging to the rocks that line a gushing, two-tiered waterfall, which cascades some 700 meters to the ground from the mountains above.

This experience helps you to understand how Stefan Ziemendorff, a German researcher out looking for sarcophagi in the jungle, felt when he “discovered” the falls in 2002, thus opening them up to international tourism.

Of course, the locals knew they were there, but a series of superstitions surrounding their existence had prevented the locals from going anywhere near them.

The Gocta Falls as seen on the walk from Cocachimba near Chachapoyas Peru
Gocta Falls through the dense forest and bromeliads

The falls are said to be 771 meters tall, but this is disputed by many who claim Ziemendorff did not measure them correctly. This height makes them the third highest falls in the world, but some sources put them fifth, or even as far down as fifteenth. However tall they are exactly, they are an awe-inspiring sight and definitely worth the trip.

Route options for hiking to Gocta Falls

The waterfalls are only accessible by hiking two hours each way through cloud forest, but with a variety of endemic fauna and flora, including the emblematic Andean Cock of the Rock, a startlingly red-hued bird endemic to South America, you’re sure to be enthralled the entire way.

There are three route options, each of which starts about an hour’s drive from Chachapoyas.

  • From Cocachimba, six kilometers from the falls:

The first, and more common, option is from the village of Cocachimba, which takes you to the bottom of the falls. Here a fee of S/15 ($4 USD) is charged to start the trail. On this path, you will walk through cloud forest with a handful of glimpses of the falls en route before you arrive at the base of the bottom waterfall, where the water has fallen so far that it hits the ground as a mist.

The wind created by the water falling from so high can force you to stoop into it and leave having a quick swim at the bottom perilous and freezing but refreshing after the humid forest.

The second is a new route that I hiked this year, which takes you up onto the plateau above the bottom half of the falls; expect incredible views of the falls for the duration of the hike, as well as stunning vistas of the valley, plus plenty of opportunities for birdwatching as you go.

You hike around the edges of the horseshoe-shaped valley to reach the base of the top falls, before climbing down a steep path to join the trail to the bottom half of the falls, from where you return to Cocachimba as per the normal trail outlined above. When I did it, my guide and I didn’t see a single person.

It’s a medium challenging hike (there’s a bit of uphill at the beginning) but long; it’s around 21 kilometers in total and took us nine hours with plenty of stops to look for birds.

A guide isn’t strictly necessary – the trail is clear – but you need to cross the falls to reach the path on the other side, and that can be a little dicey when there’s a lot of water. My guide Jhon (tel. +51 943 412 155) lives in Cocachimba (he runs the excellent Cocachimba Vintage) and is an avid birder. He also speaks good English.

In Cocachimba, there are plenty of great accommodation options, depending on your budget. My favorites are:

Gocta Mirador (double room with views of the falls S/125 ($33 USD)) is a very simple guesthouse but the owners are superbly friendly and all rooms have views of the falls either from the bed or their balcony.

Views of Gocta Falls from the terrace of Gocta Natura near Chachapoyas Peru
Views of Gocta Falls from the terrace of Gocta Natura

In a very different price bracket, Gocta Natura (double cabin with terrace and views of the falls $460 USD per night, minimum two-night stay) is an absolute slice of paradise just below the village. All of its five boutique cabins have terraces from where you can see Gocta Falls and the owner, Rocio used to various conservation projects in the area – and is a wonderful person to chat to. They can arrange delicious meals prepared using ingredients from their garden.

  • From San Pablo, five kilometers from the falls:

The second option is from the village of San Pablo which takes you to the first level of the waterfall and passes some rock art. This trail is less common and usually quieter than the shorter hiker from Cocachimba, but you don’t get the full experience of looking up at the true length of it as you hike.

There is a steep trail down to the bottom level, so you can return via the second route to Cocachimba, making the whole route about 17 kilometers.

The Gocta Falls as seen from the path from Cocachimba near Chachapoyas Peru
Gocta as seen from the path from Cocachimba

There is the possibility of horse hire in Cocachimba for around S/40 ($12 USD). Bear in mind that the horses do not go all the way up and you will still need to walk about 40 minutes on your own.

How to get to Gocta Falls

As with most places in northern Peru, there are no direct collectivos. If you are heading to Cocachimba, you will need to take a collectivo to Pedro Ruiz and get off in the small village of Cocahuayco. From here, take a moto taxi up the winding uphill road. Otherwise, take a collectivo to San Pablo for the alternative route.

There are many tours that go to Gocta, but a guide is not really necessary as the trails are well-marked.

3. Explore the lesser-known Yumbilla Waterfalls

While Gocta waterfall is better known, nearby Yumbilla Falls are actually a touch taller and can stake the claim as having evaded discovery for even longer, being “found” in only 2007.

Measuring at a height of 895.4 meters, they should be considered the fifth tallest on the planet, but dispute reigns thanks to the fact that they are made up of three distinct tiers and actually run dry outside of rainy season.

Either way, the hike through the lush cloud forest is beautiful and you even pass two other, smaller falls, Cristal and Medio Cerro, just a couple of the 22 spectacular waterfalls in the valley.

The second part of the Yumbilla Falls near Chachapoyas Peru
The second drop of the Yumbilla Falls

The forest is thick and teaming with life and has been practically untouched by mankind by mankind. Keep an eye out for the animals lurking in the undergrowth and up above in the forest canopy, as monkeys and endemic bird species inhabit this pristine environment.

There are two options for hiking to the falls. The standard route means you return on the same path and takes about three and a half to four hours. An alternative is a loop path and guides will charge extra to take you on the alternative route, which takes you both above and below the Cristal falls.

A bromeliad grows on a tree branch in Kuelap near Chachapoyas Peru
The flora of the area is really incredible

Some tours also do canyoning in a variety of falls as part of the day trip, if you are looking for a little more adventure in your outing. 

How to get to Yumbilla Falls

Directly, Cuispes is just over an hour by car from Chachapoyas but to get there by colectivo, you first have to go to Pedro Ruiz, and from there take a moto-taxi the last eight kilometers to Cuispes; ask to go to Plaza del Armas where you can ask the tourist information center about the path. The ticket will cost you S/10 ($3) and you can get a guide for around S/30 ($9 USD).

4. Spy the clifftop Sarcophagi of Karajia

On a cliff, in a treacherous ravine, six sarcophagi stare wide-eyed out at the world. They are a relic of the Chachapoya culture, elaborately decorated clay coffins that were used to bury important individuals when they died.

Due to their precarious positioning on a cliff edge, not only did the sarcophagi of Karajia guarantee closer proximity to the sky and the gods for their inhabitants, but they have escaped the looting of centuries past to which many ancient relics have been lost.

At two and a half meters tall, they were built from a bamboo structure covered in mud and straw and their large flat faces represent funerary masks, although they certainly share some similarities with the moai of Easter Island.

The lower parts of these clay monoliths were decorated with geometric patterns in red paint, while inside each structure was a mummy in the fetal position.

One sarcophagus is decorated with a skull, and archaeologists say that all of those buried here were likely fierce warriors, but all of the mummies must have belonged to the upper classes of the Chachapoya, as only the most important dignitaries received this privilege.

How to get to the Sarcophagi of Karajia

If you want to visit this site, there are many tours leaving from Chachapoyas. If you want to do it alone, take a collective to Luya and then from there to Cruz Pata.

The start of the trail is about one and a half hours’ drive from Chachapoyas and the entrance fee is S/10 ($2.5). You will need to walk about 20 – 30 minutes downhill to arrive at the bottom of the cliff from where you can observe the sarcophagi from a distance. You will, however still be close enough to admire them fully.

The hike back out of the ravine is more strenuous but manageable with good shoes and a moderate fitness level. There’s a small museum (S.5/$1.5 USD), with some pottery found at the site, as well as a mummy.

5. Visit the colorful Mausoleums of Revash

South of Chachapoyas, another striking sight awaits from a cliff face. Small mud houses, built side by side in a cave on the edge of a mountain, mark the Mausoleums of Revash.

Much like the sarcophagi of Karajia, they were the final resting places of deceased Chachapoya, who went to great lengths (and scaled even greater heights!) to ensure that they sufficiently honored their dead.

The painted mausoleums of Revash perched in the cliff above the valley near Chachapoyas Peru
The mausoleums facing out over the valley

You’ll notice that, while they all look house-shaped, there is a large degree of variety when it comes to their shape and size, as they were built to fit the available space. Some have multiple floors, but all have side entrances to allow access from the cliff face.

Made from stone and clay, the houses are decorated with red paint, which was made from the seeds of the achiote fruit. The paintings range from geometric to organic forms, with some recognizable shapes being llamas and the Andean cross (a symbol often associated with power and war, and therefore death).

The precarious positioning and uniqueness of these tombs are quite spectacular. Scrabbling along the cliff face to get a closer look feels like an adventure and you can almost imagine just discovering them on your own.

The painted mausoleums of Revash perched in the cliff above the valley near Chachapoyas Peru
Each “house” is decorated in a unique style of red paint

How to get to the Mausoleums of Ravash

It’s a pain to get to San Bartolo from Chachapoyas by public transport, so it’s much easier to take a your, which will include Ravash and the Museo de Leymebamba. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi for around S/200 to take you there and back.

The entrance fee for Revash paid in the town and costs S/15 ($4) and a further S/30 ($8) per group for a compulsory guide. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the guide very helpful (he spent more time telling me about people climbing on the mausoleums and injuring themselves than he did giving me any sort of history).

From the town of San Bartolo, you walk one and a half kilometers along a stone path until you reach the cliff face. There are paths on the cliff to allow closer looks but are only recommended for people with good balance and strong fitness levels.

6. Meet the mummies of Leymebamba in its striking museum

Picturesque Leymebamba lies just a few hours’ drive from Chachapoyas. And while the town, with its cobbled main square and pretty stone houses, is lovely in its own right, the real draw here is the local museum, the Museo de Leymebamba, which houses one of the region’s most spectacular archeological finds.

Most of the treasures in the museum come from the excavation of the Laguna de los Cóndores burial site, where the 219 mummies now on display in the museum were discovered in 1996.

They are kept in a dark, temperature-controlled room, but you can peer through a glass window to see their remarkable start of preservation despite the six centuries since they were buried, and you’ll either be delighted – or troubled – to discover that many still have eyes, which have been exposed by the movement of their original wrappings.

Mummies in the Museo de Leymebamba near Chachapoyas Peru
Shrouded and unshrouded mummies stand in rows in Leymembamba’s Museum  (photo “Mummie Chachapoya” by pmoroni; CC BY-SA 2.0)

Ultimately, if you’re planning on visiting the Mausoleums of Revash or the Sarcophagi of Karajia, definitely include the Museo de Leymebamba in your plans to gain a deeper understanding of the region and its people.

How to get to the Museo de Leymebamba

Tours from Chachapoyas to the museum are usually combined with visiting the Mausoleums of Revash to make the long drive more worthwhile. If you don’t take a tour, there are collectivos to Leymembamba, but you will probably need to spend the night as it is a long trip and most of the collectivos leave later in the day.

A recommended place to stay in Leymebamba is Kentitambo (double room S/190 ($50 USD), cabin S/380 ($100 USD)) a cozy hotel with rooms and cabins scattered across a hillside, plus feeders that attract 17 types of hummingbirds (including, if you’re lucky, the endemic Marvelous spatuletail).

If you’ve got the cash, opt for a cabin, because they come with hammock-slung terraces surrounded by cloud forest. The staff speak very little English but can help to organize the trek to the Laguna de los Cóndores burial site, Revash, and other nearby hikes. They can also arrange delicious meals for an additional S/57 ($15 USD) per person and the included breakfast is exceptional.

The entrance fee is S/30 ($8) and is paid at the entrance of the museum.

7. Learn how to cook Amazonas dishes at Amazonika Cooking Lab

Food in the Amazonas is rooted in the extensive range of ingredients at people’s disposal – which has formulated a rich gastronomic culture.

You can sample regional favorites such as tacu tacu (mashed plantain, rice, and beans), fried trout, and chicharrones (deep-fried pork belly), but the best option is to make them yourself with the help of local chef Gaby López in her Amazonika Cooking Lab.

Gaby Lopez, chef at Amazonika Restaurant in Chachapoyas, in her Cooking Lab
Learning from local chef Gaby López in her Amazonika Cooking Lab.

From her modern cooking lab above the acclaimed Amazonika Restaurant, you’ll learn how to cook up classic dishes. I made locro (a bean soup with fried pork belly and pork skin), tacacho del viaje (mashed plantain with fried pork belly and pork fat and named as such because it was prepared for the long journeys from the coast to the jungle when food needed to be edible for days), as well as trout ceviche with a tiger milk sauce using local tree tomatoes.

You’ll start the day with a visit to Chachapoyas’ Mercado Modelo to browse the stalls and learn about the history of the region’s dozens of types of bread, flour, and fruit, before bringing back the fresh produce to transform into delicious dishes.

A picture of tacacho del viaje, locro and ceviche in Amazonika Cooking Lab
Locro (top), tacacho del viaje (top right), ceviche (bottom right) and tiradito (bottom left).

Chief bartender and co-owner Louis will also lead you through a cocktail class (for me a boozy chilanco sour – delicious!).

8. Trek the four-day Gran Vilaya through untouched cloud forest

One of the best ways to combine multiple archeological sites along the Uctabamba Valley is through one of the region’s best treks.

Gran Vilaya is the name given to the mountainous region to the east of the valley, where dozens of Chachpoya sites – typified by their circular stone houses built into the hillsides – lay claimed by the jungle, awaiting excavation.

Chachapoyas houses in the cloud forest on the Gran Vilaya trek
Dozens of Chachpoya sites – typified by their circular stone houses built into the hillsides – lay claimed by the jungle, awaiting excavation.

For now, they’re only visited by a tiny handful of hardy hikers who embark on the challenging Gran Vilaya trek. It’s a four-day tour but you only hike for 2.5 days; on the first, you’re driven to the Sarcophagi of Karajia and you finish on the final day at the former stronghold of the Chachapoya, the mountaintop Kuelap fortress.

Along the way, you sleep beneath canvas in the pastoral paradise of the Huya Belén Valley, stop in tiny, ten-house villages, and clamber steeply into the mountains.

It’s tough on the legs – and the knees – but you can take the steepest sections by horse, which is itself part of the adventure.

A picture of Steph Dyson on a horse at the end of the Gran Vilaya trek
At the end of the trail, after a very steep horseback ride up the mountain.

I hiked with Special Cloud Peru, a highly recommended local company run by English-speaking guide Roger.

How to get to Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas is certainly not one of Peru’s easiest towns to reach, but transport here is all part of the adventure.

From Lima, it’s possible to fly directly to the Aeropuerto de Chachapoyas, five kilometers from town, with ATSA Airlines, who fly four times weekly (from around $104 USD).

You can also fly from Lima to the Aeropuerto de Jaen, a four-hour bus journey from Chachpoyas daily with LATAM.

Overnight buses from Lima (22 hours), Trujillo (12 hours), and Chiclayo (nine hours) are also possible; Movil Tours is one of the few companies running the route,

The final option is by minibus from Cajamarca, but this is only recommended during the day; the route covers high-altitude passes and mostly one-lane-only roads, making it spectacular but certainly not for the fainthearted, particularly as drivers are known to take them at breakneck speeds (literally).

The company Virgen del Carmen is the only company running the route, but they depart at 5pm from Cajamarca, which I wouldn’t recommend as I’ve heard stories of drunk drivers for the overnight trip.

Instead, on my recent trip, I took a combi to Celendín (S/10 (2.5 USD) from here; 2. hours) and then another combi to Chachpoyas (S/40 ($10.5 USD) with Transportes Rojas; around 8-9 hours). The road is now paved and you stop at various points in very remote villages for lunch and to buy snacks. Wear light clothing as the temperature in Balsas is scorching, but you’ll want layers for when you arrive in Chachapoyas.

Where to eat, drink, and stay in Chachapoyas

A coffee grower in the Rodriguez de Mendoza region near Chachapoyas Peru
A coffee grower in the Rodriguez de Mendoza region near Chachapoyas, Peru

The best restaurants in Chachapoyas

  • Cafe Fusiones (Ayacucho 952) is easily the best restaurant in the town and it specialises in organic, nutritious food (something you may well be craving after a few weeks in Peru!) and really fresh, and delicious, fruit juices. They also sell fair trade, local coffee, which is grown by a coffee collective in nearby Rodriguez de Mendoza.
  • El Batán de Tayta (La Merced 604) is also worth a visit if you’re on a bigger budget. It’s all a bit bonkers (the corridor as you walk in is daubed with messages from previous customers) and the food is Peruvian cuisine as you’ve never seen it before – with really innovative dishes and great pisco sours.

Where to drink in Chachapoyas

  • Although you’ll likely be after an early night if you plan on visiting any of the sights, Licores La Reina (Ayacucho 544) is a wonderfully Peruvian experience. It’s basically a huge bar, with an outdoor courtyard, blaring music, and potent macerado (cane sugar aguardiente infused with fruit) that they make somewhere in the back. They sell the drink in shot glasses for a reason!

Where to stay in Chachapoyas

Budget accommodation in Chachapoyas

  • The best budget option in town is Chachapoyas Backpackers Hostel Boutique (dorm S/29 ($8 USD) and double (S/119 ($31 USD)), which has well-sized rooms and a decent kitchen if you’re looking to self-cater. The staff are very friendly and know the area well.

Mid-range accommodation in Chachapoyas

  • Just one block from the Plaza de Armas and with lovely views over the rooftops from the upper floors, La Casa de los Balcones (double S/130 ($34 USD)) has large rooms set higgledy-piggledy across multiple levels with comfy beds, a good breakfast, and really warm and welcoming staff.

High-end accommodation in Chachapoyas

  • The most comfortable lodgings in Chachapoyas are La Xalca Hotel (S/380 ($100 USD)), another colonial mansion with large, antique-furniture decorated bedrooms, some of which have pretty balconies overlooking the central courtyard and an extensive breakfast buffet. If you’re visiting in winter, ask for a room with carpet, not tiles.
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Find out how you can discover Peru's best-kept secret, the city of Chachapoyas. Within close proximity to the spectacular Gocta Falls, the ancient Kuelap ruins and the Sarcophagi of Karajia, it has access to some of Peru's finest natural and archeological sites #peru #perutravel #chachapoyas #worldlyadventurer #southamerica #adventuretravel