It is said that more than 90% of Peru’s archaeological treasures are yet to be discovered, and arguably the greatest concentration of this wealth is to be found in the remote northern Peruvian highlands known as Chachapoyas. Arguably Peru’s best-kept secret, this little-known and utterly mesmerising corner of South America is a place you will definitely want to include in your next trip to Peru.
"Famed for their powerful shamans and tough warrior ethos, the Chachapoya created some of the world’s most spectacular and least-known ancient monuments."
The whole area will release your inner Indiana Jones. With our expert private guides, you can wander through fortified stone cities like Kuelap, every bit as extraordinary as Machu Picchu, but visited by a fraction of the numbers. Or (with the proper permissions secured) mount a mule-supported private expedition through the mountains to the stunning ancient stone citadel of Gran Pajaten. You can trek or ride on horseback to newly-discovered anthropomorphic stone tombs perched high up on cliff-face ledges, and wonder at richly symbolic petroglyphs, friezes and the ceramic art that is still practised to this day.
Riven by dizzying gorges, cloaked by endemic-rich cloud forests and embellished by some of the world’s loftiest waterfalls, the Chachapoyas Highlands are located where the eastern slopes of the Andes dissolve into the steamy Amazon basin. They were also home to the mighty Chachapoya culture, who predated the Inca by more than 600 years and were known as the Cloud Warriors. Famed for their powerful shamans and tough warrior ethos, the Chachapoya created some of the world’s most spectacular and least-known ancient monuments.
The natural marvels of Chachapoyas are scarcely less impressive. Two of the planet’s highest waterfalls–Yumbilla and Gocta–tumble down more than 2,500 feet from a high plateau above the Utcubamba Valley, and its cloud forests are the only redoubt of the iridescent spatuletail hummingbird and yellow-tailed woolly monkey. You can visit cock of the rock leks, track spectacled bear and search out magnificent rare orchids. For a wonderfully exciting adventure, you can join a rafting expedition through the majestic canyons of the Marañon River.
The last few years have seen the openings of a handful of charming new lodges and the introduction of a direct flight from Lima to the highland town of Chachapoyas in the heart of the Utcubamba Valley. Best of all, it acts as a superb stepping stone between a luxury expedition cruise in the Amazon and relaxing on the wonderful beaches of northern Peru. We return as often as we can to experience its extraordinary archaeological sites, miraculous landscapes and magical wildlife.
