Peru has been a go to place for adventure for many years. The mysterious Machu Picchu was a mecca for trekkers on the Inca Trail, but it's just not the same now when you have 100's of other people on the trail at the same time and you have to try to find space at each of the campsites. And then when you do get to Machu Picchu, you have a limited amount of time there and you can only tour part of it and you're with a crowd of people.
But there is another region in Peru where that feeling of mystery and adventure still exists and there are no crowds to interfere with that feeling
But there is another region in Peru where that feeling of mystery and adventure still exists and there are no crowds to interfere with that feeling
I remember years ago going on a backpacking trip in Chachapoyas led by Dr. Peter Lerche. At the time, he was in charge of investigating and documenting new archeological sites that were reported to him by locals (locals knew about sites for years, but only reported them when they found out that others might be interested in them). As we were walking, he would point out the tops of mountains where there were unexplored ruins. Since there were no roads to those places, he had to hike to them and he just didn't have time to get to all of them. Not long after that trip, I was sending a group to that area and my local operator said that a new "lost city" had been discovered and they were wondering if my group would like to visit it. Of course they said yes and for years they told me that it was the highlight of their trip because they felt like they were among the first to see it. This was in the area called Gran Vilaya, a complex of many archaeological remains and ruins, spread over a wide area that was discovered in 1985.
Unexcavated ruins in Gran Vilaya region
Then in 1996, 200 mummies were found in a cave at Laguna de Los Condores. A National Geographic team wanted to do a documentary about the find, but they decided to go with a rogue archeologist, and the locals refused to help them to get there, so their quest was unsuccessful. But the Discovery Channel enlisted the aid of a legitimate group and they were able to get there to document the place. Later a museum was built in Leymebamba to house the mummies. And the National Geographic team was able to go after contracting with more respectable people.
hiking to the Gocta Waterfall
The immense Gocta waterfall was "discovered" by a foreigner in 2002 and the Yumbilla waterfall was "discovered" in 2007, though locals had known about them for years. These are among the highest waterfalls in the world.
For years the huge mountaintop citadel of Kuelap has been the major attraction of the Chachapoyas region. Construction of it started in about 800 A.D. and since 1995, the Peruvian government has been touting it as "the Machu Picchu of the North", but it has never really caught on. Maybe that is partly due to the lack of flights to Chachapoyas. We had to fly in a military cargo plane when we went, sitting along both sides of the plane while cargo was stored in the middle of the plane. Commercial flights would not go there because the airport did not have a radar system. The government built an airport in Jaen, which is a few hours away, but that is not operating any more. There is a small local airline (Atsa Airlines) that is flying daily to Chachapoyas now. Otherwise, you can take a long bus ride from Chiclayo or Cajamarca to get to Chachapoyas.
For years the huge mountaintop citadel of Kuelap has been the major attraction of the Chachapoyas region. Construction of it started in about 800 A.D. and since 1995, the Peruvian government has been touting it as "the Machu Picchu of the North", but it has never really caught on. Maybe that is partly due to the lack of flights to Chachapoyas. We had to fly in a military cargo plane when we went, sitting along both sides of the plane while cargo was stored in the middle of the plane. Commercial flights would not go there because the airport did not have a radar system. The government built an airport in Jaen, which is a few hours away, but that is not operating any more. There is a small local airline (Atsa Airlines) that is flying daily to Chachapoyas now. Otherwise, you can take a long bus ride from Chiclayo or Cajamarca to get to Chachapoyas.
Some of the More Well-known Sites in Chachapoyas
But the remoteness, lack of crowds and the opportunity to visit spectacular, recently discovered sites should appeal to anybody interested in adventure, whether they are interested in trekking or just visiting archeological sites. We can arrange anything from a quick 4 day visit to see the more well-known sites to 10 days or more to unlock some of the other hidden treasures in the region. We can also start the trip in Tarapoto, going through lowland jungle full of bromeliads and hummingbirds to get to the cloudforest region of Chachapoyas.
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