CHACHAPOYAS CULTURE – 04 DAYS / 03 NIGHT

Chachapoyas

Kuelap is situated on an escarpment at 3000m (9840ft). Massive walls form a giant platform on which the city is built. You don’t so much as walk into Kuelap as walk on to it. The exterior walls rise up to 20m (65ft) tall, and extend along the ridge for 584m (639yds.).

To enter the site there are three narrow entrances and once inside there are many roundhouses typical of Chachapoya design. There are two obvious religious places namely the Castillo which is a platform overlooking the second entrance and the unusual Tintero, which appears like a chopped off inverted cone. The outer walls are impressive but what makes a visit to Kuelap so special is the feeling of mystery in a place that once was lost and is still not fully understood. Much of the site is covered by trees, laden with bromeliads orchids and mosses and home to many birds.

For visitors these are very interesting times as many new discoveries are being made. Teams of archaeologists, restorers and conservationists have been working on the site for over 4 years. Kuelap has been a place to ponder as there has always been many questions about Kuelap – and from the information obtained during this latest dig, many questions have been now answered, but many more have cropped up too.

Day 1

Chachapoyas

Airport pick up service in Chiclayo and private transportation to Chachapoyas. We will see waterfalls, and America’s most spectacular views on our trip to the unspoiled city of Chachapoyas. Overnight.

Day 2

We will go to the spectacular sarcophagus of Karajia perched on a cliff. From there we will see more sarcophagus higher on a sheer cliff than any building you’ll have ever seen. Overnight above the clouds in our village co-op Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge where you could observe hummingbirds, the lodge is located in the road to Kuelap at only 45 minutes from the fortress, excellent panoramic views of Kuelap and the Abra Yumal Pass. Overnight.

Day 3

Chachapoyas

We will spend the day at Fortress Kuelap known as “the Machu Picchu of the North”. Kuelap has over 400 buildings inside 3 levels of walls, and is the largest stone structure in all South America. Orchids and bromelias cover the walls and trees inside this fortress. On the way to Chachapoyas we will observe the platforms of Macro located on a cliff overlooking the Utcubamba River.overnight