Holidays with Downtown

For a long time, the charming northern Peruvian city of Chachapoyas remained relatively isolated from the rest of the country. That has changed in recent years, with the development of regular scheduled flights to Jaén in the northwest, and to Chachapoyas itself. And that’s great news for tourists, because Chachapoyas and the surrounding region are absolutely brimming with manmade and natural attractions.  Our eght-day tour will take you to all of the most amazing attractions around Chachapoyas and the Amazonas Region. These include the majestic Gocta Waterfall (one of the tallest in the world), the cliff-face sarcophagi at Karajia, the vast and imposing Kuelap Fortress, the tombs of Revash, and Leymebamba Museum with its hauntingly well-preserved mummies.

Day 1: Lima

After passing immigration and customs formalities at the airport walk to your hotel situated in the complex.

Day 2: Lima, Jaen, Chachapoyas, Cocachimba

Take the first flight to Jaen where you’ll be welcomed by your guide. Stop for lunch before heading to Chachapoyas, which takes about four hours. During this beautiful journey we’ll descend into the Marañon River Valley (the Marañon is a major tributary of the Amazon River) before climbing upwards towards Chachapoyas through the stunning Utcubamba Canyon. About 12.5 miles north of Chachapoyas, we’ll take a side road to the village of Cocachimba to reach the loge where you’ll have dinner and spend the night. [L/D]

Day 3: Cocachimba (Gocta Waterfall)

The well maintained and very scenic trek to Gocta Waterfall begins right at the hotel door and passes along the sides of a beautiful cloud-forested valley, inhabited by abundant mammals, birds and butterflies. In the good days you might even spot a yellow-tailed woolly monkey, mountain sloth or the magnificent cock-of-the-rock (the national bird of Peru). If you don’t feel up to the climb you may hire a horse for part of the journey or for the return leg if you’ve had enough walking. You’ll have glimpses of Gocta Waterfall from various points along the trek, and you’ll hear it growing louder as you get nearer, but only after about two hours will you come face-to-face with this 2,530 ft. towering waterfall, one of the world’s tallest After a picnic lunch, if you’re feeling brave – and have a poncho or other waterproof jacket (or maybe just a bathing suit) - you can walk close to the plunge pool, where the feeling of tumbling water and rainbow-flecked spray is almost overwhelming. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]

Note: The trip takes about six hours so, make sure you bring good walking shoes.  

Day 4: Cocachimba, Cruz Pata, Karajia, Chachapoyas

After breakfast we’ll drive back down into the beautiful Utcubamba Canyon before crossing over into the neighboring province of Luya. From the village of Luya we will head to the village of Cruz Pata, where we begin our reasonably short and very scenic walk to Karajia (the walk normally takes about 45 minutes). When we finally round a bend on the valley side, you’ll see the striking sarcophagi of Karajia standing on ledges on the cliff face above you. These human-shaped figures represent one form of burial used by the Chachapoya culture, which ruled this part of Peru from around 900 to 1470. The figures are unusually large, the seven main sarcophagi standing up to 8 ft. tall and constructed of clay, sticks and grass. They stand looking out toward the rising sun. Their location on a largely inaccessible cliff has protected them from looters, something the ancient Chachapoya likely took into consideration when they put them there. Each sarcophagus contains a mummy, with various artifacts, some precious, accompanying them. They were likely elite members of the Chachapoya civilization. Once we have marveled at these spectacular sarcophagi, we’ll head back along the trail to our transport and drive south into the main valley to reach Chachapoyas for dinner and overnight. [B/D]

Day 5: Chachapoyas (Tingo, Kuelep)

In the morning we’ll drive to the village of Tingo where we’ll board the cable car for a fun ride across a canyon up to Kuelap Fortress. After a short walk, we’ll arrive at this hugely impressive archaeological site.  While not nearly as famous as Machu Picchu, Kuelap is arguably just as impressive. Kuelap was built by the Chachapoyas culture in the 6th century CE, some 500 years before Machu Picchu. It sits at 8,850 feet above sea level on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley. As you approach the fortress, you’ll undoubtedly be impressed by the towering outer walls, which reach 66 ft. tall in places. The entire oval-shaped complex is over 1,900 ft. long and 360 ft. wide at its widest part. It is believed that it took about 40 million cubic feet of stone to build the gargantuan fortress, making it possibly the largest known ancient stone structure in South America, and three times larger than the Great Pyramid of Egypt. As we walk around the near-impenetrable outer walls, we’ll eventually reach one of the three extremely narrow entrances into Kuelap. At the top of the entranceway, you’ll step up onto a tranquil plateau inside the looking more like a walled city or citadel, capable of supporting thousands of people. Inside the fortress are the remnants of more than 400 circular dwellings, some of which have been restored to how archaeologists believe they would have looked hundreds of years ago. These dwellings are decorated with strange zigzag motifs and rhomboid friezes, the symbols possibly representative of the families who lived within. We’ll explore the rest of the complex, including religious buildings, defensive towers and a strange construction that might have been used as a solar observatory. There’s plenty to see at Kuelap, so we’ll make sure you have plenty of time to explore with your guide and then on your own. When you’re ready, we’ll return to our private transport and head back to Chachapoyas for dinner and overnight. [B/D]

Day 6: Chachapoyas (Yerbabuena, San Bartolo, Revash, Leymebamba)

Today begins with a scenic two-and-a-half-hour drive through the hills to a small village called Yerbabuena. From here, we drive 6 miles to the village of San Bartolo and walk 30 minutes to reach Revash, a cliff-side funerary complex, built by the Chachapoya culture around 1200 CE. The difference between Revash and other funerary sites is that rather than sarcophagi or simple tombs, the mausoleums or “chullpas” at Revash were built to look like little houses, giving the impression of a tiny, colorful village built on the cliff. The walls of the little “houses” are decorated with painted figures, including felines, South American camelids, people and geometrical designs. After exploring Revash, we’ll continue on to Leymebamba (a 45-minute drive) to visit the modern and highly impressive Leymebamba Museum that houses more than 2,500 artifacts from the Chachapoyas culture including 200 of the famous mummies found at the Laguna de los Cóndores archaeological site. The museum building was designed to reflect local architectural traditions and the surrounding gardens are full of beautiful flowers and trees, including more than 100 native species or orchids. After the visit we return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. [B/D]

Day 7: Chachapoyas, Marañon Canyon, Celendin, Cajamarca

On our final day we make the trip from Leymebamba to the beautiful colonial city of Cajamarca. The six-hour drive ranks among the most spectacular in Peru. It begins with an ascent to a mountain pass at 3,600 meters above sea level, overlooking the Marañon Canyon. The road then plunges down to the river, passing through many different ecosystems. We’ll cross the bridge at the valley bottom at 850 meters above sea level, then drive up again to 2,400 meters on the western side of the canyon. Just beyond that is the market town of Celendin, which is famous for its straw hats. After another three hours, we cross through rolling hills and agricultural land, before arriving in Cajamarca for check-in at your hotel [B]

Day 8: Cajamarca, Lima, USA

Cajamarca is an important cultural and commercial center in the Northern Highlands of Peru. It is located in a fertile river valley surrounded by mountains, and various cultures have settled this area during the last 2000 years and more. Pre-Chavín cultures, the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors have all occupied this area, which has witnessed numerous historical events of great importance, including a pivotal moment in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. During the city tour, you’ll learn all about the Cajamarca of the Incas, its transformation into a colonial city, and the gold mining boom of the 18th century. You’ll see some of the city’s most impressive churches and colonial houses, many of which are beautifully conserved. One such structure is the façade of the cathedral of Cajamarca, recognized as a jewel of Latin American architecture. This cathedral contains Cajamarca’s only original baroque altar, which was built in 1689. After seeing the cathedral, we will continue on to the Iglesia de Belén (Church of Bethlehem), a sprawling religious complex built in the 18th. We will then visit the famous Ransom Room, where the Inca Atahualpa was held hostage by Francisco Pizarro, who promised to free the Inca if the room was filled with gold and silver. Atahualpa had the room filled, but Pizarro nonetheless broke his promise and had Atahualpa killed in the main square. In the afternoon, you’ll be driven to the airport to board you connecting flight home via Lima. [B]

[B] = Breakfast | [B/D] = Breakfast and Dinner | [L/D] = Lunch and Dinner