Amazonas

Amazonas holds a special place in the Peruvian Amazon, it is surrounded by orchids and inhabited by spectacular species such as the spatuletail hummingbird, the spectacled bear, and the mythical cock-of-the-rock. This region is home to natural, cultural, and archaeological wonders that were unknown until recently, making it one of the favorite destinations for tourism and discovering never-before-heard stories.

So, now you know: if you want to be amazed at every step you take, Amazonas is the right place because of its magnificent natural landscapes and millenary history offered to visitors. Nothing in the world compares to taking a walk along a wet and fresh path, while the sun tries to slip in through the ephemeral gaps left by the trees, to reach the final destination and be impressed by an imposing waterfall.

Do you want to know more? Here is the information you need.

Between the city and nature

The first thing you should do is arrive at its capital. Located between the Andes and the Peruvian Amazon, Chachapoyas enchants its visitors with its mansions of viceregal and republican style. Do not hesitate to ask for directions, the city's inhabitants are friendly to tourists and willing to help them. Here, you will find a variety of accommodations and tourist services that will show you the wonders of Amazonas.

The journey to Gocta, in the district of Valera, is a must-see tour. It involves a series of transfers that may vary between bus, horse, and hiking groups from the towns of Cochachimba or San Pablo (the closest localities) to reach one of the highest waterfalls in the world. Gocta has over 700 meters of continuous waterfall drop.

How about its surroundings? Equally spectacular: multicolored orchids and vegetation everywhere, more than 110 species of birds, woolly monkeys, and spectacled bears inhabit this part of the jungle.

An unmissable museum

A separate paragraph is needed for the Leymebamba Museum, which is located two and a half hours, approximately, from the city of Chachapoyas. You can access there by bus. This exhibition houses over 200 mummies and funerary offerings that were discovered, by chance, in the Condor's Cave in 1996. The mummies belong to the Chachapoyas culture and show how they buried their ancestors.

Three options to travel to the past

The Karajía Sarcophagi, the Revash Mausoleums, and the Kuelap Fortress are three attractions that require special attention.

In the Karajía Sarcophagi, you may find monumental anthropomorphic tombs, also called purunmachos, which guard the area from the mountaintops. These capsules still contain mummies with funerary objects and date back over a thousand years. In this locality, crafts linked to this tradition and their alignment with the sun, which are still a subject of study, are also sold.

The Revash Mausoleums are replicas of the houses of the ancient inhabitants of the area, according to archaeologists researching these structures. Questions arise about the shape of their roofs, their construction (most are located in front of steep cliffs), and their location, as they are situated at an altitude of 2800 meters above sea level.

Finally, there is the Kuelap Fortress, where you can witness the origins of the Chachapoyas, one of the most important cultures of Peru. This impressive stone construction can be accessed by bus and hiking (from the La Malca tourist stop). In addition to observing the remains of this majestic building from the outside or from the air (thanks to the installed cable cars), you can take a walk through the streets, alleyways, and squares and witness the impressive landscapes that surround it.