What are the highlights?

The Kuélap fortress, the giant Gocta and Yumbilla waterfalls, and the cliff-face sarcophagi of the Chachapoya — a highland world quite unlike the rest of Peru.

When is the best time to visit?

The drier months of May to September are best for trekking , though the cloud forest can be misty and wet at any time.

Fly to Jaén or Chachapoyas from Lima, then travel by road; the region is remote, so trips are usually guided with transfers between the widely spread sites.

Things to do in Amazonas (Chachapoyas)

The Amazonas region — not the lowland jungle, but Peru's misty cloud-forest north — is the land of the Chachapoya, the 'people of the clouds'. Cliff tombs, a fortress larger than Machu Picchu and a thundering waterfall wait in green highlands that few travellers reach.

Fortress, falls and cloud forest

Trekking to the vast Kuélap fortress (reached by cable car or on foot), the 771 m Gocta and Yumbilla waterfalls, and the sarcophagi of Karajía, in northern Peru. Open the Book here tab for dates.