SURROUNDINGS

Chachapoyas is the starting point of many tours to highly interesting places:

In Levanto you will find the pre-Hispanic ruins of Yalape, with its rhomboid and zigzag friezes, the circular building of Colla Cruz, of Sachapuyo-Inca construction, and beautiful landscapes that only the caprice of Nature could have created.

Jalca still preserves features of its traditional architecture of pre-Inca origin. The houses have thatched roofs and the colonial church is, possibly, the oldest in the region.

Pomacocha: This lake, on the edge of the Pedro Ruiz-Rioja main road, in the province of Bongará; is one of the many lakes to be found in Amazonas. It has a diameter of three kilometres and is more than 2,000 m.a.s.l. It is navigable and has all the facilities for the enjoyment of water sports.

Kuelap

The fortified city of Kuelap, discovered in 1843 by the Judge Juan Crisostomo Nieto, is in the district of Tingo, province of Luya, 4 hours from Chachapoyas.
The citadel, at 3,000 m.a.s.l, is 584 meters by 110 meters, and is built on the summit of a mountain.

It's huge protective walls, which clearly indicate the two sections of the citadel, the "lower town" and the "upper town", stand at an impressive 20 meters high. The Sachapuyos constructed the city with blocks of limestone.

In the "upper town" the visitor will find the "Castillo" (Castle), a religious construction consisting of a rectangular floor with three overlying platforms, and the "Torreon" (Watchtower), a defensive wall seven meters high. To know more about Kuelap click on this name on the left bar.

ADVENTURE SPORTS

The numerous calcareous caves with underground water and limestone walls found throughout the department of Amazonas, are a challenge for those who enjoy exploring the unexplored.

With special equipment, an adequate team and a certain degree of experience it is possible to explore the Caves of El Tigre, in the district of Copallin (Bagua), Jamalca in Parpachupa or Corbamba Bongará.The lakes of Amazonas; most of which are over 3,000 meters a.s.l., are perfect for watersports.