Pre-Inca Ruins

Daily from Chiclayo
6 days, 5 nights

Travel by road from the coastal city of Chiclayo to Chachapoyas, your base for 3 nights, Drive through the desert and the Andes before descending to the Marañon river.
Drive via Karajía, a remote village where you can view the cliff-face huge tombs of Chachapoyan nobles, to the family-run el Chillo estancia for a 2-night stay. A full day’s excursion takes you to Yerbabuena to climb on foot or horseback to the ancient cliff tombs of Revash, and continue to the new museum at Leymebamba, which displays well-preserved mummies.

The highlight of your rural stay is your day trip to the cliff-top fortress Kuelap. Its towering walls and inverted V-shaped entrances made it impregnable. Return to Chachapoyas by public transport for a further night.

On the last full day, a 90-minute drive is followed by 2½ hour trek through sugar cane fields and tropical foliage to the base of the 771m high Gocta Falls. Continue for one night to Jaen. On the final day, depart for Chiclayo.