One of the many reasons I chose to take the long, scenic route from Ecuador to Peru was so that I'd be in a good position to visit Kuelap, a Pre-Inca, Pre-Colombian, mountaintop fortress built by the Chachapoyans (know as the Cloud Forest people).
Little is known about Kuelap, though we do know through carbon dating that construction began in the 6th century AD, and the location was occupied until the mid 1500's.
To get there, we left Chachapoyas early in the morning, and drove 3 solid hours along steep, unpaved mountain roads until we arrived at the parking lot for the ruins.
From there, we had a short 10-minute walk to reach the fortress, though in total, we'd spend a whopping 3 hours touring the ruins.
Kuelap is strategically located atop a mountain 3,000 meters above sea level.
The first thing I noticed up there was the 360-degree, panoramic views.
You'd be hard pressed to build a fortress with a more commanding view of the countryside.
Within the walls of Kuelap are approximately 400 individual structures -- mostly circular in shape.
Within many of the structures, you can still see the smooth, worn stones used to grind food.
Among the more interesting tidbits relayed by our guide was how the Chachapoyans were excellent brain surgeons, and that skeletal evidence existed of the surgeries they'd perform.
At one point, he even moved aside a stone, in what appeared to be a mass tomb, to reveal human bones.
Someone on our tour mentioned just 24,000 people visit Kuelap each year.
Compare that to the 2,500 people that visit Machu Picchu each day, and you'll get a feel for how off the beaten track you'll be by visiting Kuelap in northern Peru.
As I write this entry, having been to Machu Picchu, I'm even more thankful that I had the chance to visit Kuelap first.
Aside from a few other tour groups from Chachapoyas, we had the entire 1,500 year old fortress ruins to ourselves.
What You Need to Know
How Much: $28 + tip ($22 for tour, $2 for park entrance, $4 for lunch)
Difficulty: Easy
Where to Book: Most hostels and travel shops in Chachapoyas. I used Andes Tours. If you're not fluent in Spanish, make sure you're getting an English-speaking guide.
What to Bring: A daypack, your own supply of snacks and water (we didn't eat lunch until 4 pm), sunglasses, sunscreen, several layers including a light jacket in case it rains.
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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is now available for Kindle and PDF.
