Another Ancient Capital

Prior to the Incas, the Chachapoyas built their mountain-top city: Fortaleza de Kuelap (Kuelap for short). The north-east of Peru is well off the primary tourist routes, and this 1,000 year old complex receives only a small number of tourists (at one point, we were the only ones there). It was the heart of the Chachapoya empire for over 500 years until taken over (with much difficulty and over many years) by the Incas. The Peruvian government is trying to enhance the profile of the complex, referring it to “the Machu Picchu of the north”, but drawing more tourists to the site, which is well worth visiting, will be hampered for a long time due to the difficulty (and time required) to get to the area.Read more