Chachapoyas

City Perù, Perù

Chachapoyas town is in the north-western corner of Peru, about 400km inland from Chiclayo and 300km from the El Chorro/La Chonta border with Ecuador. It is a wonderful base for exploring the archaeological sites of the region, and for hikes to nearby waterfalls and canyons. It sits at an elevation of just over 2,200m and, during rainy season, is almost completely cut off from the rest of the country. The capital of the Amazonas region, Chachapoyas enjoys a premier location, cradled by the very arid Western Andes and very luscious Eastern Andes. This unique location offers an eclectic topography of verdant rainforests and arid high-altitude peaks and plateaus. Discovered merely 30 years ago, the sarcophagi of Karaja give an invaluable insight into the funerary practices of the Chachapoyas culture. They measure 2.5m in height, and are situated in a hard-to-reach ravine, well away (for the most part) from the ravenous hands of looters and collectors. Insanely remote and tricky to get to, these mountain-side coffins are an absolute splendour. If not a little eerie.