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Chachapoyas
At the ceja de la selva (jungle's eyebrow), Chachapoyas is the capital of Peru's Amazonas department. The town is a good jumping-off point for exploring some of Peru's most fascinating and least-visited pre-Inca ruins. The giant fortress at Kuélap, and the ruins of Purunllacta and Gran Vilaya are nearby. Despite the Amazonas moniker, there's nothing junglelike about the area around Chachapoyas. The surrounding green highlands constitute what most people would call a highland cloud forest. Farther east, in the region of Loreto (won by Peru in the 1942 border dispute with Ecuador), you'll find true jungle.
Chachapoyas is a sleepy little town of 20,000. It has a well-preserved colonial center and one small archaeological museum. Chachapoyas—difficult to reach because of the poor roads through the mountains—is most easily accessed from Chiclayo. Infrequent flights arrive here from Lima as well.
Getting Around
In town, everything is close and within walking distance. There are plenty of taxis, but you'll have little chance of needing one. To get to the archaeological sites, you must go with a guide. The most enjoyable and cost-effective way of doing this is with a tour. There's no public transportation and you cannot hire a guide once at the sites.
