There is so much more to Peru than the Conquest and the Incas, and we are certainly still learning about the fascinating range of cultures that have sprouted and prospered in this area of the world. Kuelap, in the highland Amazonas region of Peru is a pre-Inca fortress of the Chachapoya culture. A relatively ‘newly discovered’ site, it has been hawked as the Machu Picchu of the north and it is expected to see a massive rise in tourism over the next few years due to a new road and an ambitious cable car being built to improve accessibility. We still had to visit the old-fashioned way, but that was part of the adventure! Welcome to Kuelap, lost city in the clouds.

More about Kuelap

The tiered city of Kuelap was built 3000m above sea level on a mountain promontory in the Andes overlooking the Uctubamba river. From a far it looks like an extension of the mountain and its colossal walls reach a height of 20m in places. It is evident that an impressive feat of engineering and a high level of social organisation was required to quarry, shape and place the stone in position. If you’re into facts, it is the largest stone construction in the new world and contains 10 times more material than the great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

Although not as iconic as Machu Picchu, Kuelap is dramatic nonetheless as you gaze down through the characteristic clouds into the valleys below. The site is also less polished, still containing much overgrown cloud forest vegetation, orchids, dangling mosses and the occasional llama, all of which add to its sort of lost-world charm. At certain times of day it may even be possible to imagine that you are an explorer stumbling across the site for the first time.

The city is characterised by its circular dwellings, of which only the bases remain. Some of these dwellings have a first floor which is incredibly unusual for pre-Columbian cultures. There is a reconstructed house illustrating how the roof would have been attached, but when we were there access was restricted as heavy rainfall had threatened the stability of the main entrance area. Some houses have a characteristic zig zag or diamond shape pattern made with stone.

There is still some scholarly debate about the function of the citadel, but it seems likely that it was built to serve some sort of defensive purpose due to its massive surrounding walls and clever entrance system designed to weed entrants down to single file so that they can be easily controlled or picked off during battle. It may also have been a refuge and it certainly had religious or spiritual functions as evidenced by some of the structures on the upper tier.

The most impressive structure is often referred to as The Inkwell, due to its inverted conical shape, like an upside down glass, unique to this site. Inside the structure there is an ossuary and it was likely a temple used for complex funerary rites.

Where to stay?

Most visitors base themselves in the town of Chachapoyas and take an organised tour to the ruins, although it is possible to stay in the village of Tingo and hike a zigzag trail up the mountain independently.

Chachapoyas town is not in itself greatly exciting, but there are several long day trips which you can take to surrounding sites such as Kuelap and the strange mountainside sarcophagi also of the Chachapoya culture. Heavy rains meant that we were unable to visit these, but we did see a sarcophagus and some mummies in the small but interesting museum on the Plaza de Armas.

How to visit?

Day tours from Chachapoyas last about 10 hours and will have to spend 6 hours of that in the mini bus on winding dirt roads at altitude. 3 hours are spent at the site with a multi lingual guide and then a further hour having a late lunch during the descent. We would advise packing a light rain jacket, some snacks and water, but the visit is not challenging other than the final 15 minutes hike from the visitors centre up to the ruins. We were lucky, there was very little rain and the clouds cleared away allowing us some great views.

Kuelap is certainly worthy of the extra effort it takes to visit it, but there mixed feelings about the plans to bring in more tourists to this part of Peru. Amazonas is one of the poorest departments in Peru and there is a general lack of infrastructure, not least of all an airport that could cope with the influx of tourists. Local people who work the land around Kuelap are very obviously upset about the cable car which has been imposed upon their territory without consultation. Indeed whilst we were visiting there was a protest at the main entrance to the ruins and a special division of the police had been deployed in case things turned sour.

So is Kuelap the Machu Picchu of the north? We think it’s a cruel comparison because Kuelap is simply very different. It’s stuck up on the top of the mountain, but the similarities end there. Certainly something we have learnt whilst travelling is that sometimes the most famous sites are simply those which have been known for many years or that have received adequate funding to be excavated, studied, preserved and developed into tourist attractions. Whilst being impressive and good to tick off your bucket list, these sites tend to be overrun and are not always the most rewarding or beautiful. Sometimes you just can’t beat being almost alone at a lesser known site, as it adds to the immense feeling of awe and respect that we can appreciate for the amazing feats of our ancestors. In our frequently busy modern world, Kuelap, lonely and lost amongst the clouds, is like something from an adventure story of times past, there to be discovered by all who dare!