Discover Chachapoyas
Accommodation in Chachapoyas
If you’re looking for a hotel in Chachapoyas, you can plan your trip around your interests: the historic center, collections, and festivals each offer different reasons to explore the city. When planning, it’s also worth distinguishing between the city’s attractions and those of the wider Chachapoyas destination.
Historic Center and Architecture
Chachapoyas’s historic center was declared a Cultural Heritage Site of the Nation in 1988 for its outstanding historical and architectural value. It preserves Spanish-influenced buildings made of adobe and wood. These include two-story buildings from the republican era, with entrance halls, courtyards, backyards, corridors, and balconies. The pedestrian Paseo of Jr. Amazonas also includes historic mansions.
Another historic monument is the Pampas de Higos Urco. It was placed under protection on December 30, 1986, by Ministerial Resolution No. 796-86-ED. The Iglesia Santa Ana is considered a building to view from the outside; check what options are currently available before your visit.
Collections and Historical Figures
The third exhibition section of the «Gilberto Tenorio Ruiz» Exhibition Hall displays stone cultural artifacts: maces, axes, clubs, and mortars, as well as a replica of a structure from KuĂ©lap. The Casa de Don Toribio RodrĂguez de Mendoza, in the historic center, was the birthplace of Toribio RodrĂguez de Mendoza, a thinker and forerunner of Peruvian independence. The Casa’s Sala de Obispos displays twelve portraits of bishops who led the Diocese of Chachapoyas.
Festivals, Viewpoints, and Local Lore
The Semana TurĂstica de los Chachapoyas takes place every year in June; the religious festival of the Virgen Asunta is celebrated in August. The Raymi Llaqta de los Chachapoya takes place annually in the historic center and includes cultural, social, recreational, and historical activities. Its program may vary.
Two viewpoints offer panoramic views over the city: the Mirador de la Mama Nate and the Mirador de Santa Rosa de Luya Urco. Another kind of local history is told in the legend of Pozo Yana Yacu: according to the legend, people who drink from it fall in love with a Chachapoyana and feel drawn to the city.
Routes to the Plaza Mayor
The route from Chachapoyas Airport to the Plaza Mayor is listed as 6 kilometers and 13 minutes by private car. From the city bus station to the Plaza Mayor, the same mode of transport covers 1.6 kilometers in an estimated 5 minutes. Travel times are estimates; road conditions and routes may change. The walk from the Plaza Mayor to the Pampas de Higos Urco is listed as 2.7 kilometers and 30 minutes. This distinguishes the car journeys to the plaza from the walking time to this historic monument.
In the Wider Chachapoyas Destination
Beyond the city’s attractions, the wider Chachapoyas destination offers other distinct cultural sites. Museo Leymebamba is included in Peru’s National Museum System and houses 2,300 archaeological objects from the Chachapoya-Inca culture. In Pueblo Alfarero Huancas, traditional pottery techniques are preserved; visitors can observe the production process and buy original ceramic pieces. The community’s pottery tradition is recognized as Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
The Laguna de los CĂłndores archaeological site, also known as Laguna de las Momias, is recognized as Cultural Heritage of the Nation of Peru and belongs to the Chachapoya culture, which flourished in the Late Intermediate Period from 1100 to 1470 AD. Six intact mausoleums and the foundations of a seventh structure are located on a limestone cliff.
The historic center of La Jalca Grande was the founding site of San Juan de la Frontera de los Chachapoyas on September 5, 1538. The church and atrium are protected as monuments; the surrounding square and adjoining buildings are protected as a Monumental Urban Environment. The historic center is part of the «Juan Osito» tourist route; the bear dance is also associated with the local legend of Juan Osito.
Textile traditions are also part of this wider travel horizon: at ParaĂso Artesanal de Quelucas, part of the Ecomuseo Chachapoya, visitors can learn about the traditional production of textiles using a backstrap loom. On a different timescale, the Qhapaq-Nan route from Barrio El Molino in Chachapoyas to the Yálape archaeological monumental zone is listed as a 10-kilometer walk with a walking time of four hours. Trail conditions may change.
For the wider travel overview: Chachapoyas.
