Visit Chachapoyas, Peru
This pleasant little town of 20,000 inhabitants stands on the eastern slopes of the Andes at 2335m.
This pleasant little town of 20,000 inhabitants stands on the eastern slopes of the Andes at 2335m.
The Chachapoyan culture was conquered but not completely subdued by the Incas before the Spanish arrived. When the Spanish showed up, local chief Curaca Huaman supposedly aided them toward their conquest. The modern city was founded on 5 September 1538 by the Spanish captain Alonso de Alvarado, who considered its location strategically important.
Chachapoyas is now the capital of the Amazonas Department, which, despite its name, is a mountainous area. The department used to include the lowland regions east to the Brazilian border but, after the 1942 war with Ecuador, these low-lying sections became a new department of Loreto.
The town is now a quiet, friendly town. It provides an excellent base for visiting the nearby ruins of Kuelap and has been called the "the archaeological capital of Peru". The traditional evening pastime of strolling around the Plaza de Armas is a favourite way of relaxing and socialising.
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