It's easy to find fully excavated, tourist-mobbed Inca sites in Peru — and that's why you should come here. The small and remote capital city of the Department of Amazonas, Chachapoyas, lies in the eastern foothills of the Andes on the uppermost edge of the Amazon basin. The rugged, cloud-forest-clad ridges that surround it were home to the mysterious Chachapoyan culture, which was conquered by the Incas and then all but forgotten after the Spanish conquest. The tough terrain has not given up its secrets easily, but in recent years many pre-Inca sites have been discovered. The best known and most accessible is the huge walled city of Kuelap, but you can visit many others.

Walled city of Kuelap, near Chachapoyas

Trip Facts
Difficulty rating: Moderate ++
When to go: May through September though October through December are not too bad with rain gear