Reasons to Visit Keulap Ruins in Northern Peru

When traveling to Peru, the immediate attraction is Machu Picchu. However, this small country has much more to offer than drinking a pisco sour before traveling across a 15th-century citadel. Keulap Ruins have some sights that you’ll love to explore. Here are some reasons why you should visit Keulap Ruins.

Take a Tour on the Unbeaten Path

While many people want to travel to Machu Picchu or the Sacred Valley, the Keulap Ruins still have a beautiful mystique without the noisy tourists. Keulap Ruins has a rich history that predates Machu Picchu by 1,000 years.

It’s always great to go to beautiful destinations, such as St. John Island in the Caribbean or some ancient ruins in South America. You can get a tour guide to explore this ancient city.

If you want to be a bit adventurous, you can go with your friends and get a taste of yesteryear. Chachapoya people inhabited Keulap, but the Incans came and conquered. However, you can still see some of the structures.

Hire a guide that knows the ancient history of the area. These can last up to 2 hours, but you can explore it more if you desire to learn about the culture.

Keulap Ruins in Northern Peru

Checking Out Keulap Fortress

If history is something that piques your interest, you can’t go wrong with checking out Keulap Fortress. It was built in the 6th Century AD and is an ancient walled city that the Chachapoya people created to defend against the nearby threat, such as the Huari. More than 5,000 people lived in this small city, and it was a place for religion, craft production, and other social aspects.

The city consists of 400 buildings, and the exterior walls go up to 19 meters in height. It’s called the lost city because the last known occupancy was during the early 16th century. However, villagers who knew the site for centuries led local judge Juan Crisostomo Nieto to the spot.

He surveyed the land, and that sparked interest from explorers and archaeologists. Even though Nieto rediscovered the area in 1843, it wasn’t until May 1997 that full exploration happened. Federico Kauffmann Doig had the resources to look through the cave, which had paintings, mausoleums, and other artifacts of Chachapoya culture.

In June 2010, diggers found human bones in a secondary gravesite, which was commonplace in pre-Columbian Peru.

Great Summer Trip

The best time to go to Keulap is from May to September. Keulap has a rainy and dry season. During the dry season, you can expect cooler temperatures and less rain.

Also, keep a watch out for the sun because of the high altitude. From October to April, it’s typically hotter. Regardless, it can still be a pleasant trip if you plan accordingly.

The mist from the rain and the humidity add some mystique to Keulap, especially when you visit specific sites. It can make your stay feel more exciting. Hiking is a fun and exhilarating activity to do in Keulap.

Good Hiking

When visiting Keulap, you can expect to spend a whole day or two days there. It’s not on the mainland, so it’s faster to travel by cable car to cut down on the hours it takes to get from the Amazonas Region.

You can take four main routes, such as Tarapoto, Jaén, Chiclayo, Chachapoyas. If you and your loved ones like to get a feel for the area, you can take your time by hiking 6 miles to Keulap. It can take 4 hours to go to the uphill fortress.

If you want to expand that to a three to four-day hike, it’ll add more character to your trip. Just be sure to pack snacks and water to help you get through the trek. There are five resting points along the trail to help you get some shade and seating between the long walks on the terrain.

Centro Mallqui Museum

It’s located three hours from the Chachapoyas and houses some of the best archaeological finds. You’ll see many tombs with textiles, ceramics, and quips. While people looted the tomb’s content in history, the recent recovery of these items makes this place a unique place to visit.

If you have teenagers, it’s an excellent place for them to learn some Peruvian culture. The diverse staff keeps tabs on anything related to culture and bioarchaeology. They want to preserve the essence and spirit of the people who inhabited the area.

The top-notch programs provide interns, volunteers, and students who want to research and be more community involved. It helps strengthen the cultural identity of the people in the Amazonas region.

The workshops for schools, teachers, and tour guides help create an enriching curriculum for those involved. Casa Mallqui started as a residence for researchers, but it’s now grown into a place visitors can come and relax.

Whether it’s to observe native birds, arrange day trips, or learn about the local markets and daily life of different communities in Leymebamba, it’s an excellent spot to enjoy between the tourist attractions of your trip.

Gocta Waterfall

If you go here during the rainy season, you’ll see the best of this site because of the water supply. While the locals have appreciated Gocta for centuries, the masses recently discovered it in 2002.

The Gocta Falls is Peru’s tallest waterfall and one of the tallest worldwide at 2,530 feet. It only has two drops as well. The thought of two drops is scary but exciting, right?

It’s become a tourist attraction as thousands locally and internationally visit each year. It’s quite a moneymaker for tourism. It has a lot of mystery behind it due to the local legend of a beautiful mermaid protecting a pot of gold in the waters.

If you want to have a bit of alone time while watching the waterfalls, it’s best to go there around 7 am before the crowds start.

Looking for that next vacation destination in Peru but want to pick a different area? Try Keulap for your adventure needs.

Guest Author: James Sullivan has been helping with travel tourism for the past 12 years. He now wants to share his knowledge and expertise with others.

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