Empires of Peru: Kuelap and Machu Picchu
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15 days 7:37 26-07-2021 We are the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to Latin As our name suggests, we are single-minded America and have been creating award-winning about Latin America. This is what sets us apart holidays to every corner of the region for over four from other travel companies – and what allows us decades; we pride ourselves on being the most to offer you not just a holiday but the opportunity to knowledgeable people there are when it comes to experience something extraordinary on inspiring travel to Central and South America and journeys throughout Mexico, Central and South passionate about it too. America. A passion for the region runs Fully bonded and licensed Our insider knowledge helps through all we do you go beyond the guidebooks ATOL-protected All our Consultants have lived or We hand-pick hotels with travelled extensively in Latin On your side when it matters character and the most America rewarding excursions Book with confidence, knowing Up-to-the-minute knowledge every penny is secure Let us show you the Latin underpinned by 40 years' America we know and love experience 7:37 26-07-2021 7:37 26-07-2021 Surely no country in the world can compete with Peru for the sheer richness and variety of its history of empire. Waves of indigenous cultures, each with its own distinctive traditions, have left a huge cultural legacy. Ruined temples and fortresses abound, artistic artefacts have been discovered all around the country, and the descendants of these peoples maintain a strong identity linking them with their past. With constantly improving infrastructure in Peru, it is now possible to discover the different vestiges of this heritage in what were once remote locations difficult (and expensive) to access. This exciting good-value holiday takes you to the archaeological sites of northern Peru, including cliff-top Kuelap of the mysterious Chachapoyans, the Moche temples on the desert coast and, of course, Cusco and the remarkable Inca citadel at Machu Picchu. You will be met at the airport and escorted by one of our local representatives to your hotel on the Pacific-side residential and commercial district Miraflores. Lima is a vast, complex metropolis, with a history dating from the era of its wealth and importance to Imperial Spain to its current status as a dynamic, growing city of trade, industry and tourism. Visit the Larco Museum, one of our favourites in Latin America, where exhibits are beautifully displayed in a colonial building with flowery patios. The museum houses an astonishing private collection of pre-Columbian ceramic pieces which will put your upcoming visits to archaeological sites in context. The comprehensive range of pottery items shows you just how Peruvian culture developed over the centuries, a great introduction to the exotic Moche, Sicán and Chimú cultures, and in fact this is the world's largest collection of artefacts from the eras of their ascendancy. It's not all about pots though - there are displays of gorgeous textiles, intricate gold and silver work and haunting mummies, all left behind by highly artistic pre-Inca civilisations. To add to it all, there's an extensive and unique collection of erotic figurines. 7:37 26-07-2021 Fly to Jaen and drive onwards alongside paddy fields in Peru's premier rice producing region to Chachapoyas. This pleasant town (pop. around 20,000) is the capital of Amazonas, region, founded by the Spanish in 1538 and still retaining much of its colonial character. At an altitude of 2,335m, it is situated in a transition zone between the icy severity of the high Andes and the lush foliage of the Amazon basin. A drive of an hour or so takes to you Kuelap temple/fortress, the jewel in the crown of the Chachapoyan civilisation (which flourished from 0AD onwards). Society at that time was organised in a system of chiefdoms, the vestiges of which are a group of sophisticated settlements even more grand and mysterious than those of the Incas. Until recently it was necessary to drive up to the citadel (3,000m above sea level - Chachapoya means “warrior of the clouds”) - along a steep winding road but today you will ride on the recently inaugurated cable-car. Magnificent views help you to appreciate the feat of manpower and engineering involved in the construction of the towering walls - some are 20m high - encircling the whole hilltop. The telecabinas cross the valley in just 20 minutes, with all- embracing vistas across the valley. When you get to the top you’ll be overwhelmed by the vast scale of the place with its massive stone ramparts. These monumental limestone walls enclose temples and dozens of roundhouses which were the homes of farmers, builders and craftsmen, decorated with motifs of birds and animals. No one knows much about the site but now it is believed that it was a ceremonial centre rather than a fortress. You can judge for yourself, as you explore the complex (much of it is still covered with undergrowth and under restoration) and enjoy terrific views from cloud-level over the silvery river glimmering far below. Following your visit you'll be driven to Cocachimba. 7:37 26-07-2021 It's a two-hour hike to the base of the lofty Gocta waterfalls. You walk through cloud forest festooned with orchids and giant ferns while populated by yellow-tailed woolly monkeys, mountain sloths and the brilliantly-plumed birds known as cock-of-the-rock. The Gocta Falls were unknown outside the immediate surrounding villages until a German explorer spotted them in 2005. They are the third-highest falls in Peru and are certainly a staggering sight, a two- stage silver ribbon plunging 771m from on high over dizzyingly vertical cliffs. If many self-proclaimed authorities are to be believed, this is the tallest single drop of river water in the world after Angel Falls in Venezuela. Overnight again in Cocachimba, within sight of the falls. It is a day-long drive westward towards the Pacific from Cocachimba, which, at 1,809m, is set in an Amazonas province embracing the forested canyons of the east-facing Andean foothills. It's an incredibly beautiful and varied ride, starting through hills stifled by foliage and Peru’s humid rice-growing area then rising to cross a virtually uninhabited, increasingly wild and rugged section of the Andes mountain range before finally descending to reach the fertile oasis hosting Chiclayo, a large port on the north Pacific coast. This is one of Peru's most important agricultural regions. The city itself, modern and very busy, is a major commercial hub but is more famous for the archaeological treasures found in its vicinity. 7:37 26-07-2021 Situated 35km from Chiclayo, Sipán is an extensive burial site of the Moche culture - a civilisation which flourished on the north coast of Peru between 100 and 800AD. Several royal tombs filled with 1,700-year-old offerings have been uncovered including pieces worked in precious metals, stone, pottery and textiles. The most startling discovery of the original excavation was of an entombed Moche leader, who became known as the Lord of Sipán. This was followed by the finding of an even older tomb - predating the former by 200 years. There is a site museum featuring details of the excavation work and replicas of some of the finds. You’ll visit the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum where the original pieces are now exhibited. The museum, 17km from Chiclayo, is a replica of the Moche pyramid under which the tombs were found. In the afternoon, travel to Ferreñafe, 18km north of Chiclayo, to discover the artefacts of the coastal Sicán (or Lambayeque) culture which was in ascendancy from 750- 1,350AD. The Sicán Museum's reconstruction of a tomb provides visitors with an unparalleled insight into a complex culture. The exhibition covers everything from daily domestic life to craftsmanship and manufacturing processes used to produce the distinctive gold and ceramic works of art. The museum also provides the perfect introduction to your next destination, Túcume, a vast Sicán archaeological complex known as the Valley of the Pyramids – it features as many as 26 adobe pyramids and was once a place of pilgrimage for the coastal population. This settlement dates back to 1,000-1,100AD, and was subsequently conquered by the Chimu and then the Incas. Travel for 4hrs by public coach along the coastal Pan- American highway, framed by harsh desert, to Trujillo, set in an oasis, in the morning. A private transfer option would allow you to stop along the way at El Brujo archaeological complex, famous for its richly coloured murals on a Moche pyramid, and the Señora de Cao museum, which exhibits the tattooed mummy of the first female ruler of the Moche culture, the Lady of Cao. The museum also hosts ceremonial items, jewellery, weapons, ancient textiles and ceramics, as well as the touching mummified remains of a teenage girl who had been sacrificed). The port Trujillo has an attractive colonial heart, with historic buildings painted in bright pastel shades. The Plaza de Armas (main square) and its grand, ornate and golden cathedral were built in 1647. Surrounding the square are a number of aristocratic mansions also from the Spanish colonial era, many sporting baroque and rococo features. The city is lively in the evenings and famed for its traditional dances. 7:37 26-07-2021 Discover two temples 5km from Trujillo which also date from the Moche era. Visit the 1,500-year-old Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun), built with many millions of moulded adobe bricks.