Chachapoyas

2,200 meters up in the mists and massifs of the Peruvian Andes, Chachapoyas forms the capital of the lush and jungle-clad Amazonas Region. Established when the Spanish conquistadores first began to make their way into the mountains from the Peruvian coast, the town is famed for its place amidst the mysterious cloud forests, where pre-Incan ruins and ancient relics take the place of colonial edifices, and the gushing cataracts of Yumbilla and Gocta roar over the cliffs. Despite its remoteness there’s still a distinctly European feel to the centre here, with wide, open plazas, whitewashed municipal buildings, terracotta roofs and the occasional palm peppering the streets. Chachapoyas has also done well to retain its place as an important trading point between the highlands and lowlands of Peru, with regular farmers markets popping up on the squares on the weekends, all the produce freshly plucked from the sweeping cocoa and coffee, sugarcane and orchid plantations in the surrounding area. Chachapoyas tour guides will also be able to reveal some of the most fascinating ancient sites outside of Machu Picchu, with the dramatic rock-cut metropolis of Kuélap nearby, and the cliff-side sepulchres of Karajia and Revash dotting the valley sides – all relics of the legendary “people of the clouds”.