1

Hello!

Good plan! You are going to visit one of Peru's most beautiful and least-known areas. However, it would be a travesty to go there - impressive as Karajía is - and miss out on the region's most impressive site - Kuélap.

The access town is neither Cajamarcan or Chiclayo but Chachapoyas. To get to Chachapoyas there are buses (9 hours or so if I remember correctly) from Chiclayo, which is also worth visiting for the simply awe-inspiring museum in Lambayeque. Chiclayo also has some of Peru's most delicious and distinctive foods. You can fly to Chiclayo from Lima, or take the bus. It's a long way from Cusco to Chachapoyas!

There are many tour companies on Chachapoyas's main square. They all offer similar tours. Recommendations for me would include Kuélap, Gocta Falls, and if you have time it's worth making a little detour south to Leymebamba, which is also near some amazing Chachapoyas ruins, such as La Congona, a real Indiana Jones-style place.

The blog entries below cover our time in Northern Peru: Chachapoyas, Chiclayo and Trujillo. Cajamarca was under curfew following riots and shootings related to mining activities in the area, so we had to skip it unfortunately. I reckon you can now continue from Leymabamba to Cajamarca via Celendín. The scenery is said to be amazing.

http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Amazonas/Chachapoyas/blog-729686.html
http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lambayeque/Chiclayo/blog-733859.html

Enjoy your trip!!!

Will

2

Also worth going to La Jalca - a short distance from the main road from Chachapoyas to Leimebamba.

The road from Leimebamba to Cajamarca via Celendin is indeed wonderful, however you should check road conditions/passability in Chachapoyas/Leimebamba. We travelled this route in July when the conditions were good.

3

PS - agree completely re Kuélap, truly amazing.

4

Thanks. From what I gather no flight to chapagoyas, only flight to chiclayo or cajamarca then bus to chapagoyas correct?

5

As I said in my post, yes.

6

Thanks for reply. Is it poss to depart for tour in chapagoyas and end in Cajamarca? Also we only have 5 days. From research there are lots of tour operators. Is it best to book in advance or when we get there given our 5 day timetable?

7

Lots of operators so healthy competition and no need to worry about booking in advance! Getting to Cajamarca is a little trickier - you could do some tours based in Chachapoyas and do Kuélap as the last one, and instead of returning to Chachapoyas you can get dropped off on the highway to Leymebamba, from where you can get a colectivo taxi to Leymebamba. There is a regular bus service from Leymebamba to Cajamarca via Celendín (I did not make this journey), but I would have guessed that it's impossible to get detailed info on it before you are actually there. The transport infrastructure is not as well organised in northern Peru, and the difficulties are compounded somewhat by a reliance on colectivo share-taxis and the fact that each transport company has its own terminal in town...