Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ceramics, textiles, wood figures and photos of Laguna de los Cóndores. A
mototaxi
from
town costs S5.
RUIN
La Congona
The most captivating of the many ancient ruins strewn around Leimebamba, La Congona
is definitely worth the three-hour hike needed to get here. The flora-covered site contains
several well-preserved circular houses, one of which, oddly for Chachapoyas culture, sits
on square bases. Inside, the houses are adorned with intricate niches, and outside wide cir-
cular terraces surround each house. This archaeological site is renowned for the intricate
decoration on the buildings and particularly for the numerous sophisticated masonry
friezes. A tall tower can be climbed by a remarkable set of curving steps for wide-angle
panoramas of the surrounding valley.
The site is reached in two hours from Leimebamba along a path beginning at the lower
end of Calle 16 de Julio. A guide is recommended; expect to pay around S90 for the com-
plete five-hour circuit.
Laguna de los Cóndores
This part of Peru hit the spotlight in 1996 when a group of farmers found six
chullpas
(an-
cient Andean funerary towers) on a ledge 100m above a cloud-forest lake. This burial site
was a windfall for archaeologists, and its 219 mummies and more than 2000 artifacts have
given researchers a glimpse past the heavy curtain of history that conceals the details of
the Chachapoyas civilization. So spectacular was the find that a Discovery Channel film
was made about it and a museum was built in Leimebamba to house the mummies and
cultural treasures.
Some of the tombs, plastered and painted in white or red-and-yellow ochre, are decor-
ated with signature Chachapoyas zigzag friezes. All lie huddled against the cliff on a nat-
ural ledge overlooking the stunning Laguna de los Cóndores. Don't get too excited about
spotting any of the wide-winged Andean wonders though - this lake was renamed after
the find to make it more 'tourist friendly.'
The only way to get to the laguna is by a strenuous 10- to 12-hour hike on foot and
horseback from Leimebamba. The standard tour is three days: one day to hike in, a day of
sightseeing and an eight- to nine-hour return journey. Horses and guides can be arranged
either in Leimebamba or at travel agencies in Chachapoyas. Guides are around S450 for
the three-day circuit.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
