In early April 2014 we heard of an amazing historical site most tourists miss, and we knew we had to check it out. Located in the dense cloud forests of Peru’s northern mountains, the Kuélap Archaeological Complex is a walled fortress built between 900 and 1100 CE by the Chachapoyas, a pre-Incan society.

Sitting at an elevation of 3000m / 9,800ft on a limestone ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley, the scenery is stunning. This is the area where the Andes Mountains and the Amazon River meet. This dramatic site contains over five hundred structures, and we were free to wander around it to our hearts’ delight. With its fascinating history, this site was well worth effort to visit.