Explore newly discovered ancient archaeological sites, astonishing mountain hikes and abundant biodiversity in Peru’s lesser-visited north
Words: Mark Eveleigh
Cusco,
Machupicchu,
Titicaca…
Peru has more than its share of bucket-list headliners that attract travellers from all over the world. Yet northern Peru – with its incredibly diverse natural treasures and archaeological marvels – is still only whispered about by a few discerning adventurers.
The jungle region of Loreto lures visitors with once-in-a-lifetime wildlife sightings and vibrant Indigenous cultures. You can wander (in blissful solitude) among ancient cities that were already thousands of years old when the Incas arrived and hike mountain trails that are still home to elusive pumas and soaring condors – both justifiably considered deities by the ancient cultures that called the region home.
Photography: Ancash Region (PROMPERÚ)
Nature
Delve into the depths of the rainforest
Loreto Region (Shutterstock)
Iquitos lives up to that hackneyed ‘gateway to the jungle’ tag in a way that few other big cities can. Even today it remains unconnected to the outside world by any major road network yet it’s the ideal launching pad for any adventure into the Amazon rainforest. Capital of Loreto (Peru’s largest department), it’s the place to head for whether your interest lies in tracking down the enigmatic jaguar in its jungle lair or spending time learning traditional survival skills from Indigenous communities that have called the Amazon home since long before the first conquistador ever dreamed of El Dorado.
Contribute to local communities in Loreto’s remote jungle villages (PROMPERÚ)
That fabled ‘city of gold’ may never have existed but the real treasure of the Amazon is to be found in its natural riches. You can easily hire a peke-peke (a motorised canoe) for a day-trip jaunt along the world’s greatest river but the mighty Amazon rarely shares its greatest secrets with those who fleetingly skim its surface. You might immerse yourself in luxury aboard an exclusive Amazon riverboat, where comfort meets the untamed beauty of the rainforest. Alternatively, you can join an expedition-style cruise that combines exploration with meaningful contributions to local communities in Loreto’s remote jungle villages.
(Shutterstock)
The most popular voyage takes you upriver to the confluence of Ríos Marañón and Ucayali at Nauta (also accessible by road) and onwards to Pacaya-Samiria National Park. Flagship among northern Peru’s protected areas, this immense wilderness (bigger than Wales) is Peru’s second biggest protected area. Journeys along the trails and waterways of this verdant wilderness are brightened with sudden splashes of colour in the form of scarlet macaws and pink river dolphins. You might be woken by the dawn chorus of singing giant otters (known locally as lobos del río – river wolves) or pause, heart seemingly frozen, while you try to make sense of the rosetta-markings of a jaguar, crouched among the dappled shadows. The dinosaur-like bellow of a howler monkey seems to vibrate up through the jungle earth and the iridescent shimmer of a saucer-sized blue morpho butterfly invariably recalls the jungle belief that they were believed to be falling slivers of heaven.
Located on the banks of the Marañón River, just outside the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, this area offers travellers the chance to connect deeply with the Amazon’s natural and cultural richness. Visitors will find a range of lodges that blend comfort with sustainability, providing ideal bases for exploring the surrounding rainforest and engaging with local communities. Nearby, you can explore an extensive network of scientific trails — the longest of its kind in the region — while supporting ongoing efforts to preserve the unique ecosystems and cultural heritage of the Peruvian Amazon.
Photography: Amazon River (PROMPERÚ) and to the right, Loreto Region (Renzo Tasso/PROMPERÚ)
Culture
Admire under-the-radar archaeological sites
Amazon Region (Getty Images)
Valle de Utcubamba, northern Peru’s answer to Cusco’s Sacred Valley, is rich in archaeological sites. Many of these were already thousands of years old when the Incas arrived in this region (around 1470 CE). Most well-known – although still blissfully solitary in comparison with the famed Machupicchu – is Kuelap, the ridgetop fortress that was established around 400 BCE by the Chachapoyas people. In contrast to the precise mathematical geometry of Inca architecture, these ruins are dominated by circular dwellings and sinuous lines. According to some estimates this fortress (conveniently accessible these days via a 4km cable car) consisted of three times as many stones as were used in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Kuelap Fortress, Amazon Region (Shutterstock)
The Chachapoyas people – ‘Warriors of the Clouds’ – also left their mark in spectacular sarcophagi (such as those at 14th-century Karajia) and painted mausoleums (like the red and white chullpa funerary towers at Revash). The evocatively named Pueblo de los Muertos (Village of the Dead), just 1.5 hours’ drive from Chachapoyas Airport, is the easiest place to see these dramatic sarcophagi and eerie funerary towers all in one place.
The Sarcophagi of Carajía, Amazon Region (Shutterstock)
Reaching the isolated Laguna de los Cóndores requires the guidance of experienced local experts and a multi-day trek through breathtaking mountain landscapes, sometimes with the support of pack horses. In 1996, in a scene that could have come straight from Indiana Jones, local farmers discovered a horde of 219 mummies here in a row of six chullpas. (The chullpas are still here but the mummies’ last resting place is in Museo Leymebamba, 80km south of Chachapoyas town).
Visitors who are drawn primarily to the celebrated Kuelap might base themselves at the village of Nuevo Tingo (near the cable car) but the Spanish-built town of Chachapoyas, with excellent hotels and recommended restaurants, is hard to beat if you’re after romantic atmosphere. With its shady cobbled lanes and peaceful Plaza Mayor, this is what Cusco might have felt like 50 years ago.
Such is the wealth of northern Peru’s archaeological heritage that some sites – like Yalape and La Congona – remain only partially explored. Long before the rise of the Inca, the Chavin culture built the monumental Chavin de Huantar around 1500 BCE, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its stone temples, ceremonial plazas, and labyrinthine underground galleries. Its intricate carvings and enigmatic cabezas clavas offer a captivating glimpse into one of the earliest and most influential civilizations of the Andes.
Ancash Region (Daniel Silva/PROMPERÚ)
And it seems that there might be countless sites yet to unearth in Peru’s wild and sparsely populated north. As recently as July 2025 Peruvian archaeologists discovered Peñico, a collection of temples, dwellings and administration buildings that was founded by the Caral civilisation 3,800 years ago. Incredibly Peñico – the focal point of one of our planet’s first great civilisations – had lain hidden for almost four millennia in the Andean foothills less than 130km from Lima.
The Sacred City of Caral (Shutterstock)
Adventure
Challenge yourself to scenic hikes
Ancash Region (PROMPERÚ)
Huascaran National Park, rising to a sky-scraping 6,768m, is the world’s highest tropical mountain range. The city of Huaraz, easily accessible from Lima, is an ideal basecamp for intrepid international mountaineers who come here to challenge the peaks of Huandoy, Alpamayo or Huascaran – the Peruvian giant.
Some visitors come here to enjoy day walks from Huaraz (capital of Ancash department), while others plan multi-day treks into the realm of the puma, the jaguars, the spectacled bear and the condor. At 3,000m above sea level Callejón de Huaylas Valley, the heart of Ancash, is increasingly listed among the world’s best high-altitude trekking regions.
Gocta Waterfall in the Chachapoyas Region (PROMPERÚ)
In an area that’s free of the restrictions imposed on the Inca Trail it’s possible to hike on foot, to ‘mount’ horseback expeditions or to cover much greater distances with mules or llamas shouldering the provisions (rather than humans). Farther north, misty cloud-forest trails lead you to Catarata de Gocta, where one of the world’s highest (and yet least known) waterfalls plunges almost 800m into its shadowy chasm.
Despite its accessibility (about 6 hours’ drive from Lima) Cordillera Huayhuash, lying south of Huascaran, sees relatively few hikers. The epic 120km Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit (usually completed in 12 days) is considered one of the most spectacular hiking routes in the entire Andean Range. Rising to 5,000m, it’s an epic mountain adventure, passing spots like Siulá Grande Mountain, where climber Joe Simpson survived the near-death ordeal that was recounted in Touching the Void.
Ancash Region (Shutterstock)
Ancash Region (PROMPERÚ)
The shorter but equally dramatic Santa Cruz Trek is best walked in 3-5 days, depending on fitness levels. This is the most popular hike in the Huascaran National Park yet, compared with the crowds on the world-famous Inca Trail route to Machupicchu, you’ll feel like you have the mountain range all to yourself. Rising to a height of 4,750m (535m higher than the notorious Dead Woman’s Pass which is highest point on the Inca Trail) it’s not a route to be taken lightly. It’s always a good idea to acclimatise patiently before hiking at such altitudes. Since Huaraz sits at a height of around 3,050m above sea level (about 350m lower than Cusco) it is an ideal place to get accustomed to the rarified air. Hikes to a series of beautiful glacial lakes – Laguna 69 and Laguna 513 are recommended – serve as acclimatisation hikes for some.
Llanganuco Lake in the Ancash Region (PROMPERÚ)
They’re also ideal follow-up walks for those who just can’t get enough of the natural beauty of northern Peru, a region that leaves you breathless in every sense.
