Chachapoyas sites of the Utcubamba Valley

Kuelap is the ruins of a Chachapoyan sacred city on top of a mountain in a remote area of northern Peru. Although the main ruins are generally referred to as "the fortress" because of its high walls, the general consensus now is that the walls are not primarily defensive in nature but were used to help level the top of the mountain and that the city was a sacred one rather than militaristic with up to 3000 inhabitants. Findings have shown religious offerings and trade from other neighbouring cultures indicating widely recognized spiritual importance of the site. It is just a matter of time before Kuelap makes the List. It has all the characteristics of a significant archaeological site and easily satisfies OUV criteria iii and iv. There is a lot of work being done to stabilize and restore parts of the ruins and it is obvious that there is a push to develop this site as a future major attraction. The investment in the cable car and restoration work shows that easily enough. 

The site itself was definitely one of the highlights of 6 weeks in Peru and well worth the effort. The crowds were still minimal and the ruins are very photogenic with excellent views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The tall outer walls (up to 20m high) are impressive and once inside much of the area is still overgrown with cloud forest vegetation. Most of the structures inside were circular residential huts of which faint …