The city of Chachapoyas is the capital of the Amazonas Region. It was founded on September 5, 1538, by the Spanish conquistador Alonso de Alvarado "and his twenty". Local agriculture includes sugar cane, orchid and coffee growing. Chachapoyas transitional location between the arid Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central and the rainy, rainforested Cordillera Oriental, allow it to receive generally moderate annual precipitation without experiencing the copiously excessive, tropical-rainforest-like precipitation amounts in towns farther east such as Moyobamba.

Chachapoyas Tourist Attractions

Independence Square
To the east of the city is the Independence Square. In this square there is a monument to the Chachapoyas heroes of the Higos Urco battle of June 6, 1821. It is said that Plaza Santa Ana was the first square in the city. Here the first church of Chachapoyas was built. People used to celebrate the San Juan de los Indios' festivities in this square with eight days of bullfighting.

Luya Urco
Luya Urqu (Luya Urco) is a hill located to the west of the city. In this place stands the well of Yana Yaku (Pozo de Yanayacu), originally known as the Fuente Cuyana. The well was constructed in the same place in which, according to legend, Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo brought forth water from a rock, ending the drought that was plaguing the region. The legend of the well is that any man who drinks from its waters will be forever attracted by the charm of the city's women.

Cuyana Fountain
This fountain of legend was in the skirt of Luya Urco hill and had two jets, one of good and one of evil. According to the legend, when a person drank water from the first jet, love was born, but from the second one hate or negligence was produced. In the city, it was said that the foreigner who drank from this "fountain of love", would be forever captivated by its beautiful women and its wonderful grounds that are full of delight.

The Lagoon
At one time there was a lagoon surrounded with totoras (a type of bulrush) and palm trees. From these plants, wood was extracted to build the temples of the city. The Kuélap stadium is now in this location.

Legón Hill
Legón Hill is located in the town of Higos Urco, 2 km from the city.

Petroglyphs of Pitaya
An archaeological site with about 3,000 years old located 20 km from the city of Chachapoyas, in the Huancas district. It is about 30 graphic representations of various species of flora and fauna. Some of these images also refer to hunting days.

To get there we must travel about 9 kilometers (20 min) by road northward from the center of Chachapoyas to the Huanca district, and finally we will have to walk an hour to find the famous Petroglyphs of Pitaya. Entrance to the site is free.