Cajamarca Itinerary: Two Days in Peru’s Colonial Highlands
Cajamarca is where the Inca empire ended. Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpa in 1532, collected a ransom of gold and silver that filled a room, then executed him anyway. The Ransom Room is still standing, the only Inca building left in the city. It’s a small room, but the significance of what it was for is not.
The historic centre is full of murals, with the 67-metre Pasaje de la Cultura mural tracing 10,000 years of the region’s history. Outside the city, Cumbemayo features a pre-Inca aqueduct carved into volcanic rock with Chavín-influenced petroglyphs and a stone forest, while Ventanillas de Otuzco is a hillside necropolis of 337 burial niches carved into rock by the Cajamarca culture between 200 and 800 AD.
Practical essentials
When to go: May to September. Cajamarca sits at 2,750 metres and gets cold and wet outside the dry season. Cumbemayo, at 3,500 metres, is windswept even in good weather. Be prepared for the altitude.
How long: One and a half to two days is plenty. Cumbemayo and Ventanillas de Otuzco are manageable in a day.
Day 1. Cumbemayo and Ransom Room
Cumbemayo sits at 3,500 metres, so be prepared for the altitude. The stone forest, Los Frailones, rises from flat grassland in volcanic pillars shaped by erosion into a procession of hooded monks or friars. Running through it is a nine-kilometre aqueduct carved into volcanic rock around 1500 BC, predating even the Chavín culture, one of the oldest in the Andes. The petroglyphs on the walls were added later, in a Chavín style. The channels are cut at ninety-degree angles to slow the water flow. There’s a lot still unknown about this ancient site.
The tour starts with a fun tunnel and has lots of stops for explanations. It’s not that strenuous if you’re moderately fit. There is a way down a side valley as well as the main one. Check with your guide before going ahead so you don’t lose your group.
Back in the city, check out the numerous murals including the 67-metre Pasaje de la Cultura on Jirón del Comercio 1029, a narrative painting illustrating the Inca expansion, the Spanish conquest, and the region’s independence. The Ransom Room, two churches on the Plaza de Armas, and the excellent Cerro Santa Apolonia viewpoint are all within walking distance.
The Ransom Room represents the end of the Incan empire, but only takes twenty minutes to see. Captured by the Spaniards, Atahualpa promised to fill it with gold as high as he could reach, marked by a red line still visible on the wall, then fill it twice more with silver.
Temples were stripped for the ransom, like wealthiest building in the empire, the Temple of the Sun (Qorikancha) in Cusco, delivering 700 gold plates from its walls to Cajamarca. Around 6,000 kilograms of gold and 12,000 kilograms of silver were melted down by the Spanish into ingots for portability. Then they executed him anyway.
Day 2. Ventanillas de Otuzco
Ventanillas de Otuzco can be visited independently via taxi or colectivo. From the Plaza de Armas a taxi is about 15-20 soles. You may need to negotiate, know your Spanish numbers. Ubers are supposedly available though I never saw one. The site is eight kilometres from the city, about fifteen minutes by road.
The Ventanillas are a pre-Inca necropolis with 337 burial niches carved into a volcanic rock hillside by the Cajamarca culture, used for a second burial after bones were moved from the ground. Most were looted by the Spanish. If you have seen cliff tombs before, this is not spectacular. If you haven’t, it’s an easy site to visit. One of the rocks looks like a Stormtrooper. Signs are Spanish only, use Google translate. One hour is plenty.
There may not be taxis waiting afterwards, but the colectivo passes by just outside. Flag one down, check they are going to Cajamarca and hold on. The colectivo flies round corners with the door open, with locals telling the driver despacio. At least you now know how to pronounce it. The lady beside me was in traditional dress with shawl and straw hat, another was calmly knitting. A very authentic experience.
Onwards
Cajamarca has a domestic airport with flights to Lima, otherwise there are overnight buses.
Honest assessment
Cajamarca’s colonial DNA puts you in mind of Trujillo, with an aristocratic vibe suggesting it’s a good idea to chill at a cafe. However where Trujillo is hot and dusty, Cajamarca is cool and green. It doesn’t have the most spectacular sites on the North Peru circuit – Chan Chan, Kuelap and Karajía set a high bar. More distinctively, other stops on this circuit are defined by pre-Inca cultures, while Cajamarca’s most famous attraction is Incan. The city seems to lean into that identity. Two days is plenty, and it has a handy airport to fly out of.
Where to stay
Cajamarca is a lovely colonial city, but don’t underestimate its size. Staying around the Plaza de Armas is a convenient choice.
Wyndham Costa del Sol, Cajamarca. A helpful hotel with an on-site restaurant, off the corner of the picturesque Plaza de Armas and walking distance to the churches and lookout. While I don’t like chains in general the location was perfect.
Gran Hotel Continental, Cajamarca.
El Portal Del Marques, Cajamarca.
Getting there and around
Into Cajamarca: Bus or private transfer from Chachapoyas via Celendín. Domestic flights to/from Lima also available.
Getting around: Ventanillas de Otuzco by taxi or colectivo, Cumbemayo by organised tour.
Travel insurance: Non-negotiable on a circuit that includes 3,000-metre altitude and remote cloud forest hiking.
Flights to Peru: British Airways / LATAM to Lima
More from my North Peru Travels
Travel to Cajamarca after 5 days in Chachapoyas.
From Cajamarca, travel onwards for 5 days in Huaraz.
See how Cajamarca fit into my 2 week North Peru itinerary.
