Northern Sierra

The Northern Sierra is an Andean region of Peru, consisting of the departments of Amazonas and Cajamarca.

Cities

• 1 Cajabamba — home of the beautiful Quengococha Lagoon and Cochecorral waterfalls
• 2 Cajamarca — well known for its fine cheeses, churches, and significance in the Spanish conquest of Peru
• 3 Celendín
• 4 Chachapoyas
• 5 Cuispes
• 6 Leimebamba

Other destinations

Alpamayo (5,947 m)

• 1 Gocta — a waterfall near Chachapoyas with a 500-metre (1,600 ft) main drop, readily accessible via a short hike.
• 2 Kuelap — an impressive walled city built by the Chachapoyas culture and expanded by the Inca. The main access is via a stunning cable car ride.
• 3 Yumbilla — an even taller waterfall than Gocta but having less water, accessible from Cuispes.

Get in

Cajamarca receives daily flights from Lima. There is also at airport at Huarez, but there are no scheduled flights there as of June 2023.

There are buses from Lima to Cajamarca and Huaraz, and from Chiclayo and Trujillo to Cajamarca.

See

Near Cajabamba you can see the Quengococha Lagoon and its blue-green water, and the Cochecorral waterfalls, which have a drop of more than 200 meters and more than 1,000 steps in calcareous rocks. The Catarata de Plan Manzanas is a nice waterfall about 9 km from Cajamarca.

Caraz is well preserved from earthquakes, and offers an amazing glimpse of a rich colonial past, with its houses plenty of balconies, red tailed roofs, narrow streets and colourful plazas. The Plaza de Armas has a brass water fountain built on 1891, and a Musical Pavilion (called Glorieta) dating from 1927.

Near Huaraz is the Wari ruin of Wilcawain. Monumento Nacional Wilcahuaín is a small Wari ruin that dates back to 600 to 900 AD. Its temple complex is virtually undamaged.

Do

The Cordillera Blanca and its Huascarán National Park offer excellent possibilities for trekking.

The Carnaval de Cajamarca is held every year in February or March, with parade days and water fights.

The Baños del Inca (The Inca's Baths) are natural hot springs abut 5 km east of Cajamarca in the town of Baños del Inca.