Fly into the airport from Lima and
stay at the Hotel
Laguna Seca or other.
Fertile fields stretch along the roadside,
climb up the hillsides, and across the highland plains
and ravines. Transformed by the Inca empire into an important
administrative, military and religious center. On November
16, 1532, Cajamarca witnessed a key date in the history
of the Americas, when a band of Spanish soldiers led by
Conqueror Francisco Pizarro took Inca ruler Atahualpa
captive. The Spanish chroniclers claimed he filled a chamber
(the Ransom Room) with gold and twice over with silver
to as far as he could stretch his hand. Today a line runs
round the room showing where to what point the treasure
stacked up.
The city reflects Spanish influence in its architecture,
such as the Cathedral, the churches of San Francisco,
Belén and La Recoleta. To the east of the city
lie the Baños del Inca, the natural hot springs.
The district also features the Ventanillas de Otuzco,
a complex of burial caves carved out in pre-Inca times.
The province of San Pablo is home to two major archaeological
complexes: Cumbemayo, a set of ceremonial altars and Inca
aqueducts, and Kuntur Wasi, a ceremonial complex of several
squares and platforms held up by huge stone walls.
North of the city is Granja Porcón, a dairy farm
where travelers can take part in farming chores. The farm
is famous for its herd of cows which are still called
by name at milking time.
Carnival time in Cajamarca is among the most famous festivals
in February in Peru. The townspeople are an easy-going,
amiable folk, and carnival time involves entire neighborhoods
and institutions until the end of the festival, when the
participants symbolically bury Ño Carnavalón,
the king of the carnival. The celebrations go on for around
a month, but there are eight main days, when participants
are often doused with water.
Contact
us to include a visit to Cajamarca in your travel
to Peru.
