Kuelap is dubbed the second Machu Picchu and it’s about to be exposed

IT’S hidden off the tourist path, hard to get to and overlooked by the bigger drawcard names but Peru is about to open up a secret and second Machu Picchu.

THERE’S a lesser known spot in Peru that rivals the world famous ruins of Machu Picchu and it’s about to be opened up to the world.

Lying to the country’s north, the stone fortress of Kuelap sits atop a mountain ridge, built by the Chachapoya people, or “cloud people”, who lived in the Andean cloud forests. Deemed a cultural heritage site in 2003, it is often dubbed the second Machu Picchu however it has largely remained off the tourist path due to its inaccessibility and the lure of bigger more attractive names of well known sites such as Machu Picchu in the south. Reported in the Peruvian Times, a deal by the Peruvian government is set to change that with a 20 year concession granted to build and operate a cable car system to allow visitors to more easily reach the spectacular ruins. The cable cars are predicted to be operational in 2016 with 26 cars to carry eight to 10 passengers at a time with the ultimate goal of 1000 passengers every hour. Peru’s president, Ollanta Humala, said the project was key to revitalising the country’s northern circuit, with Kuelap a huge drawcard. “Kuelap could be a second Machu Picchu, easily,” he said, according to newspaper Gestion. “With Kuelap, we can create a tourist circuit that will be as competitive as the south.” The mountaintop fortress of Kuelap was built around 500AD as a defence against hostile enemies. One of the largest ruins in the world, its stone walls reach nearly 20 metres high, with more than 200 buildings making up the fortress that is believed to have been occupied up until the 1500s. Reaching the site has usually been reserved for adventurous travellers willing to climb the steep mountainside terrain rewarded by uninterrupted views over the Utcubamba Valley. Travellers still looking for places unspoilt by tourism will have to get in quick before Peru’s spectacular secret is opened up to the rest of the world.