Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas, town, northern Peru. It lies at 7,657 feet (2,334 m) above sea level in the cool Utcubamba River valley. A site of ancient settlement, it is the oldest Spanish town east of the Andes. Founded in 1538 as San Juan de la Frontera de los Chachapoyas (“Saint John of the Frontier of the Chachapoyas”) at a site slightly to the southeast, the town was later moved to its present location. It is the trade and industrial centre for the surrounding agricultural region, in which sugarcane, cacao, and coca are grown; cattle raising is also important. Principal industries include alcohol distilling and straw-hat weaving. Tourism has increased in the town because of its archaeological sites. About 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Cajamarca and 420 miles (675 km) north of Lima, to which it is connected by highway, Chachapoyas can also be reached by air. Pop. (2005) 21,360.