Aypate

Aypate stands at about 2,900 metres on a forested ridge in the far north of Piura, and it is the most important Inca site in northern Peru - a provincial centre with a ushnu platform, a kallanka, plazas, baths, storage and residential sectors, built in stone as the Inca consolidated control over the Guayacundo people of this region in the late fifteenth century. A well-preserved section of the Qhapaq Ñan runs through it, part of the road heading north into what is now Ecuador, and it is one of the stretches listed by UNESCO. The setting is unusual for an Inca site: cloud forest with bromeliads and moss on the stones, frequently in fog. Access is a long journey from Piura and then rough road and walking from Ayabaca, with community guides, and visitor numbers are very low.

What you actually see

• The ushnu - the ceremonial platform at the centre of the complex.
• The Qhapaq Ñan - a preserved stretch of the Inca road running through the site.
• The cloud forest - moss and bromeliads growing over Inca stonework.
• The scale - the principal Inca provincial centre of northern Peru.

When to go

May to November for road conditions, though fog is normal here in any month. A day at the site, two days with travel from Piura. Community guides are arranged in Ayabaca.

Honest expectations

Long and rough journey - this is not a day trip from Piura. Cold, wet and often fogged in. Facilities are minimal and accommodation is in Ayabaca. Much of the site is unexcavated under forest.

Nearby

Ayabaca is the base town; the Ecuadorian border is north.