Pueblo de los Muertos

The Pueblo de los Muertos is a burial site on a ledge high on a cliff above the Utcubamba, with both sarcophagi - upright clay figures containing a seated body, of the same family as the better-known Karajía group - and small stone burial houses with painted decoration, arranged along the shelf. Unlike Karajía, where visitors look up from below, at Pueblo de los Muertos the trail brings you onto the ledge itself, which is the reason to go and also the reason to be careful: the path traverses above a long drop with no protection. Most of the tombs were broken open by looters. The Chachapoya built these places to be inaccessible, high on faces overlooking valleys, and being able to walk among them is unusual. It is close to Lámud and can be combined with Karajía, but it is far less visited because the walk is harder.

What's there

• The sarcophagi - upright clay figures containing seated burials.
• The burial houses - small painted stone structures along the ledge.
• The ledge access - a trail that reaches the shelf itself, unlike at Karajía.
• The looting - most tombs broken open long ago.

When to go

May to September; the path is dangerous when wet. Three to four hours including the walk. Take a local guide - the route is not obvious and the exposure is real.

What to expect

The trail is steep and exposed above a long drop, with no railings - it is genuinely risky and not for anyone uneasy with heights. Slippery after rain. No facilities. The tombs are damaged and should not be touched or entered.

Nearby

Karajía is nearby with the same kind of sarcophagi; Lámud and Chachapoyas are east.

Key facts