The Laguna de los Cóndores is in the Leymebamba area. It is a unique destination for serious adventurers. People first visited this amazing water spring in 1993. It is 90 kilometers from Amazonas City. It is three kilometers long are part of a larger archaeological complex.
The complex includes Chachapoyas mausoleums carved into the rocks. The mausoleums date back over 1200 years. They were sacred sanctuaries. The Chachapoyas stored over 200 perfectly preserved corpses in them. They also held religious ceremonies there.
Exploring the Laguna de los Cóndores is a unique experience. It takes nine hours of walking and horseback riding from Leymebamba. The whole journey lasts three days. The Laguna de los Cóndores is also known as the "Lagoon of the Mummies" because it collects over 200 well-preserved mummies.
These mummies can currently be seen in the Leymebamba Site Museum. The lagoon and its surrounding archaeological ruins, like many Chachapoya constructions, are situated in difficult-to-access and crucial locations. You'll need roughly three days to completely explore the place, making it a great excursion for anyone ready to brave the harsh circumstances of dense woodlands and secret routes.
The mausoleums housed the mummies until they were moved to the museum. You can see them from the Laguna de los Cóndores. However, accessing them is hard. They are carved into the rock cliffs that rise from the lagoon.
They housed the mummies of children, women, and influential people, and also held Chachapoya emperors and their young offspring.
Visit the Museum at Leymebamba, which houses about 200 mummies. They were excavated from mausoleums near the lagoon.
Explore the Mausoleums. These graves stand over 6 meters high on rocky walls and contain cave paintings, human skulls, and symbolic embellishments.
Boat Ride: Relax on the lagoon and try catching some fish
Hiking: Take a lovely hike around the lagoon and stop by archaeological sites.
Laguna de los Cóndores' climate is temperate and warm, with significant humidity. The best months to visit are May and October when the weather is drier. However, remember that rain can fall practically any time of year.
Laguna de los Cóndores is in the Amazonas area, in the province of Chachapoyas, in the district of Leymebamba. It is about 2914 meters above sea level. To go to this place, take a collective taxi to Leymebamba, which will take around two and a half hours. From Leymebamba, you will begin a difficult climb.
Do you remember when we said it takes about 10 hours? Due to the physical demands, it is recommended that you spend two days exploring this monument. After hiring a raft, you can explore Chachapoyas constructions.
