From Jaén to Chachapoyas, with lots of fun in between.
Country
We left Jaén after buying the SOAT insurance, you will get in troubles if you are caught without it. Something else to remember, in Peru you MUST keep your car headlights ON all the time on the roads.
First detour after 140km in Pedro Ruiz, 33km to Pomacochas town and lake, very nice. I kissed Peruvian slippery mud trying to get to the lake… Nice touristic installations by the lake, back to the 800m extreme mud (with no more surprises) and to the main road.
Route PE 5N begins in La Balza border and in Pedro Ruiz turns left heading Tarapoto in the hearth of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The road that takes you fro Pedro Ruiz south to Chachapoyas does not seem to have a number in the map, maybe PE 8B; it is a well paved 2 lane road that goes along the Utcubamba river, very enjoyable.
Another great spot in the surroundings are the Gocta waterfalls, one of the highest of South America with 771m.
Our first approach was taking the 6.1km curvy gravel road to San Pablo Valera de Gocta, a neat small town where you can take a 5 to 7 hours hike to the waterfall, even though you cannot see them form there. The second approach was to go up to Cocachimba town, another curvy, muddy, 5.4km road that ended in a beautiful town with a great view of the 2 stages Gocta Waterfall.
After chatting and enjoying “Las Cataratas de Gocta” we kept riding south to Chachapoyas, the 194km road had become 282km with 3 stops to be carried within our hearts.
Chachapoyas is a beautiful city, capital of the Amazonas Region, in 1988 it was declared Nation´s cultural heritage. Here we would spend the night and get ready for Kuelap…
