Holidays in Cajamarca

What to See and Do in Cajamarca

A tour of Cajamarca's compact centre offers the chance to see the "Ransom room" in which the last Inca was imprisoned, and some fine colonial architecture, but most of the big sights are just outside of town.

The Ransom Room

The room in which the Inca Atahualpa was held, this is the only Inca structure left in the town and you can still see the line along the wall just below the roof which indicated the level to which Atahualpa had to fill the room with his ransom of gold and silver. You can easily visit the ransom room yourself - it's just a couple of blocks off the main square - or we can include it on a city tour of Cajamarca so that your guide can give you their own take on history’s events.

Baños del Inca

After the ransom room the main attraction in Cajamarca are the Inca Baths – thermal springs which were said to be the reason the Inca Atahalpa chose to come to Cajamarca, not knowing his fate was soon to change. The springs boast therapeutic qualities and are a lovely place to unwind under the Andean sun. There is also beautiful countryside around and great walking in the Porcon Farm area.

Cumbemayo

Cumbemayo is argued to be the biggest Stone Age construction in the Americas and belonged to the Caxamarca culture who dominated the area for the 1000years before the Incas came along. The site includes the ‘sanctuary’ (a large outcrop in the shape of a head with important petroglyps), and a mile long pre-Inca aqueduct still in good working order with a series of altars running alongside it. The ‘Stony Forest’ of the Frailones, a huge set of rocks which have weathered to look like monks, is also close by.

Ventanillas de Otuzco

The Otuzco windows are becoming better known throughout the world and are about 5 miles outside of Cajamarca. This is a pre-Inca Caxamarca culture burial site where mummies were placed in hundreds of small funeral niches carved out high up in the rock face of a cliff. They look like little windows which is how the site got its name: 'Ventanillas' means 'little windows' in Spanish.

Eating Out in Cajamarca

Cajamarca has a very good range of restaurants for a town its size and most people are pleasantly surprised by the choice. As you would expect the local dairy industry produce excellent cheeses and beef and the locally-caught trout is also particularly good. In town El Cajamarques (770 Amazonas) offers a fine dining experience in a lovely setting, with a real focus on fresh local ingredients. For a good quality value option the Gourmet Colonial restaurant, next door to the Portal del Marques, two blocks west of the square on Comercio has a more modern take on things and their chicken kebabs are quite simply superb! Querubino, on Amalia Puga, has good Italian food and offers a wide range of dishes for vegetarians – all the old favourites are there but they also have daily specials. For something a little lighter, we would particularly recommend Las Tullpas, just off the square on Dos de Mayo, which has a good selection of soups and sandwiches, as well as good juices and desserts. The Tuna Cafe, just down from the Ransom Room along Amalia Puga is also a good place to drop in for a snack and is a nice spot for a quiet drink in the evening.

If you are staying at the Laguna Seca spa hotel, just outside of town, then we definitely recommend eating at the hotel’s restaurant, El Fogon. It’s even worth getting a taxi to from town if you’re not staying there (about 15 soles) as the food is excellent with a thoughtfully put together menu and good value set menu options.