We have all heard of the great Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in the mountains of Peru…and if you haven’t been there, it’s likely on your Bucket List. Well, now there’s another one to add to that list. The great stone ruins of Kuelap sit atop a mountain ridge in the north of Peru and are one of the largest ancient ruins in the Americas, with stone walls reaching nearly 20 metres high and more than 200 buildings on the site. The fortress was built from 500 AD by the mysterious “cloud people,” perhaps to deter conquests by the Incan Empire.

Reaching Kuelap had previously been reserved only for the most adventurous travellers willing to climb the steep mountain on which it is located; but now, a cable car system has opened that will allow visitors to more easily visit the site. Right now, this is a little-known secret, and very much uncrowded, so my advice to anyone planning a trip to Peru in the next few years is to include the ancient mountain top city of Kuelap on your itinerary.