The Cloud Forest Fortress Of Peru

Hidden high in the Peruvian Andes, the walled city of Kuelap predates the famous Machu Picchu by centuries. Built by the mysterious Cloud Warriors, this massive stone citadel sits perched on a ridge above the clouds.

While many tourists flock to Inca sites, the Chachapoyas culture constructed this mountain fortress around 500 AD. Its limestone walls rise sixty feet high, protecting hundreds of circular stone houses from the surrounding mountain terrain. Because of its remote location in the dense forest, it remained largely unknown to the outside world for centuries. Today, it serves as a stunning reminder of the sophisticated civilizations that thrived in the Amazonian highlands long ago.