The department of Cajamarca is located in the north of Peru, and is known mainly for its great landscapes and its delicious variety of cheeses! The city of Cajamarca is the capital of the department with the same name, and has a number of tourist attractions like the cathedral, the cloister of San Francisco, some great balconies that have an amazing view of the city, and some other temples that come from colony times and are admired for its architecture.
In February is the “Carnaval de Cajamarca”, or the Cajamarca’s carnival, which is the major festivity in the city, tourists from other parts of Peru and foreigners come in great numbers to be a part of this great festivity where there are long parades, dances and parties in the streets of Cajamarca where you can have a taste of its delicious food. The principal day in the Carnival is the Sunday, where the big parade goes all around the city with impressive costumes and masks that are typical of Cajamarca, and the dances last all night long.
When it comes to food in Cajamarca, the main dishes are the “Picante de papa con cuy”, which is a potato stew, a little spicy, served with cuy, which is a kind of Peruvian guinea pig and is very popular in the highlands of Peru. Another special dish from Cajamarca is the “Chicharron con mote”, which is a very fried pork meat served with a peculiar kind of corn which grain is super big and is often used in appetizers. Other dish from Cajamarca are the “Humitas”, which are a delicious mass made of corn and some species, and can be served in breakfast, lunch or even as an appetizer in the evening!
A little bit outside of the City of Cajamarca there are some great tourist attractions, like the “Ventanillas de Otuzo”, which are ruins from the Caxamarca tribe, that had a peculiar way of bury their dead people and constructed niches in the rocks, and this is the part that has survived almost intact until today and is the main attraction in this place.
Also outside of the city are the “Baños del Inca” or “Inca Baths”, which are hot springs and constitute a natural spa, with very relaxing and even curative characteristics. The minerals that compose these waters have therapeutic characteristics for the treatment of bone injuries and nervous system conditions.
