Quiocta Cavern
A limestone cave about 500 metres long near the town of Lamud. People were buried in it before the Inca conquest.
A cave used for burial
Quiocta is a single passage with several chambers. Near the entrance, skulls and bones lie on ledges where they were placed centuries ago. They are attributed to the Chachapoya culture.
Further in there are tall stalagmites and columns. The floor is clay, and after rain the mud is ankle-deep.
Quiocta Cavern at a glance
- Location
- near Lamud, Luya province, Amazonas
- Altitude
- about 2,800 m
- Length
- about 550 m
- Rock
- limestone
- Archaeology
- pre-Hispanic human remains
- Floor
- deep mud in places
- Lighting
- torches
- Usually combined with
- Karajía
Mud, torches and stalagmites
Visitors rent rubber boots in Lamud and walk the length of the cave with a guide. The route is level, but the mud makes it slow.
The visit takes about an hour underground.
Quiocta Cavern in figures
Before you go
Getting there
Lamud is about an hour and a half by road from Chachapoyas. The cave is a further 10 km on a gravel road.
On the visit
A local guide is required and can be arranged at the tourist office in Lamud. Bring a head torch.
Good to know
Do not touch or move the bones. Tours from Chachapoyas usually visit Quiocta in the morning and Karajía in the afternoon.
Opening times, access rules and prices change. Confirm them before you travel: the tourist office in Lamud.
