Cajamarca

See

There are several churches in the area of the Plaza de Armas, one of which (San Francisco) includes the "Ransom Room" in which the Inca Atahualpa was held captive by Spanish conquistadors. The steps on Santa Apolonia hill lead up to the "Inca Seat", where the Inca supposedly addressed his subjects. The hill offers a nice view of the city below.

thumb|Mariposa - Carnaval de Cajamarca 2011 Catarata de Plan Manzanas is a nice waterfall about 9 km from Cajamarca. Take a microbus (19 or 59A - S/1 each way leaving about every 30 minutes until about 21:00) to Huambocancha Alta and get off at Plan Manzanas (road or carretera Bambamarca). You'll need to ask the locals for directions as it's not a particularly well known attraction, don't give up just because the first person you ask doesn't know anything about it. The locals are very friendly and you'll probably be able to find one who'll take you to the waterfall and give you directions for an alternate route back to the road for a small fee (S/5-10). The trail will take you over the top of the falls. They hold a carnival celebration 2 days after the main parade on the concourse in Cajamarca. Very beautiful countryside in a traditional Peruvian farming community. It's about a 30-minute walk each way from the road to the waterfall and the bus trip is also around 30 minutes each way. Allow 3 to 4 hours for this trip.

Do

The Baños del Inca (The Inca's Baths) are natural hot springs located five kilometers east of Cajamarca in the town of Baños del Inca. Take a microbus (written Baños on the side) from the start of Avenida Atahulpa for S/2 (as of 2024). Entrance S/6 (swimming S/6). Swimming pool closed on Friday.

There are a number of archaeological sites and other attractions outside the city, to which there are organized tours. Several tour operators can be found on the Plaza de Armas. These sites include:

Cumbe Mayo, is a pre-Colombian aqueduct built around 1000 BCE to bring water from the mountains to the town of Cajamarca during the dry season. Tours from Cajamarca are S/18 per person. Food and drinks are readily available at the site. It's possible to walk from Cajamarca but allow around five hours each way for the 20 km trek. The site is located at an altitude of around 3500 meters and can be quite cold and wet.

thumb|Ventanillas de Otuzco Ventanillas de Otuzco, a pre-inca necropolis. Touristic infrastructure, entrance fee (S/5 in February 2017), info plates in English. This is easy to get to by microbus just look for any bus that has Otuzco written on the side, you'll find them easily by the market. The trip is S/1 each way. Allow around 2 to 3 hours for this trip, a little longer if you want to check out the river nearby. You can walk from here to banos del inca (1½ hours).

Buy

Cajamarca is known for its fine dairy products and chocolate. A visit to one of the cheese shops is worth your time. There are also several street markets along the San Lucas river selling farm goods, cloth and various other items.

Cajamarca also has modern shopping malls like:

El Quinde Shopping Plaza offers secure parking, two large department store, a hypermarket, movie theater, children's entertainment, food court, electronics, clothing, pharmacies, jewelry stores, banking, and many kiosk-type businesses. It is located about six blocks northeast of the Main Square. Real Plaza is the biggest mall, it offers a secure underground parking, two large department store, a hypermarket, a large home improvement store, cinemas, food court, gym, restaurants, cafe, discotheque, children's entertainment, outdoor clothing stores, boutiques, electronics, banking, pharmacies, and another kiosk-type businesses. It is located about ten blocks east of the Main Square. Open Plaza is the smallest mall, offers parking, a hypermarket, a home improvement store, children's entertainment, a pharmacy and another kiosk-type businesses. It is located between both El Quinde and Real Plaza.

There is a decent drop-off laundromat behind the San Francisco on calle Belen. S/5 per kilo. Closed Fridays.

Eat

The diet here consists largely of items in cream sauce, probably due to the large dairy industry. Several restaurants serve Cuy (guinea pig) for those feeling adventurous. Street vendors sell tamales and various other street food, especially around dinner time.

Restaurant Tuna Jr. Malia Puga. This place is very popular and warm inside. There is a wood-fired oven and they make tasty personal pizzas starting from S/5.50. You´ll probably need two of them if you want more than a snack though. They also have a range of other dishes, drinks and wine. La Ideal Panaderia y Pasteleria. Jr. Malia Puga 966. A great place for coffee, cakes, hamburgers and delicious rolls. Think of it as a cross between Subway and a coffee and cake shop. A clean modern store with excellent service. Pia dishes out tasty Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie chicken) for a bargain price. It is located on Amazonas about a block away from the Plaza de Armas, near the secondary school. El Cajamarques is one of the top restaurants in town. The food is quite good, but the real attraction is the courtyard containing exotic birds and wildlife. Not recommended: El Batan Gran Buffet. This fancy restaurant has very attentive service, but the food is mediocre at best. Super Chicken has two locations: one on the Recoleta and the other in El Quinde shopping center. Good chicken and fries. Eat in or take out. Renzos one block up from the Plaza. Italian food: pizza and pasta. La Cena towards the west end of Via Evitamiento. Large…

Drink

Various street vendors sell home-made juice which is worth a try.

Sleep

There are many inexpensive options for accommodations in Cajamarca. In addition to the various hotels and hostels in town, there are also a number of spa hotels in the outskirts of town.

Stay safe

Traffic is probably the visitor's biggest risk. Most drivers assume that you will get out of their way. Driving the wrong way on a one-way street is not uncommon, but stopping at stop signs is. So, look around before you cross the street!

Remember to take it easy on arrival, since the altitude can make you short of breath and cause headaches.

The central city is fairly safe, but as always keep an eye out for pickpockets and always hang on to your belongings. That being said, tourists should avoid traveling away from the city centre after dark.