Leimebamba (or Leymebamba) is a district of the province of Chachapoyas, located in the northern Peruvian department of Amazonas, in the valley of the

Utcubamba River Utcubamba (hispanicized spelling) or Utkhupampa (Quechua ''utkhu'' cotton, ''pampa'' a large plain,Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua_Spanish dictionary) "co ...

, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Chachapoyas.

Geography

Leimebamba is at approximately 2,000 meters above sea level, and the area is warm with a lush

tropical vegetation Tropical vegetation is any vegetation in tropical latitudes. Plant life that occurs in climates that are warm year-round is in general more biologically diverse that in other latitudes. Some tropical areas may receive abundant rain the whole ye ...

. Although it can rain anytime of the year, during June to September the weather tends to be dry. To the north, the Leimebamba District is bordered by San Francisco del Yeso District and Montevideo District, to the east by San Martín Region, to the south by the District of Chuquibamba; and to the west by the District of Balsas. Leimebamba is located on a mountain near the River Utcubamba.

Villages and hamlets

* Palmira * Leymebamba * Bonda * Guilipe * Muyucsha * Ishpingo * Pomacochas * Cuensol * Dos De Mayo * Plaza Pampa * Chururco * Lluy * Llushpe * Puchicana * Checo * Teaben * Felipa * Miraflores * Santa Dionisia * Gramalote Rural * Amuch * Parajillo * Shalcapata * Shishuayco * Potrerillo * El Salto * Triguicsa * El Tambo * Shonie * Monticunga * Siogue * San Miguel * Timbo Yambo * Jinez * Las Escobas * Chorrera * Sinuno * Lugar Tranquilo * Quingrimachay * Ñushta * Torongil * Lajas Bamba * Tambillo * Shival * La Vaquería * Monteseco * La Joya * Tajopamba * Quishuar * Laguna-C0ndores * Churo Churo * Corral Conga * Pampas Verdes * Cabildo Pata * Atuen * El Jardín * Orfedon * Israel * Chilingote * Agua Loca * Conjul * Chinchango * Cashapata The majority of the villages and hamlets of Leymebamba District are situated in the mountains, some of them are situated near the Utcubamba River.

History

Leimebamba District was legally created on May 3, 1955, during the government of President Manuel A. Odria. The Incas accompanying

Tupac Yupanqui Topa Inca Yupanqui or Túpac Inca Yupanqui ( qu, 'Tupaq Inka Yupanki'), translated as "noble Inca accountant," (c. 1441–c. 1493) was the tenth Sapa Inca (1471–93) of the Inca Empire, fifth of the Hanan dynasty. His father was Pachacuti, and ...

celebrated

Inti Raymi The Inti Raymi (Quechua for "Inti festival") is a traditional religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti (Quechua for "sun"), the most venerated deity in Inca religion. It was the celebration of the winter solstice – the s ...

in the area, and so named it ''Raymipampa''. From this, the name ''Leimebamba'' is derived.

Festivals

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

is the patron saint of Leimebamba town, and a festival in her honour is held on July 16 every year. Celebrations include a special mass, a procession, a festival of local cuisine, street parties and fireworks. August 28, the Day of

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

sees another celebration.

Transport

There are two overland approaches to Leimebamba. It is located on the main road between Chachapoyas and

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...

, all of which is now paved. Cajamarca has an airport, and from there it is an 8-hour bus ride to Leimebamba, taking in dramatic and ever-changing scenery, as the road, much of which is single-lane, climbs to a 3,200m (10,500 ft) pass after Celendin, then drops to the town of Balsas on the Marañon River at 850m (2,789 ft), before climbing again to the ''Barro Negro'' pass at 3,678m (12,068 ft), before descending again to reach Leimebamba (2,200m / 7,218 ft). It is only 60 km (37 miles) from Chachapoyas to Leimembamba, along the Utcubamba valley, and public transport takes about two hours to make the journey. However, Chachapoyas does not have a commercial airport, with the nearest one being in Jaen, a 4-hour bus journey away.

Tourist Attractions

Leimebamba District is home to a large number of tourist attractions. The best known of these is the Leymebamba Museum, which contains many of the mummies found at the Laguna de los Condores site, along with their funerary offerings. It also has information about the region's flora and fauna, and a display of

quipus ''Quipu'' (also spelled ''khipu'') are recording devices fashioned from strings historically used by a number of cultures in the region of Andean South America. A ''quipu'' usually consisted of cotton or camelid fiber strings. The Inca people ...

found in the area. The spectacular Laguna de los Condores itself can be visited, either by hike or on horseback. There are also many pre-Inca ruins in the region, such as Congona, Petaca and Diablo Wasi, most of which are thought to have belonged to the

Chachapoya culture The Chachapoyas, also called the "Warriors of the Clouds", was a culture of the Andes living in the cloud forests of the southern part of the Department of Amazonas of present-day Peru. The Inca Empire conquered their civilization shortly bef ...

, but have been little studied. Reaching these ruins can be done on foot, with a selection of one-day and multi-day hikes. The town of Leimebamba has a small selection of accommodation, and can be used as a base to visit other attractions of Amazonas, such as Revash, Kuelap and

Gocta Falls Gocta ( es, Catarata del Gocta) is a perennial waterfall with two drops located in Peru's province of Bongara in Amazonas, approximately to the northeast of Lima. It flows into the Cocahuayco River. Although the waterfall had been well known ...

Religious

Leimebamba is a head office of a parish that is served by two Priests from the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Chachapoyas The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chachapoyas ( la, Chachapoyasen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Chachapoyas, Peru, Chachapoyas in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Piura, Piura in Peru. History *28 May 1803: E ...

. * Archbishop of Chachapoyas: Monseñor Emiliano Amtonio Cisneros Martínez,

OAR An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles is that oars are used exclusively for rowing. In rowing the oar is connecte ...

.Orden de Agustinos Recoletos
.

References

External links

{{Wikivoyage, Leimebamba 1955 establishments in Peru States and territories established in 1955 Districts of the Chachapoyas Province Districts of the Amazonas Region