Cumbemayo (Cumbe Mayo)

Cumbemayo, about 20km / 12mi southwest of Cajamarca, is a pre-Inca site with water channels. These canals are about 2,000 years old but their purpose is still a matter of some debate. There is plenty of water in the area so it is more likely that these aqueducts served some sort of religious purposes. Zigzagging angles incorporated into the canal were designed to slow down fast moving water and lessen the effects of erosion. The channel runs for more than 9km / 5.5mi.

From the parking lot at Cumbemayo is a marked trail, which leads past rock formations to nearby caves with petroglyphs.