Chachapoyas Airport — Chachapoyas, Peru

Chachapoyas Airport gives travelers a shortcut into Peru's northern cloud forest, sparing them the long mountain drive otherwise needed to reach a region famous for Kuelap, the massive pre-Inca stone fortress that some now market as a rival to Machu Picchu despite receiving a fraction of the visitors. The airport's short runway and limited scheduled service reflect both the region's remoteness and the challenging terrain of the Amazonas region, where steep, forested ridges rise abruptly from narrow river valleys. Chachapoyas town itself preserves a colonial character less altered by tourism than Cuzco, and nearby archaeological sites hold sarcophagi and mausoleums built into cliff faces by the Chachapoya culture that once dominated the area before Inca conquest. Flights operate on a limited schedule, weather permitting.