
Martina Capel
My name is Martina, I am German and the co-founder of Phima Voyages, together with my husband Philippe who is French. We created Phima Voyages three years ago when we arrived in Chachapoyas, as we felt the need of developing responsible tourism in the region of Amazonas.
It is our mission to integrate local people through traditional experiences such as weaving or a cooking lesson, a homestay or any other activity that can be shared with the local.
I have 20 years of experience in tourism and hospitality and have myself worked and traveled extensively all over the world. I love the fascinating history of the pre-Columbian civilizations in the northern region, but also the incredible culinary diversification. Meeting with local people, staying in home-stays or participating in traditional activities are some of the experiences I could propose you.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"All the regions of Northern Peru, starting from Lima and going north.
This includes pre-Incan archaeology such as Chan Chan or the Sun and Moon Temples, great funeral sites in Cajamarca such as the Ventanillas de Otuzco, the Chachapoya civilisation in the Amazonas region with its citadel of Kuelap (also named the Machu Picchu of the North), extraordinary Museums such as the Museum Tumbas Reales in Chiclayo or Museum Mallqui of Leymebamba, until the region San Martin, already in the Peruvian Amazonia with its chocolate and coffee production.
We specialize in local and rural activities such as weaving or cooking classes, learning how to make sugar cane sirop and sugar, natural walks for birding and butterflies, chocolate experiences and many more..."
How did you get involved in travel?
"I always worked in Hospitality industry, I went to a hotel and tourism management school in Switzerland, worked overseas in Asia for several years before coming back to France where I had a hotel with my husband for over 10 years. We then travelled around the world with our boys for 4 years before settling down again in Chachapoyas."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"With my husband and our two boys, we spend one year travelling the United States in an RV. I will never forget this time when we were so close, living on 14 m2 and sharing so many memories."
Featured trips & expertise

Archaeology & Culture in Northern Peru: From Trujillo to Chiclayo - 8 Days
Explore the culture and archaeology of Northern Peru on this eight-day adventure. Discover La Ruta Moche, the “road” along the northern coast of Peru, which includes the kingdoms of Moche, Chimu, and Lambayeque, with impressive archaeological sites that are among the most famous in South America. See a horse show, take a city tour, and visit the temples and Chan Chan in Trujillo. Then, check out the Archaeological Complex and the Museum of the Lady Cao in El Brujo. Spend time learning about Sican culture, and head to Túcume to enjoy traditional activities after visiting the iconic pyramids.

Archaeological Tour of Northern Peru: Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, & Chiclayo - 8 Days
In just over one week, explore the best of Northern Peru. Begin in Cajamarca and head to the archaeological site of Cumbemayo, then explore a pre-Incan cemetery. Next, drive to Leymebamba, take a woodworking class, and visit a museum that houses 200 mummies, followed by a visit to the Mausoleums of Revash. Tour the Kuélap ruins, check out the Sarcophagi of Karajia funeral statues, explore the Amazonas region of Chiclayo, and more.

Northern Peru: Kuélap Ruins, Gocta Waterfall, Museums, & Mausoleums - 5 Days
Embark on a quick-yet-adventurous five-day tour of Northern Peru’s highlights. Upon arrival in Jaen, head to Chachapoyas, your home base throughout the journey. Hike to the Mausoleum of Revash, followed by a visit to Musuem Mallqui, which is home to more than 200 preserved mummies. Then, take a day trip to discover the Kuélap ruins for a day of exploration. The grand finale includes a scenic hike to one of the highest waterfalls in the world—Gocta Waterfall—before flying to Lima for your departure.

Northern Peru Cultural Tour - 8 Days
This 8-day tour is perfect for history buffs with a sense of adventure. Starting from the desert coast, make your way to where the Andes meets the Amazon, stopping to see some of Peru's best archaeology sites. Here you will find the impressive ruins of Kuélap (the Macchu Picchu of the north), the incredible sarcophagi of Karajia, painted mummies in Leymebamba, and a spectacular waterfall. Back to the coast, pay a visit to a museum with elaborate artifacts from the Moche civilization.

Best of Lima & Northern Peru - 13 Days
Steeped in history, this fascinating tour covers the most important archaeological sites of Northern Peru. Start the adventure with a few days to explore the capital of Lima. From here, fly north to Chiclayo and begin an epic road trip—by private transfer—visiting exceptional pre-Incan museums, complexes, and ruins. Over 13 days, you'll see a range of landscapes, like coastal deserts, Andean mountains, and a portion of the Amazon jungle, culminating with a hike to one of the world's highest waterfalls.

Ancient Cultures of Northern Peru: Cajamarca, Leymebamba, Trujillo & Lima - 15 Days
Explore the history of the pre-Inca civilizations that inhabited northern Peru on this thrilling 15-day tour. You will start in Lima, the coastal capital. Enjoy a cosmopolitan experience before heading north to Cajamarca to see temples and ancient graves. From here, you'll drive to the Amazonas region to visit mausoleums, mummies, and the ruins of Kuelap. Then, you'll drive to the coast for more archaeological excursions, including Caral, the oldest civilization in the American continent.
Recent trip reviews for Martina
Can you organise a custom trip for 2 in the Chachapoyas area? · Peru - May 25 - May 29, 2019
We loved our trip to North Peru that we organised through Phima Voyages. Martina was wonderful as we made our plans and bookings. She kept us really well informed and provided lots of good advice and local information.
The airport transfers and hotel bookings were very well organised.
Our tours were wonderful. It was great to get away from the main areas for international tourism and explore a bit more of Peru. A highlight for us was the ruins at Keulap, but we enjoyed our experiences too.... read more

Dear Lynda,
Your trip was very special with the earthquake in the middle !! I am glad that everything turned out fine and there were no major problems.
Thank you on behalf of our team for your nice comments. We work together already for several years and it is very encouraging to hear that you appreciate our services. It was a pleasure showing you our beautiful region of Amazonas with all its treasures and experiences !
I wish you many more exciting trips and especially - lots of encounters and stories to tell.
Warm regards,
Martina

Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days · Peru - May 13 - May 28, 2019
This trip was everything I hoped it would be. On the practical side, all the connections and transfers went according to plan and no time was wasted. We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Carlos (in the Andes - there were other drivers on the coast). Both were friendly and made the time in the car interesting and fun. Through them, we were able to spend whatever time we wanted in each place and they were only too happy to make unscheduled stops whenever we requested.
I hadn't... read more

Dear Alan,
I am so glad that this trip to Northern Peru matched your expectations and that you could spend time at the Sarcophagi of Karajia. With your itinerary you got a great overview of the important archaeological sites and if Jhon could give you some more insight of Peru, the customs and habits, then this is just wonderful.
On behalf of all our team, thank you for travelling with us, for your good humour and interest in the beautiful regions of Northern Peru.
Keep on travelling :)
Martina

Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days · Peru - May 13 - May 28, 2019
I came late to this trip, which was originally planned by my friend and travelling companion, Alan. However, once on board, Martina and team made it easy to get everything organised - the packing list was especially useful!
There's a blog on peru2019.wordpress.com.
Trip notes:
- Everything went pretty smoothly, organisationally, especially once we'd realised some of the hotels had "Alan John" as the room occupant!
- Cumbemayo, Kuelap and Karajia especially good for me, largely because they... read more

Dear John,
Thank you so much for your detailed review.
I am glad that you enjoyed your trip and had many encounters with the local people - I would say this is because of your kind and outgoing way ! It was a pleasure organising this tour for you and Alan and I am happy to hear that you enjoyed Jhon's company throughout your trip. (He did so, too :) )
I am sure that you and Alan will have lots of memories and stories to share now !! And I can only recommend your blog to everybody, as it is a great read.
Warm regards,
Martina
Northern Peru Possible Highlights? · Peru - Jun 20 - Jul 1, 2018
We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Dantes. They made us feel safe, gave us local insight into the regions we were traveling and taught us a lot about the history and current events of the areas. The sites were diverse and marvelous. Our favorites were Kuélap and Cumbe Mayo but the other sites we saw were not far behind, such as the Sarcophagi of Karajia or Huaca de la Luna. We had a local guide for the Museo Reales de Sipan who did a wonderful job shepherding is through the museum... read more

Dear Sally and Eliza,
Thank you so much for your kind review. I am very glad that you enjoyed your trip to Northern Peru and that you liked Jhon and Dantes :)
Thank you for visiting the North and I hope you had a wonderful time in the South as well.
Warm regards,
Martina
Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days · Peru - Mar 6 - Mar 14, 2018
I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were... read more

Dear Samuel,
I am delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us and that you liked the hotels we have selected. It was my pleasure planning your trip and suggesting you the different sites to visit.
Thank you so much for your great overview.
Warm regards,
Martina
Chachapoyas: Peru’s Best Kept Secret - 7 Days · Peru - Jan 17 - Jan 21, 2018
Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly... read more

Dear Janice,
Thank you very much for your comments and letting me know how you felt during your stay in the Northern Andes.
I guess your stay was a little overcasted because of the rain. It is true that when it rains, there unfortunately are not many options. Hotels in the region usually don't have heating (nor Wifi) and the humidity gets into you and your bones.
Jhon, our guide, has already finished his training beginning of last year. He has a diploma as an official guide, a career... read more

North Peru · Peru - Dec 24 - Jan 7, 2018
Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.
Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very... read more

Dear Darlene and Gary,
Thank you so much for your nice comments.
I am so glad that you enjoyed your trip. It was a lot of fun planning it for you, as it gave me the opportunity to include activites and adventures. You had enough time to meet with the locals and interact, like at the coffee experience :)
If you have any pictures you would like to share, don't hesitate to send them through to me.
Warm regards,
Martina
Everything was splendid before , during, and after the trip. The only thing that was REALLY hard was the hike to the lodging at Keulap.

Dear Marilyn,
Thank you for your review. It is a steep hike to Sra. Teodula, but it is just a beautiful place to be. I am glad that you enjoyed your night there as well as the entire trip.
Happy travels throughout South America !
Warm regards,
Martina
Explore Northern Peru: Cajamarca to Chachapoyas · Peru - Oct 22 - Oct 28, 2017
Very professional and high-quality service from Martina, accommodating all of our requests and needs during the trip.
The North part of Peru is not very well advertised and there are not too many tourists in this area (good for people like us, who really enjoyed the real Peru experience, not overtaken by tourism industry yet.) We were nicely surprised and definitely I would suggest using this as a key point in the advertisement of this region. So thank you, Martina, for pointing to us these... read more

Dear Beata,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a such long overview. I am very happy that you enjoyed your stay in the amazing region of Amazonas.
Everything you mention is absolutely true. The region is still rather untouched from tourism and it gives you the opportunity to meet authentic people and to share their passion (like with Perico and Lola). On the other hand, without any Spanish knowledge and only with English, it is rather a challenge. I'm glad that Beto could be of... read more