About Jaen
With a warm climate throughout the entire year, Jaen is actually one of the warmest cities in Peru, despite its frequent cooling rain showers. The capital of the province by the same name, it sits in the jungle of the Cajamarca Region. Known as the "Land of the Brave Bracamoros", Jaen as with the rest of Peru, has one foot in the past and one in the future especially now that coworking venues have appeared in its streets.
A town where the history buffs will be wearing big smiles, the origins of Jaen go back to what is known as the "Late Horizon" period between 1,000 and 1,500 BC. There are numerous archaeological treasures to adore from mounds to pottery, ancient pyramid complexes and remnants of massive stone structures. Located in the northeast of Peru, Jaen has a history encompassing the pre-Inca, Inca Empire, the arrival of the Spanish and the Colonial era through to its present form. Jaen is not really on the tourist radar due to its distance from any large populated areas - think 18 hours by bus from the capital of Peru, Lima. But if you manage to get there you will find a gorgeous plaza where you can sip your espresso, a regional museum, the Gotas de Agua for those into peering at birds and the Almendral Hot Springs for a healthy dip in the sulphur and iron infused water. The Huamantanga Forest sits 3 hours west, which is a small ecological paradise where you can chat to a spectacled bear if you are so lucky. Only 50km from the town is the oldest protected area in the whole of Peru, the Cutervo National Park and there are a number of beautiful waterfalls hiding in the jungle landscape.
Jaen is more an escape enclave rather than a tech hub, but the country of Peru is home to an engaged entrepreneurial and startup community with many inventive souls choosing not to live in the streets of its capital city. Peru's ecosystem is in its early stages and the Startup Peru initiative is aiming to provide funding to more than 350 local startups by the end of 2018. Coworking venues are one more step in the chain of support especially in towns such as Jaen where almost half of its population is under the age of 15 years.