When booking Peru I was torn between staying an extra 2 days in Ariquipa to hike the Colca Canyon or spending that time in Puno at Lake Titicaca. From the title you can see which option won out! I actually spoke to a friend right before booking everything to get her input since she had spent a lot of time in Peru. She suggested the Colca Canyon. She told me that not only was Puno not the safest but also that the Lake felt very geared towards tourists and not as authentic as she thought it would have be. I would still like to visit Lake Titicaca but that will be on a later trip, maybe one where I actually make it to Machu Picchu!
About the Colca Canyon
The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world (3,300 meters!). That is twice as deep as America’s Grand Canyon! There is also a neighbouring canyon, Cotahuasi Canyon, that is actually deeper but a lot harder to get to (adding it to my list already)! Even with this canyon being so deep you need to be prepared for the altitude. That doesn’t seem to make sense when visiting a canyon but remember many places in Peru are wayyy above sea level to start with so to go so deep you have to start really high up! I am not able to take altitude medicine and I felt fine. However, I was traveling from Lima to Cusco via bus and over time which I think helped with the adjusting.
Getting to the Canyon
The 2 day hike of the Coca Canyon starts VERY early! I believe we got picked up from our hotel in Arequipa (more on this to come) around 3 am. It is about a 6 hour drive to Cabanaconde, where you will start your hike. Make sure to take some cash as you stop for breakfast on the way. Breakfast is not included in the price (when we did it, it may be now!). You could also bring some of your own food if you wanted.
The Condor
After you stop at the Cruz del Condor (viewpoint at 3700 meters above sea level!) of the Colca Canyon. You need to keep your eyes peeled here for the Andean condor; it is one of the largest birds in the world, with a wingspan of up to 3.3 meters (10.5 feet) and part of the New World Vulture family. They also have a life expectancy of up to 50 years! It is such a beautiful sight to see! Make sure to have your camera ready! We were lucky to spot one flying. One the way back the next day it was so foggy so we couldn’t see anything!
Before starting the hike you stop off at an area with bathrooms and a place to buy a walking stick. I would highly recommend buying one, I used mine the whole time! The walking stick is even cut right in front of you to get the right size and trust me, you are going to need it for what is to come! This is the starting point of the hike and right as we got to where you could see the canyon our guide stopped to give up some additional information about the area and also our tickets!
The Hike
The trek down was no joke! It was 3.5 hours of straight down (3300 meters to 2100 meters) with straight drop offs to the side. The views however were phenomenal! There is a lot of gravel and rocks underfoot so this is where the walking stick really comes in handy! I actually kept sliding as I was walking and would use the walking stick to balance or catch myself. It was also very hot, it was a clear day so the sun was beating down on us! Make sure you pack enough water and stay hydrated!
At the bottom of the canyon you have to cross a bridge. You also get a rest here while you wait for the rest of your group. We took the 20 minutes to relax, have a drink and a snack. There is a stand at this stope where you can buy drinks, we got some Gatorade. Right before crossing the bridge you get your ticket punched. From there it is about 45 minutes to an hour until you reach the lunch spot. This is a lot easier to walk, it’s flat with a few ups and downs but nothing like the trek down!
Lunch
Lunch was at San Juan de Chuccho, a small village with fruit trees. Here we had a stew with rice. It wasn’t my favourite. I would make sure to pack extra snacks! After eating we also had some time to sit outside and relax while taking in the canyon walls! Then we were off again. This next part was my favourite: we walked through the small towns of Cosñirhua and Malata. We passed a school which catered for 11 families that lived in the village. They were currently closed because of Covid (this was March 2020 – right before the pandemic officially closed everything). The vegetation and scenery was so beautiful.
Accommodation
There was a little stall right before we reached “Sangalle” (the village where we would be staying the night) where we stocked up on snacks and drinks! This is the deepest part of the trek and has an altitude of about 1900 meters! I was actually surprised how many accommodations were offered! Our lodge even had a swimming pool!
The guide showed us all to our rooms and shared showers and bathrooms. I don’t remember the name of the lodge but it was included in the tour. The rooms are little cabins in a circle with a small grass courtyard in the middle. You can book a room with a bathroom (for extra) however we didn’t bother with this for just one night. A couple from our group did and they said their room had a spider problem and they had to move! There were a couple of different shared shower locations and maybe I lucked out but the water in the shower I got was hot! Many others complained it was freezing cold!
Hector and I relaxed on top of a huge rock overlooking the pool and other villages after showering and changing. Some of our group swam, others went to the bar but most of us ended up on the massive rock before dinner! It started to get cold so make sure to pack extra layers! Dinner was pasta with a tomato sauce. I wasn’t impressed with the food and would recommend bringing snacks if you can!
Most of the group went to bed straight after dinner. We were told to plan to be ready to start hiking at 4am! Check back for day 2!
