If you’re visiting Peru and are looking for something cheaper, less touristy, and all-around more adventurous than Machu Picchu, then head to the village of Cabanaconde. It’s the entry point for a thrilling hike down Colca Canyon, a natural wonder that’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.
Best of all, you don’t need an expensive tour to experience Colca Canyon. We made the hike in one day– without a guide– during our round-the-world trip. Despite bringing only a sleeve of Oreo cookies and a liter of water, we survived to share our tips with other travelers!
Going solo
Most foreigners make this trip via a van tour, which is the top activity pushed by local travel agencies and hotels. We’re glad we went on our own, since our local buses passed groups of vans parked at every designated ‘tourist lookout’ filled with vendors selling handicrafts. A self-guided hike is a little tricky but definitely more memorable– and much more affordable. When we went in 2009 a local bus ticket cost about $1.20.
To get to Cabanaconde, you must first make your way to Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru. You can splurge on a private tour or take the local bus; either way, it’s a winding, 6- to 8-hour journey up the mountains towards Colca Canyon.
Reverse hiking
The Colca Canyon hike is the main attraction in Cabanaconde. It’s the opposite of a normal hike– you start out at the top, which is about 11,000 feet above sea level, then you descend nearly a mile down, to about 6,500 feet. After resting at the “resort” (essentially a rustic restaurant and swimming pool) located at the bottom of the canyon, you turn around and ascend back up to the higher elevation.
We made the return trip in one day, but many travelers spend the night at the bottom of the canyon. Having experienced a severe bout of motion sickness on the return hike, I’d recommend taking a longer rest than our paltry 45-minute break and bringing healthy snacks to keep your energy levels up.
The hike may seem easy, particularly as you work your way down to the bottom, but be careful, the hike back up towards the top is relentless, given the altitude. And remember, there’s no quitting half way, once you make it down you have to get back up and out or you’ll be spending a long, cold night on the steep pathway!
Solitude
You will see an occasional hiker at Colca Canyon, but for the most part you will be on your own for the length of the trail. We did share the path with an occasional donkey, used to lug supplies (and people) up and down the canyon.
The “Oasis”
Once you get to the bottom of the Colca Canyon hike you’ll find a restaurant with swimming pools, appropriately called the ‘Oasis’. Be warned, however, as the restaurant has limited food options and no refrigerated beverages, so bring some cash and leave time to make it back up and out before nightfall.
We arrived at an off time and the only dish available for lunch was not vegetarian. We settled for some warm soda and nibbled at the rest of our cookies. Not the best fuel for a strenuous hike.
We didn’t have a chance to swim in the pool, since we wanted to finish the return hike before dusk, but it seemed like a popular spot to lounge.
Winding trail
The path down Colca Canyon is narrow, covered in pebbles, and surrounded by steep fall-offs, adding to the excitement of the hike.
We were treated to 360′ views of multi-colored mountains and valleys.
At some points the trail dissolved into a series of boulders covered by slippery pebbles, which made it necessary to pay attention to every step.
The rocky path was even more challenging on the way back up the canyon.
Despite the grueling ascent back up the mountain, we’d recommend this hike to travelers who want to get away from the crowds of Machu Picchu. It’s a unique experience and one that costs very little without a tour.
Have you hiked Colca Canyon?
Share your experience by leaving a comment below!
Just not sure I want to tackle something like this again after our volcano experience. 😛
The views look beautiful though!
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Never heard of the Colca Canyon so thanks for the tip. The pool at the bottom looks inviting. Are there lodging options at the Oasis for those not wanting to tackle the climb down and up in one day?
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There are some primitive lodging options at the bottom but you have to book it in advance…definitely a better idea than tackling it in one day though!
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I hiked the Colca Canyon two years ago. We did it with a guide that we arranged when we arrived in Arequipa the day before – it was just $60 per person for a 3 day, 2 night hike that included all transportation, food and lodging. We spent the first night at the Llahuar (sp?) oasis and then the second night at Sangalle (the one you stopped at). I really loved spreading it out over a couple days so we could take our time and spending the night in the canyon, seeing the sunset and then sunrise, was amazing.
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that sounds like a good idea. We were just being extremely cheap – taking the $1 bus and staying at a $6 hotel.
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I’ve never heard of this place before and I was in Peru. Looks incredible!!! I so want to visit the Oasis now.
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Very cool photos and hiking! Looks like a very nice place to enjoy nature and quietness.
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Beautiful photos! Sometimes it’s better to go without a guide…less structured so you have more freedom to explore. Looks like you two did just that!
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Oh dear, not sure if I like the idea of a Reverse Hike! I’d much rather suffer first knowing that I’ll have a better time later as opposed to bracing for the suffering during the return hike. 😀 But the views are gorgeous! Well done for making the return trip so speedy!
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Breathtaking photographs and I love the Oasis! What an adventure this would be!!
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Stunning pics. You guys should make a trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Amazing hiking trails here. Not only gorgeous ocean views but amazing indigenous vegetation on the mountain.
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We actually did make it to Capetown on our RTW trip, although we didn’t hike much there. But we enjoyed hiking the Drakensberg Mountains– the view was amazing!
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Unfortunately I was a bit rushed when I was in Peru back in 2010. This is definitely on the top of the list of places I want to visit when I head back in the future 🙂
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I’d highly recommend Colca Canyon– it’s inexpensive, uncrowded and packed with adventure 🙂
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Good advice.. One thing I didnt like about the packaged deal is that they take you out of the Canyon so early in the morning. I dont mind hiking in the dark but I felt like we missed out on a lot of the scenery.
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I’m looking forward to the 3-day guided hike. I had heard the 2-day one was strenuous, and didn’t leave much time to relax, so I can’t imagine trying to do it all in one day.
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I will definitely be going down the Colca Canyon, great views from the looks of your pictures. Probably in August. It will be a great experience. Thanks for sharing.
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Beautiful pics. I was there in 2005 & I remember there wasn’t a lot of choice when it came to restaurants but the people were friendly. We ate in a makeshift restaurant more like someone’s front room where they served us roasted guinea pig & red wine. They also took us to the lovely thermal springs which were great after the hike
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I did the 3 day, 2 night trip. We booked it through a tour company which wasn’t expensive at all. It’s incredibly cheaper to take a bus and hike on your own but I have to caution you. I met a group of people at the Oasis who did the hike on their own. They arrived JUST before the sun was setting. It would have been incredibly dangerous to have travelled the canyon during the dark. There aren’t any maps of the trail.
The hike back up to the top of the canyon is gruelling. I took the option of taking a donkey up instead of hiking. I’m not much of a hiker so I paid for the easy way out.
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We hiked down Colca canyon last year. We paid $50 USD for a 2 day hike including a night stay and dinner, and the bus ride from Arequipa and a stop at Cruz del Condor. It was extremely beautiful and out of the world. The way back up was hard 🙂 We found this one more intimate and more challenging than the Inca trail.
I am trying to look up stats for the hike because I wasn’t carrying my GPS on this trip. Are the numbers mentioned in the article accurate? Do we usually start at 11000ft and go down to 6500ft?
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Great! Glad you enjoyed Colca Canyon too. We confirmed those elevation numbers online, since we didn’t have GPS with us. You might want to do some Internet digging 🙂
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I did the hike by myself in 2006, down and up in the same day. Someone at the hostel I stayed at showed me the path down. The hostel was ten solez, which then was equivalent to $3.33.
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Can you stay at the bottom without paying, like camping?
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When we visited Colca Canyon, you had to pay for lodging at the bottom of the “Oasis.” You couldn’t just crash there. Not sure about the other trails, as we came across some a few foreign hikers on independent, multi-day treks; I’m not sure where they slept.
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