Trek one of the world’s deepest canyons on this 3-day adventure in the Colca Canyon. Watch condors soar at the Cruz del Condor, descend to the Colca River, stay in rustic canyon lodges and the palm-fringed Sangalle oasis, and unwind in natural hot springs before climbing back out.
Suitable for all ages.
Demanding but well spaced. Day one drops more than a thousand metres from Cabanaconde at 3,287 m to San Juan de Chuccho over about three hours of steep, loose descent. Day two continues through the villages to the Sangalle oasis, arriving around 11:30 with the afternoon free. Day three is the climb out, starting at 05:00 in the dark and taking roughly three hours of continuous uphill. No technical skill is needed, but the ascent is a real effort at altitude.
You take a mule. They are hired on the spot at the oasis for around S/ 80, paid in cash to the local families who own them, and they carry you most of the way up to Cabanaconde. If someone struggles partway through any section, the group continues with the guide while that person rests somewhere safe and comfortable, or is brought out by vehicle if needed. Nobody is left to push on alone.
Included: pickup in Arequipa, round-trip transport, your bilingual guide, three breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners, and both nights of accommodation, in San Juan de Chuccho and at the Paradise Palm Lodge in the Sangalle oasis. Not included: the Colca tourist ticket at S/ 70 for foreign visitors, the Calera hot springs at S/ 15, the last lunch in Chivay at S/ 35, mule hire at S/ 80 if you want it, and personal travel insurance.
Travel light, since you carry your own pack for three days. Bring a head torch for the 05:00 ascent, shoes with real grip for the loose descent, layers for a canyon that is cold at dawn and hot by mid-morning, at least two litres of water a day, sun protection, a swimsuit for the oasis pool and the hot springs, and cash in soles for everything on the not-included list. Lodging in the canyon is rustic, so a small towel is worth bringing.
The extra night. The two-day version descends and climbs back out in consecutive days, which is a hard schedule if you do not trek regularly. Here you break the descent with a night in San Juan de Chuccho, walk through the villages of Cosnirhua and Malata at a reasonable pace, and get a full afternoon at the oasis rather than arriving in the evening. Same canyon, considerably less punishing.
