The Southern Andes and Lake Titicaca Places

Chivay

Hiking

Bring lots of water (the valley has water, but it's grossly expensive, as it's "imported" from Arequipa), sunscreen, a hat, good hiking shoes, high-energy snacks, sugar or coca leaves to alleviate the altitude sickness, and layer your clothes. One minute the wind may be fierce and the next you may be sweltering in the strong sun.

Along the canyon: Along the south side of the canyon it's possible to do an easy hike from the observation points between Cruz del Condor and Pinchollo. Paths are along the canyon rim most of the way; however, in some places, you have to walk along the road. The closer to Cruz del Condor you are, the better the paths and lookouts get.

Another short hike, but more uphill, is on the north rim starting in Coporaque. At the Plaza de Armas, to the left of the church in the corner of the Plaza, you'll see an archway. Go through the archway and take a right uphill and you'll be on the trail, which goes from wide to narrow, but is defined. Following it up about an hour, you'll come to ancient burial tombs (look down) with actual skeletons. The trail climbs up a cliff, which overlooks the valley. It's about a two-hour hike to the top and in some spots is very steep and rocks are crumbly. After the tombs the path becomes confusing and splits in many directions.

Into the canyon: Trails into the canyon are many as well as rough and unmarked, so venture down with a guide. Several adventure tour operators provide governmental certified hiking guides; local guides are also easily found. Packages range from two- to eight-day treks. The Cabanaconde area is the entry point for most of these.

The most popular multiday hike is the three-day/two-night trek. Starting about 20 minutes (by foot) east of Cabanaconde at Pampa San Miguel, the trail to San Juan Chuccho (one of the larger villages along the river) begins. The steep slope has loose gravel and takes about four hours. In San Juan Chuccho sleeping options are family-run hostels or a campsite. Day two consists of hiking on fairly even terrain through the small villages of Tapay, Cosnirhua, and Malata before crossing the river and into the lush green village of Sangalle, or as locals call it, Oasis, a mini-paradise along the Río Colca, with hot springs and waterfalls. On day three, you'll hike four to five hours uphill to the rim and arrive in Cabanaconde by lunch.

We do not recommend hiking alone here. So many paths are in this area that it can be overwhelming to even the most experienced trekkers.