There is a fundamental difference between seeing the Colca Canyon and being inside it. Most travelers who visit Colca on a standard two-day organized tour see it from above: from the Cruz del Cóndor Viewpoint, from the Antahuilque and Huayrapunko viewpoints, or from the restaurant terraces in Chivay. Cabanaconde is the town where that distinction disappears. It sits at 3,287 meters above sea level, on the farthest edge of the valley, and from its streets the canyon is not a landscape in front of you but the territory that literally begins at the foot of the town and descends more than 1,200 meters to the Colca River. Anyone who spends the night in Cabanaconde and descends into the canyon the next day is doing something completely different from standard Colca tourism.
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The town: what there is and what there is not
Cabanaconde has around 3,000 inhabitants and basic tourist infrastructure that contrasts with Chivay. There are budget accommodations, a few restaurants with daily menus, a main square with its colonial church, and little else. There are no ATMs: you must bring all the cash you need from Arequipa or Chivay because there is no way to get it in Cabanaconde. Restaurants and accommodations do not always accept credit cards. Electricity exists in the town, but in the lodgings inside the canyon and in the Sangalle Oasis, power is cut off at a certain hour of the night.
That austerity is not a shortcoming but part of the place’s character. Cabanaconde is an Andean town where daily life has more presence than tourism and where travelers genuinely find themselves outside the standard Colca circuits. The Cejana and Achachihua viewpoints are a 20-minute walk from the main square and provide the first perspective of the canyon from this level, much more immediate and vertical than the viewpoints along the route between Chivay and the Cruz del Cóndor Viewpoint.
How to get there from Arequipa and Chivay
From Arequipa, the only bus company operating directly to Cabanaconde is Andalucía, with departures from the main bus terminal at 1:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. The full trip from Arequipa to Cabanaconde passes through Chivay and takes approximately six hours. The fare is around 17 soles.
From Chivay, there are local buses and shared vans to Cabanaconde that depart regularly throughout the day. The journey between the two towns along the road that follows the canyon’s edge takes between two and two and a half hours. This road has natural viewpoints overlooking the canyon at different points and passes through the towns of Yanque, Achoma, Maca, Lari, and Pinchollo before reaching Cabanaconde. Travelers going independently by public transportation can get off in any of these towns and continue on the next passing vehicle, although schedules are irregular, and it is advisable to ask at each stop about availability.
For those traveling on an organized trekking tour from Arequipa, the operator’s bus takes the group directly from Arequipa or from Cruz del Cóndor to Cabanaconde on the same day as the canyon descent.
The classic trek: Cabanaconde to the Sangalle Oasis
The trek that makes Cabanaconde a destination in itself rather than just a stop along the way is the descent to the Sangalle Oasis at the bottom of the canyon. It is the most complete experience offered by the Colca Canyon and the one that contrasts the most with the bus tours that travel along the rim from Chivay.
The starting point is the San Miguel Viewpoint, about 20 minutes by vehicle from Cabanaconde in the direction of Cruz del Cóndor. From there begins the trail descending 1,200 meters to the bottom of the canyon, where the Colca River flows and where the landscape changes completely: the arid vegetation of the upper rim gives way to palm trees, cacti, and tropical vegetation that feels completely unexpected in the Andean context.
The descent to the bottom takes between three and four hours depending on pace. The trail passes the suspension bridge over the Colca River and the small villages of San Juan de Chuccho, Cosñirhua, and Malata, communities that maintain an agricultural lifestyle practically untouched by tourism and where it is possible to eat in family homes if you arrive at the right time. The quinoa and corn murals on the slopes of the pre-Hispanic terraces surrounding these villages are visible from the trail and have a scale that is only fully appreciated from below, from the canyon floor, not from the viewpoints on the rim.
The Sangalle Oasis is located at the bottom of the canyon at around 2,100 meters above sea level, almost 1,200 meters lower than Cabanaconde. At that depth, the climate is subtropical: the air is warmer, there is dense vegetation, and the contrast with the volcanic highlands from which you descend is striking. The accommodations in the oasis are basic adobe cabins with limited electricity or none at all depending on the time of day. There are natural pools where diverted river water allows visitors to bathe at the bottom of the canyon with the canyon walls rising on both sides. This combination of depth, relative warmth, and pools at the bottom of the world’s deepest canyon is what makes a night in Sangalle one of the most unique experiences in southern Peru.
The ascent: the real challenge of the trek
The descent to the Sangalle Oasis is hard on the knees. The climb back to Cabanaconde is the real challenge of the trek and the part that requires genuine physical fitness. The 1,200 meters of elevation gain in three and a half to four hours, depending on pace, along a trail with loose terrain and no shade in the first kilometers, is one of the toughest climbs offered by any trek in southern Peru without requiring mountaineering skills.
That is why the ascent always begins before dawn, generally at 5:00 a.m. Leaving Sangalle during the first hours of darkness allows hikers to reach the most exposed sections before the morning sun becomes too intense and to finish the climb before midday heat makes the effort unbearable. Anyone leaving at 5:00 a.m. usually arrives back in Cabanaconde around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m., in time to have breakfast and catch the bus back to Chivay and Arequipa the same day.
The alternative route: Llahuar
For travelers who want to descend into the canyon but prefer a different destination from the Sangalle Oasis, the route to Llahuar is the most recommended alternative. Llahuar is a small settlement at the bottom of the canyon with natural hot springs where volcanic hot water emerges directly beside the Colca River. The route is longer than the Sangalle route and less frequented, which means more solitude on the trail and a greater chance of seeing canyon wildlife. It is an option for those who have already completed the classic route and want to experience a deeper side of Colca with a different kind of adventure.
The viewpoints from Cabanaconde
Besides the trek to the canyon floor, Cabanaconde has two viewpoints accessible without descending: the Cejana Viewpoint and the Achachihua Viewpoint, both about a 20-minute walk from the town square. From these points, the canyon’s depth can be seen in a more direct and immediate way than from the viewpoints along the tourist route between Chivay and Cruz del Cóndor because the canyon edge in Cabanaconde is steeper and the wall drops more vertically toward the river.
When to go and what to bring
The dry season between April and November is the recommended time for trekking to the canyon floor. During the rainy season between December and March, the trail can become slippery and dangerous in sections with wet rocks and mud, and visibility from the viewpoints is worse.
Peru Sites recommends preparing for your Colca Canyon trek
To fully enjoy the experience, you do not need specialized equipment. We suggest bringing trekking shoes with good grip, layered clothing to adapt to changing temperatures, sunscreen, trekking poles, enough water for the day, and cash in soles for payments at accommodations or restaurants in Sangalle.
Remember that the Colca Tourist Ticket is mandatory for entering the valley and must be purchased before the trip.
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