We read that it was possible to hike in the Colca Canyon, by ourselves, without paying the huge amount of money (hundreds of dollar) for the guided experience. The total trip, with transport to Arequipa and back, trekking in the canyon, and all our food, accommodation etc cost about $100 between us – only $50 each.
We met many people along the way who were part of guided tours. It seemed like most people chose the tours because trekking in a canyon sounded dangerous to them. We found that, since it was just a path that you followed all the way through the canyon, we would have had difficulty getting lost. After meeting people on the tours, they told us they wished they did the Colca Canyon without the guided tours. If there are 12 people in your tour, then your group will move as fast as the slowest man. But, if that man is a 70 year old with a low fitness level, you might get frustrated by the slow pace.
Also, the guided tours would wake at 4am to begin the days trekking. They did this to avoid the mid-day heat and meet their schedules. Having the flexibility of walking whenever we wanted, allowed us to enjoy breakfast, the swimming pools, the lie-ins etc.
Staying in Cabanaconde for the night, before beginning the trek, allowed us to acclimate to the altitude. Some of the tour groups left Arequipa at 2am, arrived in Cabanaconde at 8am and then began trekking straight away. I wouldn’t have wanted to do the trek tired.
Water and snacks in the canyon are expensive, due to getting them there in the first place. There is no road access. However, the profit goes to the local people. So I think it’s only right to buy some of your snacks/water from the local people in the canyon.
Packing List- Flashlight
- Water (we took 3 liters, per person, per day – refill/buy new water in the villages)
- Snacks (you can buy new snacks each day from the villages)
- Hat (or t-shirt around your head), Sunglasses
- **You don’t need a sleeping bag
- Sunscreen
- A small map (e.g the free one you get on the back of a tour company’s flier)
- Cash (there are no cash machines in the canyon)
- Swimming costume (for hostels in Sangalle with swimming pools)
- Insect repellent
- Water purification tablets (if you want to avoid buying a lot of expensive water)
Whilst in Arequipa
- Buy bus tickets from Arequipa to Cabanaconde. It goes via Chivay on route for Cabanaconde. Approximately 10 Soles ($3)
- Buy any luxuries that you may not find in Cabanaconde e.g. sweets, altitude tablets, medications etc.
- We also bought water purification tablets. They are very cheap ($0.10 each) and will save a lot of money compared to buying bottled water in the canyon. Each tablet purifies one liter of water.
- We chose not to buy the topographic maps. They are mentioned in the Lonely Planet but we did not need them.
Getting to Cabanaconde
- Our bus left at 2pm and arrived in Cabanaconde at 8pm.
- This bus is pretty uncomfortable – no bathroom, rocky roads, a lot of people etc but the views are great.
- We stayed in a hostel called Pachamama. The host was extremely knowledgeable about the canyon and allowed us to keep our main bags in the hostel. Therefore, we only needed to carry a small backpack into the canyon with us. http://www.pachamamahome.com/
Day 1 (Cabanaconde to San Juan de Chouccho)
- We took 3 liters of water each + some chocolate bars and snacks.
- We left Cabanaconde at 10:30am and arrived at San Juan de Chouchho at about 3pm.
- Finding the trial head out of Cabanaconde is not totally obvious, there are signs but it’s easy to ask people the way to San Juan de Chouccho.
- Descent of almost 1000m!
- We stayed in Hostel Roy in San Juan de Chouchho. There are many hostels but this is the one that we decided on. They are often described as home-stays but it’s more like a hostel. We had our own little bungalow with a shower and hot water! The owners (helped out by their 4 year old soon) cooked us our tasty meals. We paid 15 soles each for accommodation ($5) and about 15 soles ($5) total for our meals (a pasta when we first arrived, 2 course evening meal, and pancakes for breakfast).
- ***Tip – on the bridge on the way into San Juan de Chouccho a man was waiting for tourists. He said they were supposed to pay a Condor Tax. If you tell him that you’ve already paid but left the ticket in your hotel, he will not make you pay again.
Day 2 (San Juan de Chouccho to Sangalle)
- We left about 10am and arrived in Sangalle at about 2pm.
- There were 4 or 5 hostels to choose from in Sangalle, each with their own swimming pool. We stayed in Parisio Hostel.
- I think we paid 20 Soles ($7) for the accommodation and 20 soles ($7) for food and beers
Day 3 (Sangalle to Cabanaconde)
- A final day of 3.5 hours of walking. We left Sangalle at 2pm and enjoyed the morning by the pool.
- We then stayed another night in Pachamama Hostel.
Bus back to Arequipa
- A bus back to Arequipa. We were lucky that the host at Pachamama organized for us to travel back to Arequipa on a luxury bus (a bus that a tour group was using) for 15 Soles ($5). If the luxury bus was not available we would have taken the economy bus back to Arequipa.
