Colca Canyon hike: start in Arequipa, Cabanaconde or Chivay?
Hi all!
Amazing community you have here. I've already found a lot of great information here :)
I have a relatively specific question about planning a 3 day hike in the Colca Canyon. We will be in Arequipa on July 13th and want to do our hike from the 14th to the 16th. On the 16th, we stay in Chivay as our bus to Cusco leaves from there on the 17th. My question is regarding the start of the hike. I currently thought of 3 options:
- Bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde on 14th (early morning), start hike.
- Bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde on 13th (late afternoon), sleep in Cabanaconde, start hike.
- Bus from Arequipa to Chivay on 13th (late afternoon), sleep in Chivay and leave luggage, in the morning take the bus to Cabanaconde, start hike.
Option 3 currently has my preference, as it allows for some more time in Arequipa (shorter travel) and spreads out the long bus journey. Also, we can leave our luggage in Chivay for when we return on the 16th. However, I am unsure if I'm overlooking some practical details.
Would love to hear your opinions!
¡Muchas gracias!