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Home > Arequipa Tourist Information > Attractions in and around Arequipa > Cotahuasi Canyon
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The Cotahuasi Canyon: Attractions / Arequipa to Cotahuasi / Cotahuasi / Other towns in the valley
The Cotahuasi Canyon and the towns and villages in the area are best accessed via Arequipa, although they are really towns of the central highlands, with many of the customs and the music from the area originating from Ayacucho. The area is very beautiful, and is full of wonderful mountain scenery making for some superb hiking. The Cotahuasi Canyon, considered to be the world’s deepest, is an incredible place, with sheet cliffs rising up from the riverbanks. Despite its attractions, the area receives very few visitors due to its inaccessibility.
Even if you are not going as far as the canyon itself, there are several places on the way that make for an interesting visit from Arequipa. These include the petroglyphs at Toro Muerto, which are over 5,000 etched rocks in the desert. There is also good, but not difficult, rafting at Majes, two hours from Arequipa, making a nice day trip.
The main attraction in the Cotahuasi area is the Cataratas de Sipia, an impressive waterfall located in the heart of the canyon. The falls are very impressive as the Cotahuasi River plunges 150m through a very narrow gorge where the canyon is no more than 10 metres wide. However, more than just the falls, the entire setting is spectacular. The views from Sipia are wonderful, and climbing above the falls there is a superb view downriver. Although not at its deepest point, the canyon is still very deep and beautiful here, with the cliffs being many shades of reds, browns and greys. It is possible, although quite frightening, to walk right up to the edge of the cliff and look down over a vertical drop of several hundred metres.
Sipia is a three-hour walk from Cotahuasi, mostly downhill. It is possible to take a combi halfway to the bridge at Quellao, although many beautiful sights are missed this way. To begin, walk down Calle Arequipa as far as the football pitch. Cross this and then you generally follow the road towards the canyon, although there are plenty of shortcuts through agricultural terraces. After about one hour you descend into the canyon following the river, crossing it twice. The views of the canyon walls are amazing, forming a wonderful contrast with the deep blue skies. It is difficult to get lost, and there are several signs pointing to Sipia or Cataratas. It is best to set off early in the morning if you are planning on returning the same day, as it gets very hot in the canyon. The return walk takes around 4 hours, as it is uphill.
There are plenty of places to get water from the river, although bear in mind that this is downriver from many agricultural areas, so will not be very clean. It is possible to camp quite near to the falls.
It is possible to continue beyond Sipia, and there are several towns along the canyon. This is a spectacular journey, although it cannot be done in one day, and camping is required. You will have to return by the same route, as there is no easy exit point, unless you carry on to the Pacific Coast at Ocoña, a journey of around 11 days.
The journey from Arequipa to Cotahuasi is long and uncomfortable, with the road beyond Chuquibamba in poor condition. However, the views are superb, with Coropuna, the third-highest peak in Peru at 6,613m, close to the road. Unfortunately, most of the buses that make the 12-hour journey travel at night, so little of this scenery is visible. There are occasional buses that make this journey in daylight, a very worthwhile trip.
It is possible to break the journey in Corire, allowing you to visit the Petroglyphs of Toro Muerto, catching the bus to Cotahuasi as it passes at around 8pm. The town of Aplao, just beyond Corire, has a few places to stay and eat, although there is little worth stopping for here, and Corire is a better place from where to visit the petroglyphs. Chuquibamba, halfway between Arequipa and Cotahuasi, is an interesting highland town with a very lively festival in May.
The town makes the best base for hiking in the area, and is the only town in the area with any sort of services, even if these are basic. The whole area is a superb destination for getting away from everything.
There are several other towns in the Cotahuasi Valley that are well worth visiting. Alca, 1½ hours from Cotahuasi (hourly combis from Plaza, charging $1) has very pretty mountain scenery and is a good base for several walks. Luicho, between Cotahuasi and Alca, has some small thermal baths (**) with very hot water and beautiful views of the mountains from the pools. Before Luicho is the small town of Taurisma with the small Tulla ruins. Pampamarca is a pretty village with a tradition of rug making. There are some ruins near the town, and the impressive Oscune waterfall. There is a daily combi at midday from Cotahuasi charging $1 and taking 2 hours. The return combi is at 6pm. It is possible to walk to Pampamarca and back in one day.
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