Around Yanque (Peru)

S/E: The start is shown here as being from the entrance to Colca Lodge (but as this is a circular walk, you could just as easily start from the square in Yanque).

(S/E) Keep the access road to Colca Lodge on your right and head straight on (north). At the junction, turn right towards Coporaque onto a tarmac road with very little traffic.

(1) Turn left towards the Uyo Uyo archaeological site. This is a round trip, so you can choose to skip this section and carry on straight along the road, which shortens the walk by about 40 minutes (nearly 2 km and 135 m of total ascent and descent).

(2) Uyo Uyo archaeological site. After exploring the site, retrace your steps and head back down to the road.

(1) Turn left onto the road towards Coporaque.

(3) At a bend, leave the road and turn right onto the steep path leading down to the Puente Sifón.

(4) Cross the bridge over the small canyon formed here by the River Colca, then follow the path to the village of Yanque. Enter the village via Calle Mismi and continue to the central square.

(5) Cross the square diagonally and leave it via Chacapi Street, which leads out of the village and descends straight on to the Chacapi Bridge. Opposite the Chacapi thermal baths, turn right to reach the old bridge over the Colca River.

(6) Cross the bridge, then turn right to rejoin the road.

(7) Back on the road, turn right towards the Colca Lodge and head for its entrance (S/E).

There is an entry fee for the Uyo Uyo site (approximately €1.50 in 2019).
You can buy food and drink in Yanque, and there are toilets at the entrance to the Uyo Uyo site, 100 metres from the road.
The hike takes place at an average altitude of 3,400 metres, which makes it slightly more challenging than a hike of similar distance and elevation gain at lower altitudes.

The hike is, above all, an immersion in the rural Andean world. You’ll come across farmers taking their animals out to pasture and see local crops, such as quinoa. You’ll also see pre-Columbian archaeological remains, such as the village of Uyo Uyo and the spectacular tombs carved into a vertical cliff face along the river. If you are not staying at the Colca Lodge (which has its own thermal pools), the trek will also give you the chance to relax in the public thermal pools along the river (entrance fee applies). The water there is 40ºC – don’t miss out on this experience!