Perched at 3,200 metres, Cabanaconde is the last town on the road between Arequipa and the Canyon de Colca. It's the final stop before the adventure begins!
The town itself is tiny and has nothing of particular interest. But the surroundings are something else. You get a magnficent view of snowy summits, herds of sheep and horses. Most of the countryside is agricultural land, exploited by the town's residents.
Be warned that the town doesn't have a cashpoint. The nearest one is at Chivay, a three-hour bus ride away. So, before you head to Cabanaconde and the Canyon de Colca, try not to forget anything and make sure you have enough cash on you. Which is something I didn't do; it certainly made my trip to Canyon de Colca more memorable!
Because of its position above the second deepest canyon in the world, the little village of Cabanaconde is an often visited part of tourism in Peru.
Like everyone who goes to Cabanaconde, I came for a quick stop over before a trek in the Colca Canyon. The region's scenery is superb and I recommend you do the 2 day trip leaving from the village. I think it's the ideal length. You can go for as little as an hour but that is very frustrating given how beautiful the place is. Whereas the three day trek has exactly the same route as the two day one. It's not worth paying more for the same thing.