A Guide to Catarata de Gocta Hike in Peru
Catarata de Gocta is one of the world's highest waterfalls, but interestingly, it was not discovered until 2002. Read our travel guide on how to get to Gocta Waterfall from Chachapoyas, how to hike to either Upper or Lower Falls, whether it is better to travel independently or with a tour, tips on where to stay and what to pack.
In the past few years, the area around Chachapoyas became increasingly popular among travelers who are slowly starting to discover once abandoned and hardly accessible regions that are a bit further away from the classic Peruvian backpacker's route.
One of the things that not that long time ago drew attention to the Amazonas region in northern Peru is Catarata de Gocta, with 771 meters one of the world's highest waterfalls discovered less than 20 years ago.
Since then, Catarata de Gocta is altogether with pre-Inca Kuelap ruins the main reason why to visit this part of country and include it in your Peru itinerary.
Without exaggerating, Catarata de Gocta was one of the most impressive waterfalls we've ever seen (definitely the best we've seen in Peru), and it belongs among our favorite things to do in Chachapoyas.
As the town sits in the cloud forest and is the gateway to the Amazonas, flora, and fauna are abundant here.
This is why we would like to inspire you here to hike to the waterfall from Chachapoyas, respectively, from San Pablo to the Gocta Waterfall - it was absolutely amazing.
If you are looking for a more comfortable way to reach the falls, there isn't one, but you can choose different directions, as the hike from Cocachimba village is easier.
In this travel guide, we share tips on visiting Catarata de Gocta, including a hike to the Upper and Lower part of Catarata de Gocta from San Pablo to Cocachimba village.
We will also outline how you can get to the trailhead, where to stay in Chachapoyas, and what you should pack to enjoy the hike to the fullest.
HOW TO GET TO CATARATA DE GOCTA HIKE TRAILHEAD
You will start your day in Chachapoyas, a town in northern Peru in the Amazonas Region, which can be your base for visiting most top attractions in the near surroundings.
Depending on your travel style and budget, you can get to the hike's trailhead from Chachapoyas either independently, or you can take a Catarata de Gocta Tour, so you won't have to deal with arranging the transport.
Here we will describe how to get to either San Pablo or Cocachimba (depending on where you want to start your hike) independently by public transport.
No worries, even though you need to switch buses, getting from Chachapoyas to Catarata de Gocta trailhead is very straightforward, given the fact it is one of the best tourist attractions.
In the morning, you have to walk to Terminal de Buses Municipal, where you need to ask around which colectivo goes to the falls.
Generally, no colectivo goes directly to either San Pablo or Cocachimba (at least from what we know).
So you take a colectivo scheduled to Pedro Ruiz village for S/.5, and the driver will drop you off in a small village called Cocahuayco on the junction where you have to find a tuk-tuk which will take you either to San Pablo or Cocachimba depending on your itinerary.
Tuk-tuk drivers usually wait at the intersection and take you to the trailhead for S/.10 (per ride). As we wanted to make a loop and not walk in and out, we took the first tuk-tuk to San Pablo and planned to return to Chachapoyas from Cocachimba.
When we finished the hike and wanted to get back from Cocachimba to Chachapoyas, we walked around the square and were lucky as one driver working for a tour agency had two spots left in his van so we could travel directly from the village to the city without switching the buses.
Hadn't there been a bus available, we would have taken a tuk-tuk from Cocachimba to Cocahuayco, and here we would have flagged down a colectivo to Chachapoyas.
CATARATA DE GOCTA HIKE: DIRECTIONS
You have several options on how to hike to the Gocta Waterfall.
You can either hike the full circuit from San Pablo to Cocachimba (or do the hike in reverse order, but we recommend you to start in San Pablo, as it will be much easier to catch a ride back to Chachapoyas from Cocachimba).
Taking the loop will also allow you to see both Upper and Lower Cascade.
The other and more popular option is hiking in and out from Cocachimba to the Lower Falls and then back.
The full circuit is 15 kilometers long, while the in and out version is 10 kilometers long.
Our Tip: In case you are not sure if the hike is not too challenging for you, it is possible to hire a horse for the full 10 kilometers hike; when doing the circuit, it is possible to hire a horse from San Pablo to the Upper Falls, then walk to the Lower Falls, and hire another horse from there, because the section between Upper and Lower Falls is too steep for horses.
The price is usually S/.40 per horse.
As we hiked from San Pablo to Cocachimba, we will describe this circuit more in detail here.
GOCTA WATERFALL HIKE DESCRIPTION
Once we arrived in San Pablo and paid the admission, a young lady working in the information center showed us that we need to go straight across the square to get on the path leading to the falls.
Do not worry because the trail is well-marked, so it is impossible to get lost here.
We followed the path, walked around small houses in the village, and then we got to an intersection, where we turned left, and the path started to ascend.
It was a path with quite many stone steps surrounded by coffee plantations, and from time to time, we reached a viewing platform overlooking the surroundings.
The views of the canyons and deep valleys are breathtaking, and if you want to see more of this unique landscape, make sure to visit Canon del Sonche as well.
After four kilometers, we got to an intersection where we carried on straight for 1.8 kilometers and finally reached the Upper Falls.
Here we stayed for about thirty minutes to take a break and take some photos, which was pretty challenging as it literally rained from the top and we were covered from head to toe with waterfall spray.
Then we returned 1.8 kilometers to the intersection, where we turned left and descended pretty steeply 1 kilometer until we got to the main trail going to the Lower Falls from Cocachimba.
From this point, it was only 1 kilometer to the base of the Gocta Waterfall, and it was also a place where we started meeting people, as the in and out version was apparently more popular than hiking the longer trail.
It must be said that the view from the base of the Catarata de Gocta is absolutely stunning, and we are not afraid to say that our photos don't do justice to the massive waterfall, you must come and see it with your own eyes.
We spent about an hour by the waterfall and later decided it was time to return to Cocachimba because we had to arrange transport back to Chachapoyas.
The section from Catarata de Gocta to Cocachimba was an uneventful 5 kilometers long hike with a few scattered views, but honestly, this section was not that easy we thought it would be as the trail led us up and down all the time, until we reached the village.
In general, we were glad that we have opted for the loop because the trail from San Pablo to the Upper part of Catarata de Gocta was more interesting than the one from Lower Falls to Cocachimba, so we were glad we did not have to walk it twice.
Also, the first part of the trek was much more attractive because of the lack of people and nature that was wilder there than in the valley.
Once in Cocachimba, we bought refreshments and found a driver who was willing to drive us back to the city, but we had to wait more than an hour until he had enough people to return.
HISTORY BEHIND CATARATA DE GOCTA
The story behind discovering Catarata de Gocta is quite interesting. It is hard to believe that 771 meters high waterfall, fully visible from a nearby village, was not known to the outside world until 2002 when a German explorer Stefan Ziemendorff altogether with a small group of Peruvians reported its existence when they stumbled upon the waterfall when exploring Chachapoyas region.
According to his measures, Catarata de Gocta is the third-tallest free-leaping waterfall in the world. Since this announcement, more and more foreign and locals visitors have started to explore this part of Peru, which has so much to offer.
Are you wondering why we did not know about the waterfall earlier when many people must have known about it? The answer is quite simple.
Local people all the time feared word-of-mouth myth saying that a beautiful blonde mermaid living in the waters of the waterfall would have cursed them had they revealed the secret location of the falls.
According to a legend, the falls are also protected by a white-haired mermaid.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
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ENTRANCE FEE
Gocta Waterfall is a new must-see attraction in the Amazonas region. The Peruvian government decided to take advantage of it, so you need to pay an entrance fee.
If you plan to visit only Upper or Lower Falls, you will have to pay S/.10 per person, but expect to pay double (S/.20) if you plan on hiking the circuit and seeing both parts of Catarata de Gocta up close.
The Catarata de Gocta ticket was quite expensive compared to other attractions in the country, but we still found it reasonable - the paths were well-maintained and signposted.
As we started our hike in San Pablo village, we went to the information center on a small square first, where we paid the admission, and instead of signing the receipt, we had to dip a finger in ink and make a mark.
Pretty old-fashioned.
WHAT TO PACK FOR CATARATA DE GOCTA HIKE
When hiking the full Gocta Waterfall circuit, it is better to know in advance that the hike can take you several hours, depending on your pace, and even the in-out version of the hike will take you at least half-day.
So it is better to come well prepared, as the weather near Chachapoyas can be hot and humid, but also rainy and chilly - it depends on when you plan on visiting the region.
Here's a list of a few essential things you should pack with you for the Catarata de Gocta hike.
First of all, some sections on the hike were muddy, so it is better not to underestimate your footwear and wear hiking boots.
As we planned on making the whole loop, we brought a daypack with a waist strap, which was both practical and comfortable, and we could keep there other important things such as bug repellent, rain jacket, water bottle, and sunscreen.
Because it rains quite a lot in the Amazonas region and you can get wet from the waterfall, it is a good idea to keep your valuables and travel camera in dry sacks.
WHERE TO STAY IN CHACHAPOYAS
Amazonas region is getting more and more popular. Although Chachapoyas is still not a touristy place, you will be able to find here decent accommodation, no matter if you travel on a budget or if you can afford to splurge a bit.
We've handpicked the three best hotels in Chachapoyas for every type of traveler.
Budget | Casa Hospedaje Teresita - Clean rooms, helpful staff, and good breakfast. Great value for money for all budget travelers.
Mid-range | La Casa de Los Balcones - Excellent location near Plaza de Armas, comfortable and clean rooms, and many options for tours. Close to restaurants and markets.
Luxury | Casona El Triunfo Hotel - Attentive staff, spotless rooms, great restaurant, and a charming colonial-style building with scenic views from the rooms. Chachapoyas does not have the classic luxury hotels, but this one is your best option if you are looking for something special.
If you want to enjoy the beautiful nature and perfect waterfall views, you can stay overnight in Gocta Miradors Hotel in Cocachimba, where your hike starts or ends.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
