C-1.0 Loop, El Chaupi-Canal Cucanama

Distance          10.6 km - Loop

Time                2.50 hours

Altitude          1490m - 1610m

Ascent             145m

Descent           125m

Rating              Easy  2/5

Start                Vilcabamba tourist office

End                  Vilcabamba tourist office

This easy, mostly flat hike gets you into the valley of the Rio Vilcabamba on the access-road to the Hacienda San Joaquin, then across the Rio Vilcabamba and back along the irrigation canal to Vilcabamba.

Route: Start this hike at the tourist information office at the park, follow calle Bolivar (the old access road to Vilcabamba) to the North, and pass the Puerta de Entrada (Vilcabamba entrance-arch). Once on the Highway, continue to the north, cross the bridge at the conjunction of the Rio Chamba with the Rio Uchima, (from this point on, the river is called Rio Vilcabamba) then follow the Main road another 200 meters, until you get to the sign, pointing to Hosteria Madre Tierra to the left. Follow this dirt road into the Rio Vilcabamba valley. Passing Hosterá Madre Tierra (http://www.madretierra.com.ec/) , orchards, sugarcane fields and scattered houses and the Dominican cloister “Puerta del Cielo”, you’ll reach the hamlet of el Chaupi , where, to your right, you’ll notice the guarded entrance to the gated international Community of the Hacienda San Joaquin  (http://www.haciendasanjoaquin.com/). Instead of entering the Hacienda, take the little Path leading down to the suspension bridge, crossing Rio Vilcabamba. 300 meters uphill from the bridge, you’ll reach the sealed Vilcabamba-Linderos road.  Right across the road, you’ll find a barbed wire-gate to the ascending trail, which leads 800m to the irrigation canal. (This canal originates at the Capamaco valley, some 12 kilometers from this point, irrigates much of the area of San Jose, Cuba Libre, los Huilcos and the left hand side of the Rio Vilcabamba-valley and presents sort of a live line for these parts in the dry period).

Following the canal to your left, the almost level trail follows the lower reaches of the Mandango massif, with fine views of the Vilcabamba-river-valley, later on Vilcabamba-town itself. Approaching Vilcabamba, near the ceremonial Pyramid, you’ll find an unmarked short cut to your left, heading down to the center of town. If you miss that, then you get to the dirt road-extension of calle Juan Montalvo, which brings you also back into town.