Hiking holidays in Peru are hot right now. More popular than ever. Political stability since the leader of the Shining Path terrorist group was captured in 1992 resulted in a booming tourist industry.
The second highest mountain range on Earth is fantastic. Broad valleys and endless vistas. You are always above the tree line. Arid desert to the west, Amazon jungle to the east.
Our contributors have hiked most of the major treks in Peru the past few years. The peaks, glaciers and canyons are outrageous. Everyone is thrilled with the Andes.
Unfortunately, management of treks is atrocious, the Peruvian government seemingly bent on ruining their fantastic tourist draw. Do your homework before booking a flight to Lima. Or sign on with a trekking company with which you have had a strong, recent recommendation.
Ruminahui in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
The weather in the Andes can be deadly, of course, but sometimes you get weeks of sunny blue skies, especially in the Cordillera Blanca out of Huaraz, Peru. The best weather for the high peaks out of Huaraz (the best jumping off point for hikers in the Central Andes) is the drier “Andean summer”: May-Sept.
In fact, there are good hikes somewhere in this region year round.
Our favourite hike in the Central Andes is the little known Ausangate Circuit in Peru, our #4 best hike in the world. Quite a few trekkers have decided on Ausangate (instead of the over-hyped Inca Trail) based on our recommendation. And all have been happy with that decision.
Note that Bolivia is not nearly as popular as it should be due to lack of infrastructure for tourism, security concerns and political instability. Honestly, unless you know the language and culture well, it’s better to hike Peru. Or much neglected Ecuador.
The specific trail is numbered PR-TF 10 Cruz del Carmen to La Punta del Hidalgo.
Definitely one of the best hikes on Tenerife island.
I caught 2 buses to get to Cruz del Carmen, off the main roadways.
From there it was 5.3km to Chinamada. And a further 4.5km to Punta del Hidalgo on the coast. A descent of about 916m on mixed surface, some sharp and volcanic. You need good shoes and plenty of water.
I had downloaded an AllTrails map, but never used it as trails here are very well marked.
It was warm in November. But not too hot.
Near the tourist information office at the start, there is a weird bug.
Even more surprising was this bouquet set into a tree near the start.
Dropping in elevation, the vegetation changes. Near Cruz del Carmen it’s relatively lush laurel forest. After Chinamada it’s arid brushwood and cactus.
The only wildlife I saw was birds and lizards.
I would say the Chinamada to Hidalgo section is the more spectacular half. Plenty of steep cliffs — though nothing dangerous.
My favourite parts were while approaching the Atlantic. That’s Punta del Hidalgo in the distance.
Indigenous people lived in natural caves on this part of the island. As did I. 😀
Once I got to town next morning, the main attraction is the Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse, the strangest I’ve ever seen. Unequal and irregular columns of increasing height rising from a triangular base.
Built 1992, it’s 50-metres-high (160 ft).
This is the end of the line for the bus along the coast. A quaint town.
I caught a different bus back to the main highway . Bus service on Tenerife is excellent running every half hour or less, even on Sundays.
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