Fortaleza Chimpa : Lovely and quiet place | Informal Campsite

A wonderful place to stay. Was windy in the evening but offers all you need. We started early for the forteleza hike which is really recommended with incredible views!

Report Check-In

We arrived at 13:00 hrs and enjoyed the sun during a lazy Sunday afternoon. A total of 4 hikers descended, after that we were alone in this beautiful spot.

We spent a quiet night (a bit chilly (2°C)) and climbed to the Fortaleza at 7:30. Beautiful climb, great views of the canyon. Did see two Condors above the mountains, but not close enough for a picture.

From up high, we noticed there are two roads leading here. The most northern one (closer to the mountains, and a lot higher, but shorter) could be impassable when the water is high. (There is/was a warning on iOverlander.)

From Madrigal, go to S -15.60627 W -071.81482, and THEN let the GPS guide you.

Report Check-In

Bonito lugar con baño y lavaplatos. Muy tranquilo, cerca del rió.

Report Check-In

What a wonderful place !!
We arrived here at 2:30pm. Nobody was here, we were alone in this amazing place.
We hike to the fortaleza in 1h30. Don’t forget to see in the way to go up ‘las tombas’ and the mirador between the rock.
Amazing view at the top of the Fortaleza, where you can see mountains, canyon and valley. Very quiet and peaceful spot to spend time and to enjoy the sunset.
You can also see condors in the morning or in the evening.
40minutes to go down.
Very quiet night in this grassy spot.
When we woke up, we were another time alone.
We take a shower in the river, toilets are free and very clean and water tap to wash dishes or clothes.
Very good stop in the Colca Canyon !!! Worth it !!!

Report Check-In

We spent the night on the place of the small village of Madrigal and it was terrible: at 4h30 in the morning, a guy started to talk in a microphone until 5:30, then the church’s bells started to ring very loud - it stopped only around 7:00. NOT RECOMMENDED TO SLEEP IN MADRIGAL : SAFE BUT SOOOOO NOISY !

Then we arrived on the “parking lot” of the Fortaleza Chimpa (more a flat grassy area). We’re so sad we didn’t spent the night there !!!

It’s absolutely lovely, all green and surrounded by fields, there is potable water, a sink near the toilets (!!!) to wash the dishes, a (really cold) river...

Totally quiet - just a few people visiting the Fortaleza or going to work in the fields.

The guardian is really nice, he offered us tunas (a local fruit) and cornbread when we arrived and told us the water we could drink the sink’s water.

Too bad we gotta go further, we would have loved to spend a few days here!

******

The Fortaleza Chimpa is nice but not crazy, BUT the view from the top is amazing !!! On your way up, don’t miss the tumbas (with bones inside ☠️) and when you see a kind of rock seat (almost at the top), don’t forget to look for the “maquettas”, réductions of the canyon curved in the rocks (you have some near the “throne”, and some more impressive a bit further on your left when going up).

There is also a painting on the rocks, but we couldn’t find it.

There is another place to visit from the same parking lot, but we had no time.

It took us about 1h30 to go up to the Fortaleza (with the picture breaks), and the guardian told us it souls take about 3h to reach the other place.

****

We were in our VW T2 van, so no idea of the “policy” about tents... There is definitely spaces to build one, and we don’t think that anybody would matter, but can’t promess...

****

If you go early in the morning, you could see condors !!! 😉

Report Check-In