A-8.0  Vilcabamba - Cabañas Rio Yambala

Distance          4.2 km             (8.4 km round trip)

Time                1.25 hours       (2.25 hours return)

Altitude          1530m - 1650m

Ascent             100m

Descent           54m

Rating             very easy

Start                Vilcabamba tourist office

End                  Cabañas (bridge) Rio Yambala

This is an easy hike for less ambitious hikers. It leads from town via Yamburara bajo/alto to the end of the vehicle road in the Rio Yambala valley.

Route: Leave town from the tourist office on Calle Diego Vaca de Vega, cross the bridge of Quebrada de Puliche, pass the Colegio national mixto de Vilcabamba, and cross Rio Chamba. On the ascending road you pass Shantas restaurant on your left and Hosteria El Descanso de Torro on your right. At barrio Yamburara Bajo, you pass “Craig’s book exchange”. At the Yambala bajo-school, the road forks. Follow the cobblestone-road to the left, shortly after, on your right you see a traditional sugarcane mill. Half a mile further, you pass an adobe brick factory, and just before the Yellow chapel, you can observe the bizarre estoraques (earth sculptures) on either side of the road. 10 minutes later you pass the covered wood bridge, where a road forks to the Capamaco valley. On your right, 5 minutes later, you find the concrete bridge, where the trail to the PN Podocarpus starts. 400 meters further on, our trek ends. 100 meters upstream, across the roofed bridge, there is a nice spot on the river to rest & relax.