Cocachimba – A small village gets known

Cocachimba is still a small emerging village in the Amazon region. There are a few restaurants, hostels and hotels here. The best known and most expensive is the Gocta Andes Lodge, the Gocta Natura Cabins (GNC) or the bungalows of Tambo Sapalanchan. For those who prefer something simpler and more comfortable, a good number of hostels offer a clean and pleasant accommodation for your days. To find are the cheaper offers of the hostals, e.g. at airbnb or even Booking.

Cocachimba is one of the possible starting points for a hike to the Gocta waterfall. From here it is about 3 hours hike.

How to get to Chachapoyas and Cocachimba?

Flights depart from Lima to Chiclayo (flight time of 1.25hrs) with LAN). From Chiclayo, take an overnight bus to Chachapoyas with a company such as MovilTours (2 daily; journey time of 11 hours). Cocachimba and Gocta can be visited on day trips with tours or car hire from the city of Chachapoyas.

What is the Gocta fall?

The Gocta Falls, considered to be the fourth highest in the world, is a waterfall with two jumps and a height of 771 meters, making it a mandatory stopover in the Amazon. It is next to the Citadel of Kuelap one of the main tourist tours that visitors to Chachapoyas undertake.

The legends around the Gocta fall

There are two myths about this beautiful waterfall. The descendants of the Chachapoya feared for his existence, which is why they were supposed to keep secret. For a long time, Cocachomba and Gocta were not on any map. one of the legends that goes around is the legend of a beautiful siren that is said to live in the lagoon of the waterfall. She is considered the mother of the fish of the river and guardian of a pot of gold. To whom his life is dear, the locals say, it is better not to venture near them. The other legend is about the farmer Juan Mendoza, who disappeared inexplicably near the waterfall; Mendoza is believed to have been turned into a rock and now has to fend off the massive mass of water that falls from above.