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I Finally Found the Perfect Gear for Cajamarca Hot Springs Hiking
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items Planning a trek to the Baños del Inca in Cajamarca and not sure what to pack or where to go? I spent two weeks wandering the Peruvian highlands, soaking in thermal baths, and figuring out what actually matters on this trip. If you're the type who wan...
Sections
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Trail Footwear That Survived Cajamarca's Rocky Paths
Packing Layers for Cajamarca's Weird Weather
Hot Springs Essentials I Wish I'd Packed Sooner
Day Hike Routes Around Cajamarca Worth Your Time
Food and Drinks I Kept Going Back For in Cajamarca
Tech and Accessories That Made the Trip Smoother
Trail Footwear That Survived Cajamarca's Rocky Paths
The trails around Cajamarca are a mix of loose gravel, mud, and uneven Inca stonework. I destroyed a pair of regular hiking shoes in three days before switching to these.
Grab these if you're tackling the trail from Cajamarca to Cumbemayo. My ankles were rolling on every loose rock until I laced these up. The grip on wet stone near the hot springs is unreal.
Review: Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX review
Wore these through a surprise downpour on the walk to Baños del Inca. Feet stayed bone dry while everyone else was squelching. Perfect for anyone who hates breaking in stiff boots.
Women's Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots
Pair these with whatever boots you pick. I hiked six straight days without a single blister, which has literally never happened to me before in Peru.
Men's Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks
Swap out the stock insoles in your hiking boots before you leave. The cobblestone streets in Cajamarca's Plaza de Armas alone will wreck your arches without these.
Superfeet
Use these for the longer day hikes out to Otuzco or Kuntur Wasi. They're lighter than full boots but still gripped every muddy switchback I threw at them.
Cut in half: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Review (2025)
Keep these as your all-around option if you want one shoe for hiking and walking around town. Wide enough for swollen end-of-day feet, waterproof enough for hot spring splashing.
Cut in half: KEEN Targhee III Waterproof Review
Spray your boots with this a week before your trip. I watched water bead right off during a creek crossing near the Inca baths while my travel buddy's shoes turned into sponges.
Fabric & Leather Proof
Packing Layers for Cajamarca's Weird Weather
Cajamarca sits at 2,750 meters and the temperature swings are wild. I was sweating at noon and shivering by 4pm every single day.
Toss this in your daypack every morning even if it looks sunny. The walk back from Baños del Inca at dusk dropped to near freezing and I was the only one not miserable.
Men's Treeline Green Nano Puff® Jacket
Wear this under everything. It handled the sweaty uphill to Cumbe Mayo and then kept me warm when the cloud cover rolled in. No stink after three days either.
Women's Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew
Get this for the wet season visits. Packs down to the size of a fist and saved me during an absolute wall of rain outside the Ventanillas de Otuzco.
Men's Helium UL Jacket
Try these instead of jeans. They dried in about 20 minutes after I sat on a wet rock near the thermal pools. The stretch made scrambling over Inca ruins way easier.
Stretch Zion Relaxed Pant
Use it as a headband on the trail, then pull it up as a neck warmer when the altitude chill hits. Weighs nothing and I wore mine every single day in Cajamarca.
Original Ecostretch Neck Gaiters
The highland sun at altitude is no joke. I got a mild burn on my neck the first day before switching to this. Full coverage, stays on in wind, dries fast after the springs.
Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure Hat Review
Pack three pairs and rotate. They dry overnight in Cajamarca's dry air and you won't need to find a laundromat for a week. Worth it for anyone doing multi-day treks.
Men's Give-N-Go® 2.0 Boxer Brief
Hot Springs Essentials I Wish I'd Packed Sooner
Showing up to Baños del Inca without the right stuff meant my first soak was awkward and uncomfortable. Second time around, I came prepared.
Keep your phone and wallet in this while you soak. The changing areas at Baños del Inca are basic and I watched someone's phone slide right into a puddle.
Ultra-Sil Dry Bag
Bring actual swimwear, not cotton shorts. Cotton gets heavy and takes forever to dry in the cool highland air. These dried during the walk back to town.
Speedo Mens Jammer Endurance+ Solid USA
The mineral content in the thermal water stung my eyes the first visit. Popped these on for the second soak and actually relaxed for once.
Seal 2.0: Swim Mask adult
Ditch the hotel towel and bring this instead. It's half the size, dries three times faster, and I clipped it to my pack on the walk back without adding any weight.
Matador NanoDry Trek Towel - Small | REI Co-op
Wear these to and from the pools. The tile floors around the baths are slippery and I nearly ate it in regular flip flops. These actually grip wet surfaces.
Arizona EVA
Slather this on before and after soaking. Reef-safe formula so you're not dumping chemicals into ancient thermal water, and it stayed on through two hours in the pool.
All Good Sport Sunscreen Lotion Water Resistant - SPF 30
The altitude and hot water combo dehydrates you fast. I got a headache after my first soak because I forgot to drink water. Now I bring this filled to every visit.
32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle
Day Hike Routes Around Cajamarca Worth Your Time
Not every trail near Cajamarca is well marked. Some led me to dead ends and cow pastures. These are the ones that actually delivered.
Start here, obviously. Walk the 6km from the Plaza de Armas instead of taking a taxi. The route follows the old Inca road and you'll pass local farms the whole way.
Visiting Los baños del Inca in Cajamarca
Get there early before the tour buses arrive. The pre-Inca stone aqueduct carved into volcanic rock is wild. The 20km round trip from town is doable if you leave by 7am.
Cumbemayo | Cajamarca
Try the walk from Baños del Inca instead of driving from Cajamarca. It's about 8km through eucalyptus groves and you'll have the carved cliff tombs mostly to yourself.
Ventanillas de Otuzco
Snag sunset views from the top. It's a short climb from the plaza but the carved Inca throne at the summit is worth the steep stairs. Bring a jacket for the wind.
Mirador Del Cerro Santa Apolonia - Recursos Turisticos
Plan a full day for this one. It's about 2 hours by bus from Cajamarca but the pre-Inca temple and gold artifacts in the site museum blew my mind more than Machu Picchu did.
Kuntur Wasi | Cajamarca's Most Significant Archeological
Visit this cooperative farm in the pine forests north of town. The 30km drive passes through landscapes that look nothing like the rest of Peru. Llamas everywhere.
Granja Porcon Community Farming & Eco-Tours
Pair this with a morning at Baños del Inca. The waterfall is small but the valley walk through farmland is peaceful. Local families sell fresh cheese along the trail.
Private Trek to the Llacanora Waterfalls in Cajamarca, Peru
Food and Drinks I Kept Going Back For in Cajamarca
Cajamarca's food scene caught me off guard. The dairy products alone are reason enough to visit. I gained weight and regret nothing.
Order the cuy frito if you're brave enough. I wasn't the first night but caved on night three and it was the crispiest, most flavorful thing I ate in all of Peru.
Sala - Mexican - Dallas
Grab the manjar blanco ice cream after a hot springs visit. Cajamarca is the dairy capital of Peru and you can taste it. I went back four times in one week.
Sitio Oficial de Helados y Paletas
Use this as your morning fuel stop before hiking. The coffee is locally grown and the tamales are stuffed so full they're practically burritos. Gets crowded by 9am.
Café Cascanueces
Buy a whole wheel of this buttery cheese and eat it with bread on the trail. It's Cajamarca's signature product and tastes nothing like the sad versions sold in Lima.
QUESOS DE HUALDO Manchego Cheese D.O. 7 mo Wedge
Try the chicharron con mote for lunch. Massive portions of fried pork with giant corn kernels. Sit outside and watch the plaza. Bring cash because cards are hit or miss.
Don Paco Restaurant
Snag a late night sandwich here after a long day of hiking. The portions are ridiculous and it costs almost nothing. Perfect for anyone running on a backpacker budget.
Pandilla - Surquillo Precios y Menú para Delivery
Pick up a few bottles at any local shop. The pale ale pairs perfectly with salty cheese after a soak. Way better than the mass-produced Cusqueña you'll find everywhere else.
sierra andina microbrewery craft beer huaraz peru
Tech and Accessories That Made the Trip Smoother
Altitude, limited outlets, and remote trails meant I needed reliable gear that wouldn't die on me. A few of these saved specific moments I would have missed otherwise.
Bring this fully charged every day. My phone died during the Cumbemayo hike and I missed the best rock formations. This charges my phone four times before needing a wall outlet.
Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD USB-C
Use this for the unmarked trails outside town. Google Maps lost signal 30 minutes into the Cumbemayo walk. This little GPS kept me on track when the path split three ways.
Garmin 010-02256-00 eTrex 22x, Rugged Handheld GPS
Clip this to your pack strap for the hot springs. It handles steam and splashing without a case. The footage of the thermal water at sunrise was worth the whole trip.
About Google
Keep your layers, water, and snacks in this for every day hike. Light enough to forget it's there, but the hip belt kept it stable on the rocky descent from Santa Apolonia.
Daylite Plus
Toss this in your pack for the longer hikes. The streams near Cumbemayo looked clean but I wasn't taking chances at altitude. Drink straight from the source without worry.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter Review
Wear this for early morning starts to Cumbemayo. The trail head has zero lighting and I tripped twice before pulling mine out. Also clutch for navigating Cajamarca's dimmer side streets.
BLACK DIAMOND Spot 400 Headlamp
Grab the latest edition before you fly out. The Cajamarca chapter has walking routes and restaurant picks that aren't on any app yet. Marked mine up with notes for next time.
Peru Solo Travel Guide for Women Travelling to Peru Alone