La Chinata Waterfall

The Utcubamba and Bongará valleys hold an unusual concentration of very tall waterfalls, of which Gocta is the famous one; La Chinata, above the village of Cuispes, is another - a tiered fall of around 500 metres dropping in stages through cloud forest, with Yumbilla nearby, which at close to 900 metres is one of the tallest measured anywhere and was only widely documented in 2007. The Cuispes community manages access to both, charges a fee, maintains the trails and provides guides. The walk to La Chinata takes about two hours each way through cloud forest and coffee plantations, muddy in the wet season and slippery on the descents, with cock-of-the-rock, tanagers and hummingbirds along the way. The measurements of these falls are contested - different methods and whether tiers count as one drop produce different numbers - and the rankings shift accordingly.

What you actually see

• The tiered fall - around 500 metres in stages through cloud forest.
• Yumbilla nearby - close to 900 metres, documented only from 2007.
• The cloud forest trail - two hours each way past coffee plantations.
• The birds - cock-of-the-rock, tanagers and hummingbirds on the walk.

When to go

May to September for the trail conditions; the falls run strongest at the end of the wet season when the walking is worst. Community guides are arranged in Cuispes.

Honest expectations

Two hours each way on a muddy cloud-forest trail with slippery descents. Community fee in cash. Height measurements of these falls are disputed and the rankings vary. Little infrastructure in Cuispes.

Nearby

Yumbilla is on the same trail network; Gocta is west and Chachapoyas south.