CATARATA GOCTA
One of the natural wonders of the region, this 771 meter waterfall that rises from the vegetation. It shares the spotlight with Yumbilla, which is even more impressive, but more difficult to access. Here is how to get there easily:
From Cocachimba: from the village you can see Gocta clearly on the mountain in front of you, but the objective is to reach the foot of the waterfall. Count 2 hours of walking downhill (5 km) rather easy. The hardest part is then to go back up. The locals offer horses for rent and they are welcome (count about S/40). The owners pull the horses with a light step, so you don't need to be an expert in horse riding.
If you are doing it alone, take the opportunity to leave early before the many agency groups that start at 9am.
From San Pablo, we makes a loop. You walk from San Pablo to the birth of the first waterfall (flat path, about 2 hours), you follow the waterfall downhill (about 2 hours and a half downhill), then you arrive at the foot of the waterfall like everyone else and you go back up to Cocachimba. In the village of San Pablo, there are also local guides available to accompany you. This loop will take you all day. You can also do the last part on horseback since you will be following the same path as those who left Cocachimba.
Agencies sell "full day "packages with transportation to and from Chachapoyas and Cocachimba, a "self-paced" ride and lunch.