Viewpoint Hike in Cajamarca: Mirador Santa Apolonia

I always say one of the best ways to see a new city is to get to its highest point. And that doesn’t change when visiting Peru. Cajamarca is located in the Andes mountains and is of substantial historical importance to Peru. Before you see all of the archaeological sites in Cajamarca then you must go to its most famous viewpoint.

This doesn’t have to be a huge part of your day either. Cajamarca sits at 2,750 meters. This is a decent height for a big city. If you’re just arriving in Peru then you want to take it easy for a day or 2 when arriving. The perfect thing to do is go on this short 10 to 15-minute walk toward the best viewpoint in Cajamarca.

How to Get to Cajamarca

The busing system in Peru is amazing. Unless you are short on time (because Peru is huge) then you should always be taking a bus. The preferred online bus ticket website is RedBus.

Mancora to Cajamarca

This is the route we took since I crossed the border from Ecuador to Peru. Mancora is one of the most popular areas in the country, so finding a bus won’t be difficult.

• Google the bus station in Mancora and head there. We paid 100 soles for a 7-hour bus to Chiclayo and then another 7-hour bus to Cajamarca.
• If you can afford it, I highly suggest you upgrade your bus seat to the bottom deck for an extra 10 soles
  • This is especially good for night buses which are one of our favorite ways to travel
  • This gives you a massive seat, and more leg room and you can have a much better night’s sleep.

Lima to Cajamarca

The distance is much farther but there are better roads leading up the coast. The price is very good as well.

• Head to Lima Plaza Norte. One of the bus companies that will take you there is called Emtrafesa.
• The cost should be around $15 to $20
• It is around 15 hours but such a deal

My Suggested Hiking Gear

Viewpoint in Cajamarca Hike Details

You can find out more about this hike as well as reviews on Alltrails

My Experience Hiking to the Cajamarca Viewpoint

Cajamarca is a very unique town. Once you head downtown you will see many archaeological buildings spread across multiple streets. One of the most famous buildings in the town is the ransom room which held the last Incan Emperor before he was executed.

If you want to reach the popular viewpoint in Cajamarca then you should first head to the main square. That main square is called Plaza de Armas de Cajamarca.

Once here, if you look southwest you will see a bunch of stairs and a church. That is the viewpoint you will be heading to if you want to have great views of Cajamarca.

The Hike up to the Cajamarca Viewpoint

Once you see the white and blue church you will also see the interesting-looking set of stairs. These stairs come in at each other in a very unique but stunning way.

Along your trip up these stairs, there are many shops on both sides as well as some at the top.

This is the path to the church. You can also walk around the street in a spiral to reach another viewpoint of Cajamarca. This one is called Cerro Santa Apolonia.

Both of these are great, so it depends on personal preference which one you choose. You can easily do both as well.

The church is an interesting sight to see so I would suggest coming here.

Final Thoughts on the Viewpoint of Cajamarca

I love when towns and cities have areas like these. It makes for easy first-day activity and it also helps you get a feel for where you just arrived to. Notoriously, these types of activities are very popular so it is suggested to go early if you want to avoid the crowds. Overall it wasn’t too bad for us here as we went at 2 PM. Overall I suggest everyone visiting Cajamarca check out this viewpoint and church. It is a great way to get used to the altitude as well.

Thank you for reading my guide about visiting the viewpoint of Santa Apolonia in Cajamarca! I hope these views help push you to check out this amazing town in Peru.