Mirador del Cruz Parking Lot | Informal Campsite

February 22nd, 2024 by Fiore

Grand parking plat, gratuit, mais l’entrée dans le canyon est de 70 SOL par personne, excessif…
Nuit très calme à 3761 m.

September 12th, 2023 by Se Joga No Mundo

Great place to spend the night. Quiet, safe and lots of space. Tourist buses start to arrive around 7:30. Condors starts to fly around 8:40 and stay up until 10h.

July 17th, 2023 by erich.marti.57

Schöner Platz im wunderbaren Colca Canyon. Mal abwarten, ob sich die Kondore hierher verirren.

July 9th, 2023 by fernanda.villela

IMPOSSÍVEL ENTRAR AQUI COM MOTORHOME. TIVEMOS QUE VOLTAR DE RÉ.

June 12th, 2023 by Escapetotheworldblog

Spent 2 nights here.

After morning when tourists leave it gets very quiet. Amazing stars.

Lots of cows around that later all come down to this parking lot. Apparently our van still had salt from the ocean on it, so cows were very persistent trying to lick it all off whoch was kinda weird and scary.

A beautiful place nevertheless.

May 16th, 2023 by undetoursurlaterre

on est arrivé vers 8h50 le premier jour, on a vu plus d'une dizaine de condors. on a dormi là sans problème, les WC étaient fermés après la vague de cars.m, mais le lendemain à partir de 8h30 tous les cars reviennent et les WC ouvrent.
la nuit est calme.

April 22nd, 2023 by Kombichileiros

Excelente local para passar a noite! Dormimos no estacionamento do mirador, uma noite tranquila e muito estrelada. Acordamos as 5h quando amanheceu e ficamos contemplando o espetáculo da natureza. Haviam muitos condores, eles dançaram no céu até umas 10h, foi uma das coisas mais lindas que já vimos.

October 11th, 2022 by michellepoirier46

Big parking here and very quiet during the night. We were alone. The toilets are closed for the night.

September 19th, 2022 by TruePrincesses

Large parking in the Mirador del Cruz. No height restriction, no facilities. During the evening, police drive on the main road but he doesn't come to see us (we have a van with a rooftop tent). Calm at night but many buses et tourists the morning to see condors.

Nous sommes restés une nuit sur le parking du Mirador del Cruz. Il n'y a pas de restriction de hauteur et les toilettes n'étaient pas ouvertes. La police passe sur la route principale mais elle n'est pas venue nous voir. Le spot est calme la nuit mais dès 7h, il y a les cars et bus de touristes qui arrivent pour voir les condors voler (meilleur horaire : 9h).

September 8th, 2022 by thepanamericandream.com

Arrived at 815am to see the condors in full swing. By 915am they were circling overhead. Pretty spectacular! Many tourists busses and vans.

August 23rd, 2022 by a.vdbranden

very quite night, the toilets were closed at night, a lady came to open them at 7am.
We were not asked for ticket there (but there was a guard checking at the main mirador)

March 10th, 2022 by mrhvdm2010

We stayed here 2 nights, it’s very quiet once the tourist buses are gone, around 11 AM. Seen only 1 condor the first day, but 8 the second day. It was worth waiting for!

February 27th, 2022 by pausanias

As said before, very calm and safe. Maybe 2-3 vehicles passed after sunset, and first people started arriving after 7am, though Feb/Mar is kinda low season. We were not asked for the national park ticket on the spot despite the several people apparently working there. We picked the spot in far corner away from the entrance and toilets, we were calm even when the buses were turning. Toilets are clean, but were locked in the evening we arrived. There were 2 portable loos.

February 29th, 2020 by 1endlessroad

As described, most convenient place to view the amazing condors and you can sleep there too. Absolutely no road noise after about 7pm. There was one toilet left open all night ( not so clean, and no seat, but it worked ). No one hassled us but the inspector did come by in the morning to check our ticket. There were tons of condors the day we were there ..so many we lost count. They are amazing. Most action between 8 and 10. The main viewpoint where most people hang out ( the furthest west one ) saw the most action and one condor landed right on the rocks in front of everyone. Sat there for ages. Go to the lower two viewpoints if you want to see them flying by as they are usually just beneath you and easy to photograph. We also saw a bunch more from the road as we drove back to Chivay.
Hard to escape the 70 soles fee - we skipped through the first checkpoint near Chivay but they got us at the other one just 5 kms before the Cruz Del Condor Mirador. And if we had managed to escape that one ( by driving after 6pm - it closes apparently ) they would have caught us at the Mirador ( they arrive early ).

October 17th, 2019 by esmeralda.life

Great place to spend the night and wake up to the Condors (and tourist buses). Nice hiking, quiet at night. Free

September 17th, 2019 by Monkeys on the Road

Very quiet night, no wind or cars or people. We stayed 2 nights and saw condors at all times of the day, but they come the closest to the viewing area between 8am and 9.30am. They came the closest to the highest up viewing area - 4 of them sat on the rock up there that is covered in white poop.

August 17th, 2019 by vismaplanete.com

Grand parking gratuit, face au mirador. Nuit calme et fraîche. Parfait pour observer les condors tout au long de la journée. Nous avons passé 2 nuits ici

July 4th, 2019 by pagesrougesetnoires.wordress.com

Very nice place, quiet in the afternoon and the night, large dust parking, bathrooms opened in the morning when all the tourists arrive. We stayed here 2 nights and an afternoon and saw a lot of condors (most of them around 9 - 10am). Everyone was very friendly. Recommended !

July 4th, 2019 by m-e-a-j.com

We stayed here one night and until lunch next day. Beautiful place and our advise is to go to the lowest view point (of the lower 3) because there’s where the condors fly the closest. We waited for them from 7 am but they’re like me, they like to get out of the nest late in the morning!! ;-) the highest number of condors appeared from 9:30 to 11am (at least this time of the year) and it was when they flew the closest to us (see picture). it was also correlated when the number of tourists was at its lowest...

December 28th, 2018 by double dutch world safari

great location. lots of condors even in the afternoon.level and suited for big rigs. toilets were closed when we arrived around 2.30 in the afternoon.

May 13th, 2018 by onespaceman

We asked when we bought our tickets and the man said no problem. It was quiet and great to wake up in the morning and go right to the viewing platform and see all the condor flying.

November 18th, 2017 by viva-panamericana

Good place to spend the night before watching the condors. We saw 3 condors in the evening and 7 more in the morning between 8 and 10 am. Absolutely great experience! free

October 31st, 2017 by dave-and-chris-travel-notes.com

Level parking lot. Quiet in afternoon through night, but many tour buses start rolling in around 8am. So watch you don't get blocked in. Bathrooms close around 1 when all the vendors leave the Mirador. Guard in the morning asked about Park ticket (70s). But good for a week.

October 3rd, 2017 by wildjourney.de

Great for staying overnight and be at the right spot to see the Condors in the morning! Very clean toilet was open day and night! They checked the ticket in the morning. Main Condor activity between 7,30 and 9 AM.

August 21st, 2017 by travelamateurs.com

Free camping, aside from 70s Colca entrance fee, in large flat parking lot. Our Colca tickets were checked in the morning. Single dirty toilet open when we arrived at 2pm. Official bathrooms opened at 8am. Some condors in the late afternoon. Quiet night. Tons of visitors in the morning but they leave around 11. Many condors between 9-10:30am.

June 8th, 2017 by Flinking Around

construction is done and the toilets are clean (just no seat). I didn't stay here but at the old parking lot because I expected loads of buses to show up early morning. I came here next morning to watch the condors and it was indeed quite busy.

May 21st, 2017 by www.practicingforretirement.com

Currently there are temporary roadworks going on, so very noisy at night - but they did leave a toilet open for the workers (and apparently workers are filthy, because they had coated every surface of that toilet with you-know-what... We couldn't bring ourselves to use it).

Busy from 8am to 10am,then you have the ace all to yourself.

We didn't mean to do so, but we passed the checkpoints after 6pm and didn't pay anything to visit the valley. There was noone to pay, and the gates were open.

August 5th, 2016 by randulinas.ch

Nice and quiet to stay here during the night! But in the morning a guard told us, that it is not anymore allowed to camp here for the night. All other parking spots are ok!

July 29th, 2016 by travelwithuandb

Did what previous post said and took the Huambo route. Are staying down the road and haven't had to pay yet. Beautiful drive!

July 11th, 2016 by joern

If you don't fancy paying 70s to access Cruz de Cóndor, it is possible to the second checkpoint for free. The views are great. IMHO, only pay the 70s if you plan to spend time out there (stay a night) to se condors.

Alternatively, if you have time and is coming from Arequipa, you can take the long way around (Arequipa - Majes - Huambo) . It's a day's trip (around 300km - 200km on gravel) but great views as well. I did not see any checkpoints, so you might get off not paying the 70s that way.

January 21st, 2016 by YellowVanDays

Good spot. Once crowds had gone in the morning, we had plenty of condors to ourselves!

October 31st, 2015 by www.bummelmitpummel.de

the last 20 km from Chivay to the mirador del cruz are washboard gravelroad. we stayed on this place 3 nights, and had to pay 70 soles p/p NP entry fee. the tickets are valid for one week. the parking areal is big, free and and we stayed very quiet over night. if you are with a tent or so, the best place to stay is the bush camp (pos. s15.60965 w71.89362 ) the condors came with the first wind after 9 am and we saw some until 1 pm, and again after 4 pm.

August 22nd, 2015 by vanhealing.com

Nice and quiet night! Had the Condors all to ourselves first thing in the morning !!
No traffic at night.

January 1st, 2012 by fromatob.org

Large parking area next to Miradors. Toilets open 8am to 4pm. Free but S70 per person to enter the valley.

January 3rd, 2011 by panamnotes.com

Bathrooms only open in the AM

s/ 35 per person to access canyon, camping free.