If you are going to Santiago de Chile for a few days and are looking to go trekking near the Andes Mountains, an excellent option is to visit the Cajón del Maipo.
This Andean canyon is surrounded by hills, cliffs and massifs, and has several important rivers such as the Maipo, the Yeso and the Colorado, which cross and enrich the landscape.
It's an ideal day trip, departing from and returning to Santiago. Below, I'll tell you how to organize it.
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How to get to the Mirador de Cóndores in the Cajón del Maipo
The goal is to reach kilometer 18 or 19 of the route to El Alfalfal on your own. After passing the town of Los Maitenes, the trail begins at that point, where there is a small esplanade on the side of the road where other hikers often park their cars. There is little signage indicating the entrance, beyond some white-painted stones with the word "CONDOR".
To get there by your own means, y sin auto, hay 2 maneras para hacerlo:
- Take Metro Line 6 (green) to the Bellavista La Florida station. From there, walk inside the station and head for the intercity bus transfer. Take Metrobus No. 72, branch A, B, or C, to the town of San José de Maipo. The best option is bus C, which takes an hour and does not go through Puente Alto. In town, we can get off at the Plaza de Armas and see if we can catch one of the two buses that leave daily for Alfalfal. One leaves at 8 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m. (difficult if you want to make it during the day). If you can't make it, you can pay for a taxi from the plaza to the trailhead. They charged me 13,000 Chilean pesos to km 18/19 of the route to Alfalfal. Both the buses and the taxi drop you off at the esplanade I mentioned earlier.
- The other option is similar to the first, except instead of going to Bellavista, we can go to the Las Mercedes metro station on Line 4, heading toward Plaza de Puente Alto, and then take a bus or minibus to Cajón del Maipo. The rest of the route is the same as above.
Note: I was told the bus schedules at the Tourist Office, located right in front of the Plaza de Armas in San Jose de Maipo. I don't know if these schedules are maintained year-round or only during peak season.
What to do in the Cajón del Maipo
We have several activities to do in the Maipo Canyon. There's something for everyone, from hiking along various trails, horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking, and rafting, to camping or having lunch at one of the area's restaurants.
Among the most popular tourist attractions to see in the Cajón del Maipo are the El Morado Glacier Natural Monument, he Lagunillas ski resort, the Baños Morales hot springs, Colina Baths and the Lead Hot Springs, near the El Yeso Reservoir, the main source of drinking water for the city of Santiago.
There's a popular hike in the area called the Sendero al Mirador de Cóndores that can be done independently in a day trip from Santiago de Chile. There are also other hiking options to the Animas Waterfall or the El Yeso Reservoir, but they're too far to do independently in a day.
What is the trekking to Mirador de Cóndores like?
Part One: From the Route to the Plain
Once we have reached Km 18/19, we have to cross the road and go up a few meters to pass through a fence that says No Entry (how ironic :D).
A well-marked trail heads southeast just at the beginning of the ravine. After about an hour of hiking from the trailhead, you reach a prominent plateau that houses a small lagoon in winter (it's usually dry in summer).
This is a good resting point, as it's halfway along the route to the viewpoint. It was on this plain that I saw a pair of condors flying overhead, but not from the viewpoint.
Part Two: From the Plain to the Muleteers' House
The trail crosses the plain on its side and then continues upward. A little less than half an hour from the plain, you reach a fence with a sign marking the turnoff to the viewpoint, separating you from the main trail.
This fence corresponds to the boundaries of a muleteer's house, where you can buy water or goat cheese, if you want something for the journey.
To continue, you must go around, following a path until you reach the Cincomil ravine, which has a small estuary.
Part Three: From the Ravine to the Lookout
This waterway requires only a short hop to cross. Drinking water from it is not recommended, as it is an animal grazing area.
From the Cincomil ravine, the trail becomes more diffuse, splitting into two sections about 30 meters away. Either option takes just under an hour from the ravine.
The viewpoint is the highest point on this trail. It ends abruptly at the top of a rocky outcrop that separates the Aucayes estuary basin from the Colorado River basin.
The views from El Mirador are beautiful. You can carefully approach the edges to get a view of the canyon and the paved road we took from San José de Maipo.
All around us, we can admire the imposing Andes mountains, which are usually white with snow in winter. I went at the end of summer, so there was barely any snow on any distant peaks.
After a well-deserved rest and a bite to eat, we return along the same path. The good thing is that the descent is faster, taking around 1.5 hours.
How to get back to the town of San Jose de Maipo
Now begins the eternal return to Santiago de Chile, if we decide to do it all on the same day.
First, we have to return to the town of San Jose de Maipo. There aren't many options. There are two buses a day returning from Alfalfal to the town, which happen to be the same ones that got on, one at 8:00 a.m. and the other at 2:00 p.m. Those same buses then return, one around 9:30 a.m. and the other at 3:30 p.m. If we're lucky enough to catch the latter, it's great; if not, we have no choice but to call a taxi to pick us up or hitchhike along the way to see if some kind soul offers a ride.
Then, from San Jose, take the same Metrobus No. 72 (preferably, branch C) to the Bellavista la Florida terminal. From there, transfer to the metro to wherever is most convenient for you. Keep in mind that the last Metrobus to Santiago de Chile appears to be the 8 p.m.
Final thoughts on trekking in the Cajón del Maipo
If you're driving, it's very easy to get there and back, but if you're on foot, the trip can be a bit long and tiring. You'll need to take several connections and pay attention to bus schedules.
The trek is easy to moderate in difficulty. It's not too long—about 4 to 5 hours total—but almost the entire route is uphill, with very few flat sections. Therefore, it's advisable to be in good basic physical condition, and I wouldn't recommend it for very young children.
The trail is well marked, so it's hard to get lost once you start. The only tricky part might be the entrance from the road, but once you find it, the path becomes quite clear and guides you on its own.
I don't think you need a tour to do this trek. Perhaps you can do it to see the other attractions of the Maipo Canyon, such as the Yeso Reservoir. However, I don't see the need for a guide for this activity, unless you want the convenience of round-trip transportation.
The views along the entire trail are beautiful, especially from the top of the lookout point. Those of us who love mountain scenery will enjoy it. And if you're lucky, you might even see some condors flying overhead.