Cajamarca sits at 2,750 metres (about 9,020 feet). That is high enough to notice and low enough that most people adjust within a day. For comparison, Cusco is around 3,400 m and Puno is above 3,800 m. If you have heard horror stories about Peruvian altitude, they were probably about somewhere else.
What the first day is like
For most visitors flying in from Lima, the first afternoon brings some combination of: shortness of breath on the stairs, a mild headache, a lighter sleep than usual, and less appetite than usual. Walking up Cerro Santa Apolonia on day one will make itself known.
That is the ordinary version, and it fades. By the second morning most people stop thinking about it.
What actually helps
- Take the first afternoon slowly. Walk the Plaza de Armas, sit down, eat something light. Save Santa Apolonia's steps for day two.
- Drink more water than feels necessary. The air is dry as well as thin, and dehydration produces most of what people blame on altitude.
- Go easy on alcohol the first night. One drink at 2,750 m does the work of two.
- Eat smaller and more often. Heavy meals sit badly on the first day.
- Coca tea (mate de coca) is offered in most hotels and cafés. It is mild, traditional, and it helps some people. Note that it can show on a drug test.
Arriving overland from Trujillo or Chiclayo means you climb over several hours rather than in ninety minutes, and the difference is real. Bus travellers usually report a much easier first day.
Where you actually go higher
The city is the low point of most itineraries. Several of the best excursions climb well above it:
- Cumbemayo: around 3,500 m. The walk through the stone forest and along the aqueduct is not strenuous, but it is noticeably higher than town. Do not schedule it for your first morning.
- Lagunas de Alto Peru: above 3,800 m, in open páramo. This is the highest thing most visitors do here, and it deserves an acclimatised body.
- Granja Porcón: around 3,000 m, gentle.
- Baños del Inca: slightly below the city. The thermal pools are, in fact, an excellent second-day activity.
Sequence matters more than anything else: give yourself a day in the city before the high excursions, and they will be enjoyable rather than a slog.
When it is not just altitude
Ordinary adjustment is mild and improving. Get medical attention if you see severe or worsening headache that painkillers do not touch, repeated vomiting, confusion, trouble walking straight, or breathlessness while resting. These are signs of serious altitude illness, they are uncommon at Cajamarca's elevation, and the response is to descend. Cajamarca has hospitals and pharmacies, and Lima is ninety minutes away by air.
If you have heart or lung conditions, or you are pregnant, ask your doctor before booking rather than after arriving.
