Gocta Andes Lodge — Hotel in Valera

Reception staff is a bit cool. Rooms are large but not isolated, so one can hear everything the neighbours say. Luckily around 10 pm everything closes down.||Bathroom is equipped with a shower with hot water and nice amenities.||The view is stunning, though our room (n°. 18) had its view blocked by a huge tree. Each room has its own staircase or entrance, a nice balcony with very unconfortable chairs. ||Breakfast buffet is ok, but they should put more available staff for breakfast. There is just one waiter to clean the tables and bring the orders. Every time we ordered eggs (included) we had to wait more than 15 minutes to get them on our table, sometimes we had to repeat our order. The waiter does his best but the kitchen seems to be the problem. Lunch and dinner are served with a limited choice, but it's enough if you stay for a couple of nights. There is a bar with a kind barman, some cocktails, beer and wine and some small dishes. But if you order a drink, don't expect any finger food, nuts or whatever, which is a pity. ||The waterfall and the whole valley view are spectacular. The hotel is pricey but worth for the view and the pool (pool towels are provided in each room). The surrounding park has some colibri feeders, so you can see them flying around. There are also three alpacas and a couple of dogs from the village. The village itself is very small. There are some small local restaurants, one or two blocks away.||The path to the waterfall starts just at the entrance of the Lodge, which is...

The area of Gocta is extremely beautiful, beautiful mountains, very green, and you have stunning views on the waterfall, be it from your room, be it from the pool or the restaurant. You can do several hiking tours to explore the nature, of course one of it the hike to the falls, a nice hike, but also some other trails. So from a surrounding perspective definitely top.||||The hotel is a three star property, the rooms simple but are large and nicely decorated. The bathroom is also large, but the shower has only limited pressure and limited hot water. It gets very cold at night and there is no heating system. From the balcony you have great views on the waterfall.||||Staff is a bit mixed, front desk and manager are a bit cool, but some waiters are very friendly. Service corresponds to three star level.||||The food in the restaurant is simple but good, good breakfast and also lunch and dinner are relatively good, some good Lomo Saltado, Quinoa Salad etc.||||Conclusion: nice simple hotel in a beautiful setting. However next time I would try the hotel Gocta Natura, a much smaller and more luxurious hotel (which unfortunately I did not know before). The area is definitely...

Incredible and worth every bit of effort to get there! The Gocta lodge is in a truly spectacular setting, with nature and solitude abounding all around you. The lodge is extremely pleasant and comfortable, the restaurant and quality of service very high, at a truly reasonable, almost inexpensive(!), cost given the remoteness of the area. Cocachimba town is right next to the property; it has some limited shops and restaurants as well as tourist info for the trek to the Gocta waterfall. If you’re still reading this, just GO!

As of our trip dates Chachapoyas airport had direct flights three days per week from Lima (small propeller planes) and is by far the most convenient to Gocta. Less than one hour driving. (Else it’s a longer route by road through the Andes from the larger...